The Secret Life of Your Brain and Body

 Introduction 

 Have you ever wondered why your hands get sweaty when you’re nervous or perhaps why you get butterflies in your stomach? This is because your brain controls everything you do, from breathing to blinking, usually without you noticing. Emotions, such as excitement and  confusion can trigger physical changes in your body through the nervous system, which connects the body to the mind. This connection lets signals travel extremely fast, up to 300 miles an hour!¹ Without it, you would not be able to feel, move or think. So what exactly does our nervous system do? 

Section 1: Your Brain - The Control Centre  

 Your brain is part of your central nervous system, which also includes your spinal cord. It sends electrical signals through neurons, which are nerve cells. Neurons carry messages to both muscles and organs. Fun fact: your brain sends and receives millions of signals per second! 

Your brain controls voluntary actions such as walking, talking and writing. It also controls involuntary (also known as automatic) actions like breathing, digesting and heart rate. The autonomic nervous system² performs all the automatic actions. 

Additionally, your brain is always adjusting to your body to keep it stable. This is called homeostasis. Homeostasis includes actions such as regulating your body temperature, managing blood pressure and balancing water levels.³  

Did you know? Your brain uses around 20% of your body’s energy, even though it’s only 2% of your body weight! 

Section 2: The Feedback Loop 

Of course, communication goes both ways, your body also sends information back.  To do this, it uses sensory receptors, which detect changes in the environment which then passes on the information to the brain.  

Some examples of sensory receptors include:⁴ 

• Eyes → light 

• Skin → temperature + pain 

• Ears → sound 

This helps your brain react quickly.  

For example, if you touch something hot, your hand moves away instinctively before you have the chance to process the pain. This protects your body from injury.  

Surprisingly, there is even a link between your gut and your brain! Your gut contains millions of neurons (sometimes even called the “second brain”), and sends signals about hunger, mood and even stress.⁵ It’s a fascinating topic! 

Section 3: Emotional Connections 

It may surprise you, but emotions are physical as well as mental. A key concept here is hormones, chemicals released by your brain that affect your body.   

When you’re stressed, the brain releases cortisol and adrenaline, which can cause an increase in heart rate, faster breathing, muscle tension, and sweating. This is known as the fight-or-flight response. This is the brain preparing the body for danger.   

But, if you’re happy, the brain releases chemicals like dopamine, endorphins and serotonin, which leads to a feeling of calmness and reduced pain.  

In real life, this links to why exercise improves mood and why stress makes one uncomfortable. 

Writer:Medina Robson Editor:Desiree

bibliography: “Brain and Body | Old Book Illustrations.” Old Book Illustrations, 2026, www.oldbookillustrations.com/illustrations/brain-body/. Accessed 7 Feb. 2026.z