Have you experienced moments when you physically can’t sit still, you feel uneasy, and your mind will not slow down? You may be experiencing body-mind disquiet, or restlessness — a condition that can manifest in both the body and mind simultaneously. Addressing it often means examining how your body and mind are interconnected. A holistic approach, which focuses on this connection, offers a more supportive way for you to understand and respond to your body-mind disquiet over time.
What Is the Body-Mind Connection?
The body and mind connection is the ongoing relationship between physical bodies and mental states. It describes how psychological experiences can influence your body and how physical sensations and conditions can affect how you think and feel.
When you experience stress, worry, or ongoing pressure, your body may respond with physical changes, such as muscle tension, shallow breathing or heightened alertness. At the same time, physical discomfort, fatigue or pain can affect how you think and feel, which makes it harder to focus.
Rather than operating as separate systems, the body and mind function as interconnected parts of a single system. This idea has long been recognized in mindfulness practices and traditional healing approaches, and you may hear it as the phrase “calm body, calm mind”.
More recent research supports this view. A study by Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis shows that areas of the brain involved in movement are closely linked to networks responsible for thinking, planning and regulating involuntary bodily functions such as heart rate and blood pressure. Therefore, the connection between body and mind is built into the structure of the brain itself.
Restlessness is one of the most common indicators of the mind-body connection, as it can have both physiological and mental characteristics.
What Does Restlessness Look and Feel Like?
Restlessness is a common experience, but it can look and feel different for everyone. Physically, you may feel unable to stay still, leading you to pace, fidget or wring your hands. A general sense of physical tension and discomfort is also common. Mentally, you might find it hard to relax even when you’re overstimulated and tired. In severe cases, it may lead to impulsive behavior or distressing thoughts.
Some people describe restlessness as a kind of body-mind disquiet where neither the body nor the mind feels entirely at ease. When restlessness continues over time, it can interfere with sleep, concentration and overall well-being.
What Are the Common Triggers of Restlessness in the Body and Mind?
Many reasons can cause restlessness, but it’s more likely to happen when you experience a lot of stress, take certain medications, experience withdrawal or struggle with certain health conditions.
Restlessness is also a symptom of various mood disorders and psychiatric conditions, such as anxiety, bipolar disorder and clinical depression. It may also occur in schizophrenia and dementia. Moreover, periods of restlessness are often associated with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.
Aside from psychological conditions, restlessness can also be caused by diseases that affect the body. Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is a common example. Affecting up to 10% of people in the U.S. and 7.12% of people globally, this neurological disorder typically occurs at night or during periods of prolonged sitting. When you have RLS, you may experience an urge to move your legs when you’re at rest.
Another physical cause of restlessness is hyperthyroidism, which is the overactivity of the thyroid gland. This condition affects metabolism and can lead to symptoms like muscle weakness, irregular heartbeat, tremors and swelling in the neck. About 2.5% of adults around the globe have hyperthyroidism.
How Can a Holistic Approach Help Calm the Body and Mind?
Seeing restlessness as a body-mind experience helps move the focus away from trying to fix one part in isolation. A holistic approach recognizes that optimal wellness involves the whole person, including the body, mind, emotions and spirit. From this perspective, restlessness and body-mind disquiet are viewed as signs that something within this interconnected system is out of balance.
Since a holistic approach focuses on awareness and long-term change, it can help you see early signs of restlessness and respond before it becomes overwhelming. Holistic care may draw from a wide range of health practices, including conventional medicine and complementary therapies, depending on your specific needs.
What Types of Approaches Can You use to Ease Body and Mind Disquiet Holistically?
There are many components to a holistic approach to restlessness and body-mind disquiet. While it depends on the specific practitioner and your condition, you may use a combination of the following to take responsibility for your well-being.
1. Lifestyle Modifications
Making lifestyle changes is a significant part of a holistic approach to calming the body and mind. You may focus on self-care and overall wellness, including diet, exercise, psychotherapy, relationship support and spiritual counseling.
A commonly followed lifestyle system is Ayurveda, a whole-body approach to health that originated in India over 3,000 years ago. Ayurveda is based on the principle that everything in the body is interconnected and that an imbalance in one area can impact another. It focuses on restoring balance through nutrition, daily routines, natural treatments and stress reduction to support long-term health.
2. Complementary and Alternative Therapies
Complementary and alternative therapies are standard in holistic medicine. These may involve acupuncture, chiropractic care, homeopathy, massage therapy, neuropathy, yoga, mindfulness and art therapy.
Practices such as mindfulness help with self-regulation, including emotional stability, since they allow you to be more aware of your thoughts and focus on the present moment. On the other hand, art therapy may support emotional expression when you find it difficult to put your feelings into words. A systematic review found that art therapy can help patients with mental health disorders share their feelings and experiences.
3. Western Medical Treatments
If a medical condition is the cause of your restlessness, your practitioner may also incorporate Western medical approaches to address it. For RLS, treating the underlying causes, such as iron deficiency, may reduce symptoms. You may also need nerve stimulation devices or prescription medications, depending on the severity of your symptoms and response.
Hyperthyroidism is usually treated using anti-thyroid medications, beta blockers, radioiodine therapy or surgery in some instances. Your holistic medicine practitioner may work with other healthcare professionals to guide you to the best treatment based on your overall health, severity and specific circumstances.
Learning How to Overcome Restlessness in a Holistic Way
Overcoming restlessness holistically means recognizing the condition as a signal that your body and mind are struggling to settle together. With a holistic approach, you can find peace by working with, not against, yourself.
Photo by Elsa Tonkinwise on Unsplash.
This is a collaborative post supporting our Peace In Peace Out initiative.
