What Your Body Has to Say About Your Mental Health

Read Time: 14 minutes

Let’s be real: Your body is not just a vehicle for your brain. It’s not a machine you drag from class to job to social plans, hoping the caffeine (or whatever keeps you going) holds everything together. Your body is full of information, sometimes more honest than your thoughts, and it’s constantly sending you messages. 

The question is: Are you listening?

Are you a teen or young adult who’s been feeling off? Maybe you're exhausted all the time. Maybe your stomach is always in knots. Maybe you find yourself randomly crying in the bathroom after a seemingly benign social media scroll. Whatever the case, you’re not alone. 

Here’s the kicker: What you’re feeling physically might be rooted in what’s going on mentally or emotionally for you. But maybe you already knew that.

At Interfaith Bridge Counseling, we help teens and young adults like you learn really listen to their bodies. Not in a “eat kale and meditate every morning at 5 a.m.” kind of way (unless that’s your thing, in which case, you do you!) but in a real, grounded, mind-body connection kind of way. Let's break it down.

What Is a Somatic Symptom?

Great question. “Somatic” just means “related to the body.” A somatic symptom is a physical sensation or issue that might not have a clear medical explanation, or at least not one that tells the whole story. For example, a somatic symptom might look like:

• Chronic headaches that don’t go away with Advil or Tylenol

• Fatigue that no amount of caffeine can fix

• Digestive issues

• Muscle tension or unexplained aches

• Racing heart, sweaty palms, or shallow breathing

These symptoms aren’t “just in your head.” But they might be your body’s way of processing stress, anxiety, depression, trauma, or other emotional experiences.

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Psst...by the way…

DO YOU FEEL LIKE YOUR GUT IS TRYING TO TELL YOU SOMETHING? IT JUST MIGHT BE.

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Why Your Body Might Be Talking Louder Than Your Brain

We live in a brain-heavy culture. School rewards thinking. Social media rewards overthinking. But mental wellness isn’t just about thoughts. It’s also about sensations, emotions, and physical states. The mind and body aren’t separate. They’re more like roommates who don’t always communicate well. Somatic symptoms are your body’s way of saying, “Hey, something’s up. Can we talk?”

When you ignore those messages (by pushing through, numbing out, or assuming you’re just being “dramatic”), your body tends to turn up the volume until you’re forced to listen. Unfortunately, that often looks like a panic attack, a full-on burnout, or a trip to urgent care for the fifth time this year.

Signs Your Mind and Body Are Out of Sync

Let’s do a quick self-check. Do any of these sound familiar?

• You’re tired all the time, even if you’re technically getting sleep.

• You feel “weird” or detached, like your emotions and body are on different planets. (Read more about dissociation here.)

• You have health anxiety but no clear diagnosis.

• You constantly feel like you’re “on edge.”

• You cry easily or feel emotionally flat and numb.

• Your physical symptoms show up or worsen during stress.

If so, your body may be waving a little red flag. And no, it doesn’t mean you’re broken. It means your body is smart and it’s trying to help you out. (Dive a little deeper and learn about the vagus nerve here.)

How to Start Listening to Your Body

So your body is sending you signals. But how do you tune in? Here are some things you can try.

1. Check In With Compassion

Start small. A couple of times a day, pause and ask:

• What sensations am I feeling in my body right now? Does it feel heavy, numb, electric, hot, cold, etc.?

• Am I holding tension anywhere?

• How’s my breathing?
  
  Try not to analyze right away. Just notice.

2. Track Patterns

Keep a simple journal or note in your phone. Write down:

• Physical symptoms

• Your mood

• Stressful events

• What your sleep, eating, or movement looked like for the day

Over time, you might notice connections. Maybe your stomach always acts up before exams. Maybe you get tension headaches after social events. Patterns = clues.

3. Get Moving—Mindfully

Movement helps release stored stress and regulate your nervous system. And that doesn’t mean you have to hit the gym (unless you want to). You can try:

• Walking while paying attention to how your feet feel

• Stretching slowly, noticing your breath

• Letting your body dance while listening to music (however you damn well please)

Mindful movement reconnects you to your body in a way that doesn’t feel forced.

4. Talk to Your Body Like a Friend

This might sound strange, but hear me out. When you feel a symptom, say, tightness in your chest or a sinking in your stomach, try asking it, “What do you need?” or “What are you trying to tell me?” Sounds weird, I know, but this can open up a surprising amount of insight.

But What If I Have a Real Medical Issue?

Yes. Always, rule that out.

If you’re dealing with physical symptoms, it’s wise to talk to a medical professional first. You deserve to know what’s going on and get support. (And know that we also support teens and young adults in Colorado who struggle with chronic illnesses and disabilities.) That said, sometimes medical tests come back “normal,” and you’re still left feeling, well, not normal. That’s where therapy, especially mind-body or somatic-focused therapy, can come in.

We’re not here to replace doctors. We are here to help you explore the emotional, psychological, and even nervous system-level stuff that could be contributing to how your body feels.

How Therapy for Teens & Young Adults in Colorado Can Help You Reconnect Mind and Body

Here at our Colorado-based therapy practice for teens and young adults, we use approaches that treat you as a whole person. That means we can help:

• Build awareness of your physical cues and emotional states

• Teach grounding skills for anxiety and stress

• Explore how past stress or trauma might be living in your body

• Use somatic techniques (like breathwork, mindfulness, or movement) to help you feel safer and more connected

• Help you understand how your symptoms make sense in the bigger picture of your life

You don’t have to untangle all this on your own.

TL;DR: Your Body’s Not Just Along for the Ride

If your body has been whispering (or yelling) at you lately, don’t ignore it. Somatic symptoms are real, valid, and often connected to your mental health. Tuning in isn’t about being perfect; it’s about being curious.

Whether you’re dealing with confusing symptoms, anxiety that lives in your chest, or just a general feeling of “ugh,” we’re here for you. Our therapists work with teens and young adults all over Colorado to help you reconnect, rebalance, and feel more at home in your body.

Reach out today to schedule a free consultation and see if therapy could be the missing piece of your mental wellness puzzle.

Your body deserves to be heard, and so do you!

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About Our Author | Lena McCain MA, LPC. 0017723

Lena McCain is our Founder here at Interfaith Bridge Counseling, where she continues her support as our Clinical Director. She also holds a Master of Arts degree in Clinical Mental Health: Mindfulness-Based Transpersonal Counseling Psychology from Naropa University.

Lena’s drive and passions lie in the realm of community building and youth collaboration, which she has spent the last 12 years studying with an emphasis on one’s exploration of personal growth, community healing, and multicultural values. Lena’s expertise in these areas and the therapeutic field acts as a reminder to our community, teens, and young adults that they are not alone in their experience of life.