A New Perspective on Stress, Emotions, and Depression

Mind and Body Cannot Be Separated

We usually think of stress as a "mental problem" and physical illness as a "bodily problem," treating them as completely separate issues. However, modern science tells us this dualistic thinking is fundamentally flawed. Mental activity is simply an expression of physical activity, and the two can never be truly separated.

The 17th-century philosopher Spinoza made the same point: "Mind and body cannot be separated; though we use two different words to describe them, they ultimately refer to the same thing." This is like how water can exist as ice, liquid, or vapor—they're all H2O, just expressed differently depending on their energy state.

The True Nature of Joy and Sadness

So what exactly are the emotions we feel? Spinoza defined joy as "the expansion of existence" and sadness as "the contraction of existence."

When we experience joy, the following changes occur in our body:

- Blood vessels dilate and circulation improves

- Pupils dilate and vision becomes brighter

- Muscles relax and tension releases

- Heart rate stabilizes and breathing deepens

- Digestion improves and hands and feet become warm

The sum total of all these physical responses is what we call "joy." Feeling good actually means our body is in an expanded state, overflowing with energy.

The Evolutionary Meaning of Emotions

But why do humans also have negative emotions? Fear, anger, disgust, and shame all remained through evolution because they were necessary for survival.

-Fear: Helped detect and avoid danger, increasing survival chances

-Anger: Necessary for confronting injustice and self-protection

-Disgust: Made us avoid spoiled food and dangerous objects

- Shame: Helped maintain social norms and facilitate group living

However, in modern society, these emotions become problematic when they persist excessively. Unlike our ancestors who lived on the savanna, the need for these emotions has greatly diminished in today's dense urban environments.

The Essence of Depression

Depression isn't an emotional state—it's a condition where existence is extremely contracted, where the body has lost its vitality. It's like when a smartphone battery drops to 3% and enters power-saving mode.

In a depressed state, the following physical changes occur:

- Heart beats irregularly and circulation deteriorates

- Digestion fails and constipation develops

- Skin becomes rough and lips dry out

- Muscles tense up and joints ache

- Breathing becomes shallow and memory declines

This is the body's protective mechanism, trying to maintain only essential functions during energy depletion.

The Path to Recovery

To escape depression, we shouldn't try to change our mood directly—we need to improve our physical condition. Here are specific approaches:

Physical Activity

- Start moving, even just a little

- Take walks in sunlight

- Spend time in nature

Sensory Stimulation

- Awaken your senses of sight, hearing, taste, and touch

- Eat fresh food mindfully

- Experience natural sounds and scents

Relationship Recovery

- Slowly rebuild comfortable relationships first

- Feel gratitude toward at least one person each day

- Spend time with supportive people

The Need for Continuous Updates

Depression is also a signal that something is wrong with how we're living our lives. To change negative experiences and memories formed over 30-40 years requires at least a year of consistent positive experiences.

The key is not expecting dramatic change all at once. Focus on being even slightly better today than yesterday, and cultivate a mindset that enjoys the process itself.

A Practical Approach

Understanding that emotions and physical states are one and the same means that making yourself feel good and making your body healthy are the same task. Just as making a smiling expression actually improves your mood, creating physical responses first allows emotions to follow.

This isn't simply positive thinking or mental willpower. It's a scientific approach—you can change your emotional state through concrete physical changes like improving circulation, relaxing muscles, and deepening your breathing.

In Conclusion

Ultimately, stress, emotions, and depression all reflect the state of our body. Emotions don't exist separately—they're simply expressions of our physical condition. Therefore, to solve mental problems, we must improve our physical state, and to make our body healthy, we must also pay attention to our emotional state.

With this integrated perspective and consistent effort, we can move from a state of contracted vitality to an expanded state of joyful existence. What matters is enjoying the process itself while acknowledging and encouraging the small improvements we make each day.