Metabolize Holiday Emotions Well
Your body may have metabolized holiday food, but what about holiday emotions? When you know how to metabolize holiday emotions well now, you start the new year with more energy, self-motivation, and clarity.
The word metabolize is a verb, an action word. It means to break down, absorb, and use substances in the body through chemical processes.
In his article on metabolizing emotions, Marc David states: Every thought and feeling has a chemical equivalent in the body. And indeed, it must. We are biochemical beings. And all chemicals in the body are involved in the overall process of metabolism.
Think of emotions as chemical reactions that travel at lightning speed from your brain to your body and back to your brain. The concept of emotional metabolism has been explored in mind/body research by brilliant scientists like Candace Pert, Lisa Feldman Barrett, and Bessel van der Kolk have expanded our understanding of the brain/body connection by integrating psychology and physiology. They have uncovered facts about this intricate connection and provide methods for clearing trauma through various tools and techniques. Their groundbreaking work can reduce medication use and empower people with mental and emotional health challenges to lead their well-being.
Unfortunately, when these mind/body strategies do not integrate movement science, they are limited in their use. They can unknowingly cause more stress for people wanting to reduce depression, anxiety, chronic pain and chronic stress. A simple example is the common instruction to sit up straight and take a deep breath. This interrupts the way movement science tells us the body and breath are designed to rest well. As I shared in this article, resting well is easier when you apply movement science principles
When movement science is integrated, you have a whole-person science-based way to metabolize emotions. The approach to movement I share at Exercising Well is the integration of mind/body science with movement science. As I shared in the last article, when you rethink the words exercise, physical activity, and movement to incorporate mind/body science with movement science, you not only boost your body's metabolism, you enhance your emotional metabolism as well. When you are Exercising Well, you restore mobility, strength, and stamina to age well in the future, but today you neutralize the chemical changes of emotions to Be Well Now.
The bottom line is, that emotions are felt in the body because they chemically change the body. All those chemicals need to be turned into movement so they can be metabolized. When you move well, following the movement science principles, you have a built-in way to metabolize emotions to restore energy, calm, and clarity in your whole person. This takes relearning how to move your body so you can move to Be Well Now. It does not happen by reading about it. It happens by experiencing it in your body. It does not happen in one "workout" it happens gradually, the way everything thrives in nature.
Exercising Well is a whole-person science-based program with professional guidance that takes you step by step through upgrading your mindsets about exercising, eating, and managing stress, and rewiring your ability to move well, rest well and nourish well.
Click here to restore your resources for metabolizing emotions so you can Be Well Now.
Share this with someone you know who wants to celebrate December in the Well State.
December Bonus ends 12/31/24!
Exercising Well is so much more than an exercise program. It's a pathway to rewiring mindsets so you know how to Be Well Now. This is a short-term program that gives you lifelong skills for moving well, nourishing well, and resting well. Move on with confidence in your self-motivation skills. even when you are limited by pain, medical issues, stress, or lack of time.
