Issue #159 Your body keeps score of every grudge you hold

As the season shifts and the days grow longer, some of us are preparing for traditions of reflection, from the rituals of Passover and Easter to the upcoming cycles of Spring. 

But regardless of your personal heritage or beliefs, this time of year offers a universal invitation: the opportunity for a ‘grace period’.

I recently saw the award winning film La Grazia (The Grace), a stunningly cinematic and captivating Italian film.

In the movie, grace isn’t a religious handout; it is a raw, human moment of being seen, accepted and given a second chance. 

The movie has sparked conversations by moving the concept of grace into the high-stakes world of ethics and law. The story follows a fictional Italian President grappling with petitions for pardons, moments where the rigid letter of the law meets the messy reality of human regret and redemption.

At Be Well, we believe ‘La Grazia’ isn’t just a cinematic theme; it is a vital pillar of human health.

The biology of forgiveness

In the film, characters carry the heavy burden of past actions, illustrating how regret and anger can become a form of emotional debt. Science tells us that this debt has a physical cost. When we harbor chronic anger or self-reproach, our bodies remain in a state of fight or flight.

Research from Johns Hopkins Medicine shows that chronic anger keeps the body flooded with cortisol, which can increase the risk of heart disease and diabetes.

Practicing grace, essentially ‘pardoning’ yourself or others, lowers blood pressure and reduces levels of IL-6, a key marker of systemic inflammation. By choosing grace over resentment, you are quite literally giving your heart a rest.

Health beyond the rules

We often approach wellness like a legal code: Did I hit my steps? Did I eat the right macros? When we fail, we feel guilty, as if we’ve broken a law.

But true wellbeing requires the same nuance seen in La Grazia. Psychological studies on Redemptive Narratives suggest that people who view their failures not as permanent stains, but as chapters leading to growth, have significantly higher levels of mental resilience. 

When we practice ‘La Grazia’, giving ourselves the grace to be imperfect, to rest or to start over, we switch our nervous systems into a state of rest and digest.

Grace as a community safety net

The film reminds us that grace is a collective effort. In our diverse Be Well community, spanning all faiths and philosophies, grace is the social lubricant that binds us together.

When we extend unearned kindness to others, our brains release oxytocin, often called the bonding hormone. This counteracts stress and builds the social cohesion that the Harvard Study of Adult Development has identified as the Number 1 predictor of long-term health and longevity.

A season of universal renewal

Whether you are observing a holiday this month or simply enjoying the turn of season, consider how you can integrate a little more La Grazia into your life.

Liberation doesn’t have to be a grand historical event. It can be the simple, evidence-based act of letting go.

Be Well. Be Gracious. Be You.

Jan  

www.bewell.com.au
Lifelong health, made simple