Why Healing isn’t Just Physical, it’s Emotional Too

It’s honestly kind of wild how people talk about “healing” like it’s only about the physical stuff. You know, it’s the things like drinking water with some lemon juice, getting more sleep, going for a walk, a solid morning routine, maybe throw in a yoga class, and apparently that’s supposed to fix a life. But if only it were that simple. Like, the body isn’t a separate little machine living a life of its own. 

Yeah, sure, that’d be great and all, but it just doesn’t work that way or whatever. So yeah, it’s connected to emotions in every possible way, and pretending feelings don’t affect the body is basically the fastest way to end up tired, tense, and wondering why everything hurts for “no reason” (when in fact there is a solid reason). But when it comes to healing, it’s both physical and emotional, and there are some things that you really need to keep in mind. 

The Mind and Body are Connected

Which, yes, that’s pretty obvious here. So yeah, when you’re stressed out, that’s going to turn into physical tension, and even when you’re just dealing with something physical (like a stomach ache or general aches), well, that’s going to swiftly turn mental as well (like being in a bad mood). So yeah, overall, emotional stuff doesn’t stay floating around in the brain. It sinks into the body. Usually, stress lands in the shoulders.

For the most part, anxiety curls up in the stomach. And heartbreak, for example, just does so much to the body and mind, the same goes for mourning, and it feels impossible to get rid of all these physical and mental feelings. Now, to sum all of this up here, the body literally becomes the spokesperson for feelings no one is acknowledging (or you could be acknowledging it, and the feelings are just as strong).

Emotional Baggage Can Show Up Physically

Have you ever tried bottling up emotions? Maybe it was a death, breakup, financial stress, or trauma from something like a car accident. These are major stressors, but honestly, even smaller ones, like disliking your job, are also something people try to bottle up. Well, ignoring emotions doesn’t delete them. It’s not like they evaporate like steam in a shower or something. 

So this is why it’s repeated over and over to not bottle up your feelings, that bottle will burst, and it’s going to be bad, and in the meantime, you’re sitting on issues that will eventually show up physically. Eventually, the body has so much stored that it starts sending out physical alarms. Usually, it’s headaches, tension, constant fatigue, random aches that make no sense, weight gain, and lack of sleep, and this list could go on for a while.

Healing Needs More than You Might Think

Now sure, there’s absolutely no denying that self-care is adorable and all. Well, at least how the internet portrays it, like the whole journaling bit, the sage, buttle baths, eating a doughnut, tea, etc. But you absolutely need to under that’s surface-level comfort, not the deep cleaning the emotional side sometimes needs. 

But real healing means feeling things. Actually feeling them. As in, not pushing them away, not distracting from them, not guilt-tripping yourself for having them. Yeah, sure, 100% it can get uncomfortable. Sometimes, the whole “just think positive”  isn’t going to be enough, and you’ll need real support. And having decent health insurance helps make mental health care more reachable (as in more affordable), so it’s not something only turned to after life has completely fallen apart.