Mind-Body Connection: What You Might Be Missing

The mind-body connection is the idea that your thoughts, emotions and physical health constantly influence each other, so a change in one part of you can ripple through the rest. In this video, Dr. Brenda Chau, who brings a functional medicine lens to her work in Toronto, shares what she most wants people to understand about that link: it's powerful, your genes aren't the whole story, and asking for help is okay.

Key takeaways

• Your mind, body and spirit are closely connected. As Dr. Chau puts it, "It's a whole system."
• When one part of that system is affected, "it will eventually affect the other part."
• Genes aren't destiny. Lifestyle changes can still improve your health and longevity.
• Don't lose hope. It's okay to ask for help, join a support group and speak up about a mental health condition.
• Be gentle and compassionate with yourself.

What Dr. Brenda Chau says

Her first message is about how strong the link is: "I want people to know how powerful our minds are, and how connected our minds are with our body and spirit." She sees health as one system rather than separate parts, and says this is what functional medicine is about: "Not only mental, but everything."

She is also clear that genetics don't get the final word. "Even if it's in our genes, we can always do something to improve our health and longevity," she says, by making changes in how we live. She never wants to hear of someone losing hope in their health.

The last part of the video is about support. "It is okay to ask for help," she says, and okay to find a support group or speak up when you're living with a mental health condition, which she says is "getting more and more popular." She closes with a simple request: "Let's be gentle with ourselves. Let's be compassionate."

Is the mind-body connection real?

Yes. A clear example is depression and long-term physical illness. The National Institute of Mental Health explains that people with a chronic disease are at higher risk of depression, and people with depression are at higher risk of certain chronic diseases, including heart disease, diabetes and stroke. Some reasons are practical, since depression can make it harder to eat well and exercise. Others are physical, such as increased inflammation and changes in stress hormones (NIMH).

Can lifestyle changes help if health problems run in your family?

Her point about genes matches research on heart health. Across four studies with 55,685 participants, people at high genetic risk for coronary artery disease who kept up healthy habits, like not smoking, staying active and eating a healthy diet, had a 46% lower relative risk of coronary events than people at the same genetic risk with an unhealthy lifestyle (Khera et al., New England Journal of Medicine).

That's heart health, not mental health, but the idea holds: genes shape your risk, and daily habits still count.

How to strengthen your mind-body connection

Start by noticing. Stress often shows up in the body first, as tight shoulders, a racing heart or an upset stomach. From there, small, steady habits beat big overhauls: regular sleep, movement you enjoy and short breaks during the day.

Be kind to yourself in the process. Our guide to self-compassion as a tool for stress recovery shows how, and her video on How Chronic Stress Affects Your Body & Mind covers what stress does physically. If you're struggling, a doctor or therapist is a good first call.

Video transcript

Transcript (lightly edited for reading):

I want people to know how powerful our minds are, and how connected our minds are with our body and spirit. And even if it's in our genes, we can always do something to improve our health and longevity by making some changes in our lifestyle. I would never want to hear of someone losing hope in their health. And it is okay to ask for help. It is okay to find a support group and to speak up when we have any mental condition. It's getting more and more popular. And this is basically what I think functional medicine is about. Not only mental, but everything. It's a whole system. If any part of our system gets affected, it will eventually affect the other part. So let's be gentle with ourselves. Let's be compassionate. And that's basically what I wanted to say.

Common questions

What is the mind-body connection?

It's the two-way relationship between your mental and physical health. Stress and mood can affect sleep, digestion and heart rate, and physical health affects how you feel.

How powerful is the mind-body connection?

Strong enough to matter for your health. Long-term physical illness raises the risk of depression, and depression raises the risk of some physical illnesses.

What could be causing me to feel mentally unstable?

Many things can play a part, including ongoing stress, poor sleep, hormonal changes, physical illness and conditions like anxiety or depression. A doctor or therapist can help you sort it out. If you or someone you know is in crisis, call or text 988 (US).

About the expert: Dr. Brenda Chau is an international medical graduate who trained in Peru. She works at Vivagen Life Sciences in Toronto, taking a functional medicine approach to care.

Related: The Body-Mind Connection: Holistic Healing Starts Here