In many ways, people work a bit like machines. When it comes to machinery, all the different parts have to work together to get the desired result. And it’s the same for people. Our body and brain need to work together to help us keep moving and living healthy lives. And, as you may know, if any of the parts start breaking down, then it can be hard to get things done.
There have been quite a few studies that look at the effect our physical health has on our mental health, and how taking care of our body can help us improve our mental wellbeing. In this article, we’ll look at how someone can optimise their body to improve their mental health. We’ll also look at the truth behind the body-brain connection and whether you can actually hack your body to boost your mind. Time to dig deep.
A healthy body: Sign of good mental health?
You might think that a healthy body is a sign that someone is doing okay. However, what many people fail to realise is that, while it might seem like someone is in good shape and has a healthy lifestyle, it’s possible that they might still have underlying health issues. For example, they could be struggling with emotional stress, poor mental health, or other problems.
Research has shown that our body and brain have a connection of sorts. This means that if someone is struggling with physical health problems such as injuries, fractures, or illnesses, then they might also start experiencing mental health problems. This can be in the form of additional stress, sadness, anxiety, or feelings of loneliness.
Similarly, if someone is dealing with mental health problems such as depression, anxiety, or schizophrenia, then they might also start experiencing physical health problems. This might be in the form of digestive issues, muscle tension, sleep disturbances and weight gain. In fact, there are often cases where people find that their physical health issues are an indirect result of their unresolved mental health problems — meaning that a brain and body connection does exist.
The question is: Is there a way to improve this connection? And can you use it to improve your general health? Yes!
How to maintain good health
Looking after your health may seem tough initially, but with a few simple lifestyle changes, you can find ways to feel better. You can also find a good balance that enables you to take care of both your physical and mental health.
One way to maintain good health is through exercise. We can’t emphasise enough how big of an impact exercise can have on your health. In fact, multiple studies have shown that exercise can help you keep your body active and manage your overall weight. Exercise can also help you strengthen your body and improve your physical endurance, making it a great solution for anyone struggling with health issues.
But what about when it comes to your mental health? Exercise can also have a positive impact on your emotional wellbeing. Exercising regularly can help you enhance your self-esteem and boost your cognitive functioning. Exercising can also help you manage any stress, panic attacks, and depressive episodes. This is because physical activity stimulates the release of endorphins, which are essentially feel good hormones. It’s also because physical activity provides a means of social interaction, which can help people experiencing loneliness.
Another way in which exercising helps our body is by improving sleep. Regular exercise can help you manage your sleeping patterns and tire your body, thereby improving your quality of sleep. A good sleep also has numerous positive benefits, such as better memory and mood regulation, both of which also become a by-product of exercise.
Can getting more sleep also help with your general health? Certainly! Our body uses sleep as a means to recover itself from the day’s physical strain. If someone struggles to get a decent sleep, then they may also struggle to keep up with any physical health challenges that life may throw at them. These challenges may also affect their emotional wellbeing by making them more irritable, angry and less sharp which is not good in the long run. Improving your sleep quality can be as simple as setting a proper sleep routine and avoiding screens for a few hours before going to bed.
The physical is linked to mental health too
Beyond exercise and sleep, there’s also diet. There is no denying that diet and exercise both go hand in hand, and that our food choices also have a positive impact on our health. If someone is struggling with health issues, then they might also experience changes in their eating habits. Health problems such as depression, chronic anxiety and stress can sometimes change how we eat. This can be in the form of over-eating or not eating at all, both of which can be detrimental to your physical health. If someone is having a hard time with their health, then they might also benefit from different eating habits though. Research has shown that your food choices could help you improve your mood and alleviate symptoms of anxiety.
And let’s not forget the benefits of professional help! Sometimes, optimising your lifestyle for reduced stress, healthy eating and regular activity, can still fall short in improving your mental wellbeing. That’s why sometimes it can help to reach out for professional help. The first step to improving your wellbeing is always finding out what’s wrong and understanding what you need to do to feel better. By going for professional help at the right time, you can get an early diagnosis, and benefit from early treatment. If you feel that you are experiencing a reduced quality of life overall, then it might be the right time to get checked.
A professional and experienced psychiatrist can help you get to the bottom of your health problems and recommend different treatment options. Thankfully, with the advancement in med-tech, techniques such as rTMS (Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation) are now available for people suffering from treatment-resistant depression, and other challenging mental health conditions. In fact, finding somewhere that offers rTMS in London, UK is now easy, as multiple specialised clinics offer highly bespoke treatment options.
Your health is in your hands
The body-brain connection can have a major impact on your health. If you start to experience problems with one, then it’s possible that you’ll have troubles with the other too. Maintaining a good balance between your mental and physical health is important – especially if you want to have a healthy life. Making the right food choices, exercising regularly, and getting enough sleep are the building blocks of good health. And if things still seem off, professional help is always available!
