Dear Anita

I like how you mentioned everything is physical because everything can be experienced through the body. If a person is feeling mental health stresses like depression and anxiety long term then physical health declines too. Depression can impact sleep patterns leading to fatigue, memory fog, irritability, intense sadness and headaches and muscle pains. Anxiety can cause feelings of nausea, fatigue, headaches, digestive upsets. Since emotions are energy in motion processed by the mind and the heart, sometimes emotions like anxiety speed up our heart rates and send signals to the mind that we are stressed.  The sympathetic nervous system kicks into action which triggers rise in releasing of hormone cortisol. Long-term stress increases risk for heart disease and stroke. That’s why mental health and relieving stressful emotions is helpful in promoting physical health.