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Mental health talks have had a back seat till now. The physical health of an individual has always been a priority for us ever since the existence of humans. We usually believe in “a healthy body keeps a healthy mind”. The emphasis has always been on keeping our bodies healthy. But, the equal importance of the health of our mind has gradually gained attention over the years.
Today, more and more people are coming forward and sharing their experiences on mental health. It has become significant to understand the depth of the relationship between our mental health and our physical health.
Health as a word has mostly been synonymous with the health of our body.
However, the phrase has reversed now. It isn’t “a healthy body keeps a healthy mind” anymore. People have begun to understand that it is “a healthy mind keeps a healthy body”.
Our emotions, our thoughts, our feelings, and our perception towards life - all of these together build our mental health. And, they have a huge impact on our body as a whole.
Studies show that the human mind strongly links to the human body. A decline in mental health impacts the human body as much as any health condition affects the mind. This is why you skip meals when you feel sad or feel sad when you aren't well.
One can't separate both these aspects of health. They link to each other intrinsically and hence, go hand-in-hand.
The prevalence of awareness and education around mental health has increased radically over time. And so has the number of cases around mental illness. The common mental disorders are rising every single day.
But, have you ever thought if this could be a consequence of your physical health?
We have been conditioned to compartmentalize our health symptoms as “physical” or “mental”. We don’t usually try to link them together while they may be linked for so many reasons.
Let’s do this from the basics:
Have you ever found yourself with a headache or a stomach ache in a stressful situation? Have you ever noticed that the aches mostly disappear after the stress is removed?
Poor mental health is detrimental to physical health. Stress is a serious mental health condition and holds the potential to wreak havoc on your physical health. A headache or a stomach ache is less harmful as compared to serious situations it leads to, say, heart diseases.
Sometimes, stress even weakens the immune system and affects the most significant part of our physical health - the immune system. This makes our body more prone to diseases. This has been one of the reasons that affect and slow the healing process of a wound.
The physical consequences on the body due to stress are called psychosomatic illnesses.
Similarly, some chronic mental health issues like anxiety and depression can lead to more sincere health problems. For example high blood pressure, asthma, obesity, gastronomical problems, and sleep disturbances.
Studies have concluded that measuring heart rate, cortisol, and adrenaline levels have found that stress affects the Autonomic Nervous System (ANS) and the neuroendocrine function.
There exists a network of communication between the brain and neurological, endocrine, and immune systems of the human body. This leaves no division between our mind and body. The interdisciplinary study of research between the mind and the body is called pyshoconeuroimmunology or pyschoendoneuroimmunology.
Now you know the relationship between our mental health and physical health. Thus, it's important to know about lifestyle changes to improve our mental health and physical health at the same time.
I could have titled this subheading “exercise” but not everyone is a fitness freak. Therefore, mobility is the word. Any form of physical activity is a great way to upkeep your mental health and physical health.
It doesn’t have to be aggressive necessarily. From simple gardening to a morning or evening walk to yoga - it can be anything. The goal is to serve some kind of movement to your body. Along with keeping our physical health in check, mobility and exercise improve our brain health. It increases the release of endorphins (the feel-good chemical) in the brain. This impacts our mood by realizing positive energy and lowering the daily stress and anxiety.
A healthy, nutritious, and balanced diet is the key to maintaining our physical health. However, to have a sound mind along with a sound body, include the following nutrients in your diet.
Poor sleeping schedules lead to various mental health and physical health concerns. For example depression, anxiety, stress, weight gain, and even heart diseases. Hence, if you don’t already, you ought to have your sleep as a priority for you.
People with strong social connections tend to be happier and live longer as compared to those without any connections. People who don’t socialize are at higher risk of anxiety, depression, and cognitive decline.
The 360Wellness application is a one-stop solution to all your mental health and physical health tracking. It comes with the inbuilt 360Wellness tracker that allows you to track and keep your entire wellness in check with its four pillars of wellness - fitness, feel, nutrition and recovery. You can download the app for free on your iOS and Android devices and have us with you on your wellness journey.
Our mental health and physical health share a strong connection. If we lose our hold on one, the other is sure to get affected. Therefore, choose yourself over anything. Choose your wellness overall by balancing both equally.
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