Does the Body Ever Get Bored?

This is probably going to start off as one of the odder posts I’ve written, but sometimes I have these weird thoughts that stick in my brain.  It began after feeding the dogs this morning and wondering how a dog can eat the same thing every day for their entire life.  At least wild animals switch-up their diets, but at the hands of us humans, our domesticated friends may get a slight flavor change-up but the diet seems pretty steady…and if nothing else reliable.

This got me to begin wondering about our bodies.  If you’ve been diagnosed with a chronic or life-altering illness does a flare mean the body is bored with the treatment?  My wondering about this issue is twofold.  I just coming out of a flare that I couldn’t describe and I have an appointment this afternoon with the doctor so I’m in my, “let’s examine this phenomenon” stage.  I guess I’m asking the same questions that scientists and pharmaceutical R&D teams around the world are asking and that is, “Why does a treatment stop working?”

It’s an important question and given the research on mind-body medicine, the mind-body connection, and the impact of emotions on our physical lives one that must be explored in-depth.  I was speaking with a client yesterday who is experiencing acid reflux and stomach spasms.  One of the key factors in her life is an enormous amount of stress.  The body will take over making decisions for your if you don’t listen and heed its warning.

While discussing her current circumstance we developed a way to off-set the impact that stress is having on her body.  There are two key ingredients, laughter and relaxation.   The laughter is important because of the hormones it releases, and the relaxation part is a no brainer.

The main concern in the relaxation piece is not finding time to meditate or breathe, but creating a multi-sensory experience.  It’s not enough just to rest, but combine some type of relaxation/breathing with soothing sounds, in her case a warm heating pad placed on her stomach to relax the spasms, a candle that is appealing but not overpowering and other sensory stimulations that add to the experience.

We’re multi-sensory beings and our responses need to take that into consideration.  It emphasizes the fact that we’re multi-faceted and one solution often is not the cure-all, but it is often a good start.  Be inclusive when developing stress busting regimens and remember that stress has a huge negative impact on the immune system.  Give yourself every opportunity on the road to health and healing; it will also keep the body from becoming bored.