Simple measures to combat stress, improve your mood and inner balance. New research explains why we sometimes overreact to everyday situations and the relationship between the body, available energy and mental health. After a long day, something as simple as coming home and discovering that someone has eaten what was in the fridge can provoke a strong emotional reaction. You may be interested in:It’s not a lack of willpower: how the body “protects” itself from diets and sabotages weight loss
In a matter of seconds, the body reacts with anger, disappointment or irritation. When emotions calm down, the question usually arises: ‘Why did something so insignificant affect me so much?’ The explanation is not in the fact itself, but in the internal state you are in at that moment: the reaction is determined by the assumption with which you view the world. Your body, energy and mood shape what you see and feel. At every moment, your brain anticipates needs, assesses priorities and prepares the body to satisfy them. Neurobiologist Lisa Feldman Barrett explains that the brain acts as a manager of the body’s large energy budget: its main task is not to think or feel, but to maintain the life and balance of the body.
Maintaining the body requires energy. Every action, thought, and emotion has a metabolic cost. And, as in any economy, sometimes unexpected expenses arise: stress, hunger, arguments, poor sleep. The brain needs to manage the resources available to deal with these demands and continue to function. Camilla Nord, a researcher at Cambridge, says that the human brain works constantly to maintain balance, adapting to life’s disturbances in ways that affect mental health.
Interoception, the ability to register signals from the body, allows us to detect and recognise the state of this balance. At any given moment, the organs, hormones and immune system send information about the state of the body. Normally, we only pay attention to this when we use concentration or when the signals intensify, but the brain constantly interprets this data to predict and maintain the body’s balance in conditions of varying daily demands. To do this, it summarises what is happening in the body and the environment. This summary is perceived as an emotion: a general feeling of well-being or discomfort, more or less expressive. Emotion acts as a reflection of the state of balance, like a sensor that shows whether the “internal accounts” are in order or whether there is a deficit.
Based on this, the brain forms sensations, thoughts and emotions to maintain balance and stimulate behaviours that restore homeostasis. When the balance is positive, there is room for empathy, curiosity, desire and creativity. When it is “broken”, despair, irritability or lack of motivation may arise. In other words: mood is a non-specific but sensitive reflection of how the body feels inside.
Four keys to improving your internal economy
With small daily actions, you can monitor and preserve your available energy:
Take a few seconds to assess your internal state; this will help you meet your needs in time.
If you notice irritability or lack of motivation, this may be a sign that your energy reserves are running low. Food and sleep are direct ways to improve your internal state.
Take a few minutes to go for a walk, call a friend, or pet your pet — this can give you extra energy to perform daily tasks.
Taking care of your internal economy includes being patient during periods of major change, trying to temporarily reduce other demands, and thus having more energy for this situational need.
