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You notice the check engine light comes on and schedule a car inspection. You notice you are having flu-like symptoms and visit the doctor. What do you do when you feel overwhelmed?
In this video, Healthcare Network behavioral health director Dr. Courtney Whitt will explore the connection between mental and physical health, and how they both relate to your complete wellbeing. To read more visit https://healthcareswfl.org/healthcare...


In this video, we’ll explore the connection between mental and physical health, and how they both relate to your complete wellbeing.

You notice the check engine light comes on and schedule a car inspection. You notice you are having flu-like symptoms and visit the doctor. What do you do when you feel overwhelmed? When your interest in doing things dwindles? When you find yourself tired or sleeping less?

Perhaps chronic headaches, shoulder pain, nausea, chest tightness, or difficulties breathing have less to do with your physical health and more with your mental health.

Ignoring these physical and emotional sensations, particularly after they’ve been around for a while, can negatively affect the connection between one’s physical and mental health and lead to conditions such as anxiety or depression, which in turn can affect physical health leading to obesity, diabetes or high blood pressure, to name a few.

An excellent habit is to set aside five to 10 minutes per day to engage in a self-check-in at the beginning of the day or self-reflection at the end of the day, or both. During a self-check-in, simply start with a head-to-toe body scan and identify how your body feels. Tense? Rested?

Physical and behavioral changes can include difficulty sleeping, changes in eating habits, nightmares, increased drinking and smoking, social withdrawal, feelings of depression or anxiety, increased irritability or anger and increased sensitivity.

As uncomfortable as it may be, stress serves an important function. Stress tells us what’s at stake, and at its best can be motivating, helping us put thought to action to keep ourselves, our families and our communities safe.

However, we must be mindful and self-aware, recognizing when stress starts to cross over from the healthy, adaptive kind to more unhealthy or maladaptive stress. Generally, that happens when high levels of stress intensify, persist or exceed our ability to effectively cope and function.

During self-reflection, simply consider on how the day went. You may learn that your accelerated heart rate is a sense of anxiety about a work-related project. There is no need to judge or try to change anything, but simply to notice what you could have done differently, or better yet, what you want to do again that brought you joy.

This increased awareness of the connections of our physical and mental sensations or feelings will enhance our sense of resiliency over things we might not otherwise be able to change or control.

Quality sleep, exercise, healthy eating and hydrating as well as self-care efforts, such as deep breathing, meditation, listening to music or writing in a journal are important to overall physical and mental wellbeing.

You do not need to wait to feel depressed, anxious, have chronic pain or insomnia, to seek help. It is incredibly reassuring and validating to seek help from a mental health professional. You could learn that a particular set of symptoms or feelings are quite “normal” under certain circumstances or that it is time to receive help, and more importantly, that help is available.

At Healthcare Network, we provide cutting edge, best of class integrated primary care addressing the whole person – both body and mind. This integrated care model blends primary care and mental health into one setting, allowing patients to experience a true team-based approach to healthcare.

The Healthcare Network model is highly effective because patients often seek medical care for physical symptoms that are related to or caused by behavioral or mental health issues.

Is it time for a mental health checkup? Make an appointment with a Healthcare Network provider today to learn how we can support your healthcare journey.