The Link Between Mental Health and Physical Wellness: What You Should Know

By Tork Media

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The Link Between Mental Health and Physical Wellness: What You Should Know

Many people mistakenly think that mental health and physical wellness are completely separate and unrelated things. In very specific circumstances, that may be right. For example, if you broke your ankle while playing sports, your mental health at the time probably had little or nothing to do with it. However, in many other circumstances, mental health can have a profound impact on physical wellness (and vice versa).

Scientific research examining the connection between mental and physical wellness is still ongoing. However, existing research shows a clear link between the two. Here’s what you should know about this link and things you can do to improve your mental and physical health simultaneously.  

What Is Mental Health?

“Mental health” is a broad term that refers to a person’s overall psychological, social, and emotional well-being. A person who can cope with the various stresses of life and bounce back from hardships with resilience exhibits good mental health. They tend to thrive in various areas of their lives and live productively and contentedly.

People with poor mental health are more likely to become overwhelmed by life’s challenges and their individual circumstances. They may not have the skills, knowledge, or ability to bounce back after setbacks. They may also have diagnosed or undiagnosed mental health disorders such as depression or anxiety. People with mental health disorders can often benefit from therapy. Thankfully, it’s easier than ever before to find affordable therapy online.  

What Is Physical Wellness?

Physical wellness refers to the overall condition of the body and organs. Someone who is physically well has the ability to perform daily tasks without difficulty. They are also less prone to illness and disease than people with poor physical health. Physical wellness can be directly impacted by a person’s exercise, nutrition, hygiene, and sleep habits.

If your physical body is in poor condition now, that doesn’t necessarily mean it has to stay that way. Often, making positive lifestyle changes can slowly tip the balance toward improved physical wellness.

How Are Mental and Physical Health Connected?

Studies show that declines in physical health can also cause deteriorating mental health, and vice versa. People with poor physical health may experience higher levels of stress and decreased life satisfaction. These, in turn, can lead to mental health problems like depression and anxiety.

Similarly, poor mental health can lead a person to make unwise decisions that impact their physical health. A person with anxiety, for example, might struggle to get adequate sleep at night. Chronic sleeplessness can, in turn, lead to a myriad of detrimental physical health problems. People struggling with mental illness may also seek to self-soothe with unhealthy foods that can wreak havoc on physical health.

Tips for Boosting Your Mental and Physical Health

Now that you know about the link between your mental and physical wellness, it’s wise to do what you can to optimize both. Instead of viewing your mental and physical health as two separate things, view them with a more holistic mindset. What affects one eventually affects the other. Here are a few tips for boosting your overall health so you can enjoy a higher quality of life.  

Revamp Your Diet

What you put into your body can have a powerful impact on your overall health. Sadly, most of the convenience foods that saturate the market are full of fillers, chemicals, sugars, and fat. Consuming nutritionally poor foods with potentially harmful ingredients won’t help you achieve optimal health. Instead of reaching for a hamburger and soda, be more mindful about what you choose to eat and drink.

Whenever possible, fill your plate with whole foods like vegetables, whole grains, fruits, and lean proteins. You should also consume foods rich in healthy fats, such as avocados, fatty fish, seeds, nuts, and eggs. These types of foods give your body a rich variety of nutrients designed to boost energy levels and enhance overall health.

Make Physical Activity a Daily Habit

Exercise should never become an optional activity that you engage in only when it’s convenient. Instead, it should become an integral part of your daily and weekly routines. Physical activity offers a wide variety of physical health benefits. It improves metabolic function, boosts immune function, and improves muscle mass. It also improves cardiovascular health and can improve diversity in the gut microbiome.

Beyond its physical benefits, exercise also has profound mental health advantages. It improves cognitive function, releases feel-good hormones into the mind and body, and fosters feelings of fulfillment and self-esteem. Choose exercises you enjoy to maximize the mind-body benefits you experience.

Stop Smoking

People often turn to smoking to escape their problems and feel better for a short while. Individuals with mental health conditions are more likely to develop a smoking habit than people who are mentally well. The nicotine content in cigarettes can trigger dopamine production. This chemical can temporarily produce positive feelings within the brain, but the effects soon wear off.

Smoking may temporarily help people with mental illness feel better. However, it’s ironically one of the worst things you can do for your long-term mental and physical health. Some research indicates that smoking may increase your risk of mental health conditions like depression and schizophrenia. This harmful habit is also a leading cause of heart disease, lung cancer, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Quitting may be one of the best things you can do for your physical and mental wellness.

Conclusion

Your mental and physical wellness are like two peas in the same pod. Take care of one area, and the other will naturally follow. Use these tips to help you develop healthy habits that will help you achieve optimal physical and mental fitness.