Is Your Brain as Healthy as Your Body?
- 3 days ago
- 4 min read
Why Meaning, Gratitude and Connection Matter for Your Health
Most of us spend a lot of time looking after our bodies.
We try to eat well. We exercise. We walk, run, lift weights, or play sport. We come in for chiropractic care because we want to move better and stay active.
But how often do we look after our brains in the same way?
According to psychologist and neuroscientist Dr. Lisa Miller, author of The Awakened Brain, there are two ways our brain experiences the world.
The first is what she calls the "achieving brain." This part of the brain helps us work, solve problems, meet deadlines, and tick items off our to-do list. It's essential for modern life.
The second is the "awakened brain." This is the part of us that experiences gratitude, wonder, compassion, purpose, and connection. It helps us feel part of something bigger than ourselves.
The challenge is that many of us spend almost every waking hour exercising our achieving brain while rarely giving attention to our awakened brain.
Why Does This Matter?
Research continues to show that people with a strong sense of meaning and purpose often cope better with life's challenges.
They tend to:
Be more resilient during stressful times.
Report lower rates of anxiety and depression.
Recover from setbacks more effectively.
Enjoy stronger relationships and greater overall wellbeing.
This doesn't mean life becomes easier. It means we develop the inner resources to navigate life's inevitable ups and downs.
You Don't Need to Be Religious
One of the most important messages from Dr. Miller's work is that spirituality and religion are not the same thing.
For some people, spirituality comes through faith.
For others, it comes through nature, family, music, serving others, meditation, or simply experiencing moments of awe.
Spirituality is about feeling connected to something beyond your daily worries. It's about finding meaning in ordinary life.
Simple Ways to Awaken Your Brain
Like physical fitness, your awakened brain grows stronger with regular practice.
Here are a few simple habits you can begin today.
Begin Your Morning with Intention
Before checking your phone, take a few quiet moments and ask yourself:
What matters most today?
How do I want to treat the people I meet today?
What kind of person do I want to be today?
Spend Time in Nature
Take a walk through your local park.
Watch a sunrise.
Listen to birds instead of a podcast.
Nature has a remarkable ability to calm our nervous system and remind us that life extends well beyond our daily schedule.
Practice Gratitude
Each evening, write down three things you appreciated during the day.
They don't have to be major events.
Perhaps someone smiled at you.
Perhaps your morning coffee tasted especially good.
Perhaps you enjoyed dinner with your family or watched your grandchildren play.
Small moments often have the biggest impact.
Make Time for Silence
Our brains are constantly filled with notifications, conversations, and background noise.
Give yourself ten quiet minutes each day.
Sit.
Breathe.
Reflect.
Sometimes the best ideas arrive when we stop trying to think.
Help Someone Else
A phone call.
A kind word.
Helping a neighbour.
Listening without interrupting.
Acts of kindness don't only benefit the person receiving them—they also strengthen our own sense of purpose and connection.
What Does This Have to Do with Chiropractic?
At Lane Cove Chiropractic, we often talk about helping people move better, function better, and stay active throughout life.
Health is about much more than the absence of pain.
It includes:
How we think.
How we connect with others.
How we respond to stress.
How much meaning we find in our daily lives.
When your nervous system is functioning well, movement becomes easier. Sleep often improves. Stress becomes easier to manage. You have more energy for the people and activities that matter most.
Looking after your spine is one piece of the puzzle.
Looking after your mind and your sense of purpose is another.
Together, they support a healthier, more resilient life.
One Small Challenge This Week
Choose one of these simple habits and practise it every day for the next seven days:
Take a walk in nature.
Write down three things you're grateful for.
Spend five quiet minutes in reflection.
Call someone you care about.
Perform one unexpected act of kindness.
Small daily actions shape our health far more than occasional big efforts.
Your body benefits from regular movement.
Perhaps your brain benefits from regular moments of meaning, gratitude, and connection as well.
At your next visit, we'd love to hear what helps you feel connected, calm, and purposeful.
Looking after your health means caring for your whole self—body, brain, and spirit.
Dr Mark has a special interest in helping recreational athletes of all ages perform better and prevent injury. Correct breathing and postural alignment are critical for top performance and injury prevention and is an integral part of “The Over 40 Athlete System” that Mark has developed.
Dr Julie has a special interest in helping mothers and “mothers to be”. Her Post Graduate qualifications in Paediatric Chiropractic and as an ex-midwife give her a unique ability to help pregnant women, new mums and their young children.
Yours in Health,
Dr's Mark & Julie
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