This blog series will be where I discuss sections from my book ‘My Eclectic Human Body’ to demonstrate how mental health is more than just the mind.
Psychologists and other health professionals have recently begun revisiting a more holistic approach to psychology and mental health. The term Holistic Health has many interpretations, however, I will be using this term to describe various ideas that directly and indirectly improve a person's mental health.
Sleep – our brain operates with five different frequencies also known as sleep stages, all of which have their own associated states. The Delta frequency is associated with deep dreamless sleep, automatic self-healing, immune system function and collective consciousness; Theta frequency is associated with deep mediation, light sleep, REM sleep, the dream-like state between sleep and awake, intuition, memory and vivid visual imagery; Alpha frequency is associated with calmness, open focus, relaxed thinking, reflective thinking, creative thinking, visualization and effortless learning; Beta frequency is associated with normal waking states, daily activities, close focus, alert/working state, five physical senses awareness; and Gamma frequency is associated with peak focus and concentration and problem solving. Sleep performs an important role in our brain health where it serves as a natural detoxification process by flushing waste into the bloodstream via the glymphatic system into the liver to detoxify, washing out Beta-amyloid plaque twice as fast compared to sleep state and increasing flow of the cerebrospinal fluid.
Pain – Pain is part physical part mental. Physical pain can be reduced by having appropriate flexibility and mobility. The pain we experience can be discussed as part of the Nociception response. This refers to the Central Nervous System and the Peripheral Nervous System’s processing of noxious stimuli, such as tissue injury and temperature extremes, which both activate the Nociceptors and their pathways. Often this is the body’s responses to keep us safe from further damage, however, the Nociceptors can be triggered by nerve misfiring and other unhelpful reasons. This leads to a subjective experience of pain a person feels. Improving our Proprioception can assist the body in overriding some of the unhelpful effects of the Nociceptors, as can improving our overall brain body connection.
Light and Circadian – As humans, we often forget that we are still animals and that we are just as affected by the sun and planet as any other species of animal on earth. Natural light stimulates the serotonin in our body which, in turn assists with positive/happy moods. Artificial light is rarely full spectrum and light, and even when it is, it can impact our circadian rhythm which in turn can be a risk factor for cancer, depression, earlier death, PMS, PMDD, menopause, andropause, dementia, insomnia, mood disorders type 2 diabetes, and other. UV light is a type of electromagnetic radiation, and we normally receive this from the sun. The three types of UV light are UVC, UVB and UVA. Circadian rhythm is one of the body changes that is greatly influenced by the available light frequencies. Our natural Circadian rhythm dictates that our light and dark cycles are synchronised with the sun and the earth. When this isn’t the case, health issues may arise and can also impact the control of our gene expression (epigenetics), biochemical reactions such as hormonal changes, tissue and organ growth and repair, Hypothalamus health, the Suprachiasmatic nucleus and eye health.
There are many areas of health and science that can be beneficial to learn about, including the discussed topics of sleep, pain and light.
Stay tuned for my next blog.
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