Physical And Mental Health Entwined

by Mahima N

Hello readers, thank you for diving in. We will take you through a train of thought. There are few stations to pass before one reaches their destination of understanding how physical and mental health are entwined and this can do a lot in one’s way of life.
The stations are here, please ensure to pause and think for a moment as we stop the train for a break.

🚉 1. Physical health and mental health are cyclically entwined

Do You know, why you feel sad and anxious when you get hurt or why you feel so delighted and satisfied when you see something beautiful and heavenly? It feels magical right, one can feel wonderful by looking at a serene garden or by just having a bowl full of a delicious dessert.
One’s thoughts, feelings, sensations, and attitudes can affect their biological functioning, that is, minds can affect how healthy bodies are!..not only this, what one does physically can impact their mental state, whether it be negative or positive.
One would not believe, there is a research which proves that when people shifted to a more upright position, their outlook and energy levels increased, I am amazed! I’m sure you would too.
If how we think affects our mind and in turn mental health positively, then that’s pretty good, what if it affects negatively? Hey, wait. Now, don’t come to the conclusion that whatever issues one has, whether it be major or minor, is because of the negative feelings one is experiencing. Then how else is it affecting physical health?

🚉2.Effect of mental health on physical health.

As we were discussing the effect of negativity or one might call it to stress or worries or anxiety and it’s the effect on our health.
A well-known speaker Esther Sternberg quotes it this way-

“It’s not stress that causes the flu,
The flu bug causes the flu.
Stress does not cause wounds,
Wounding causes wounds.
Stress does not cause cancer,
Your genes cause cancer.
Stress does not cause aging,
Aging causes aging.
But stress and those stress hormones can speed up all those effects “.

So true! there is an indirect effect on physical well-being and it’s very predominant.

We have seen how the negative effects of mental health affect physical health… Now let’s see how physical health is affecting mental health

🚉 3.”Let’s have a plate of Pani puri”!

We are all missing those yummy spicy street snacks like hot chat and crispy hollow Pani puris which one loves to devour, it doesn’t matter which street or surroundings are but the taste matters.
And then comes the phrase “Eat Right, Drink Well, Stress Less! “
Does it really matter?
Yes, it is a big yes, what one eats does affect their physical health and then mental health too. The biological cycle and emotional cycle are connected by tiny messengers called hormones, these are the ones that determine our happiness, low spirits, our ability to get back to normal, ability to dig deeper, and almost everything. It has a tremendous effect on mental health.
We cannot control what they do or how they do but we can sometimes in someways, control how much they do or show their impact on us. We can do this only sometimes and in some ways, because once a person is identified with a mental health issue, it is difficult to move forward without any specialists intervention, one should consult a psychologist or a psychiatrist. If you are searching for confidential, private, anonymous, and affordable services, do try Pinkymind. It is a great platform for online counseling.

There are three things which I personally follow, hope you like them and try them too

1.Healthy diet:

I won’t say eat carrots or beetroots or don’t eat this or that.
One thing I ensure is to include more amount of fiber in my diet, more fruits and dry fruits, and lots of water. Salads are my go-to. There are many tasty and stomach filling recipes of salads one should try, with the least amount of strain.

2.Exercise:

This is an umbrella term that includes many types of workouts and energy-consuming activities. Zumba, Aerobics, Cardio, swimming, etc are rated high and work wonders in boosting up one’s health. Research also shows that people who engage for 30 to 60 mins of exercise showed greater results than those who dont do and also those who usually do longer for 1 to 3 hrs, so fitness freaks need to work on it to set an optimal time limit.
A very simple exercise to follow are the
“sit-ups”, they are really wonderful for people who tend to sit in a fixed place for long hours Other than that, Walking is just perfect, even a 15 mins walk is extremely therapeutic.

3.A Hobby

Merely playing with colors to painting a paper indifferently makes one feel relaxed.
I’m just an amateur but still, these things make me feel so accomplished. Try discovering comfort zones and areas you are good at, I am sure God has blessed each one with talents more than they could count.

Thus we get to know a glimpse of how physical health and mental health are bound together. So, let’s be more mindful the next time you eat or drink something, the next time you feel or sense something because …

Awareness precedes choice,
Choice precedes results,
Results precede health and
Health is Wealth!