How looking after your physical health contributes to a better and healthier mental and emotional wellness
Are you struggling to get a hold of your mental and emotional wellbeing? Feeling as though you are grasping at straws and do not have a clear path to better health? One solution that can help you massively is improving your physical health.
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How are physical and mental wellness really connected?
The physical body and the mind are often treated as separate entities. However, this can have a detrimental effect on your health as physical symptoms can be presented by poor mental health.
As well as mental and emotional turmoil being a result of poor physical health. An example of this is how anxiety can cause panic attacks or severe nausea. Or how a physical injury restricting normal life can cause depression.
This happens through the mind-body connection and is how physical health affects your wellness.
Our brains are constantly sending millions of messages around our body and receiving responses from our cells. So the brain and the body are intricately connected and always communicating.
Therefore, when one area of your being is not at full health, it can lead to negative affects on your whole being.
Recognising poor mental health can enable you to start improving it. However, the intangibility of your mental state can be difficult to target and improve.
The mind has a significant power and turning it around is not easy.
Rather, a holistic approach to health can be the best way forward. Improving your physical health can provide a focused and tangible goal for your health. As well as indirectly improving your mental health and giving you the first stepping stones to a whole new you.
7 ways to improve physical health for your overall wellbeing
Here are 8 ways you can improve your physical and how this can improve your mental and emotional wellbeing.
Exercise and the release of endorphins
Of course exercise is essential for improving health. However, there are more benefits to exercise than just losing weight or building muscle. Exercise promotes the release of endorphins like norepinephrine, dopamine, and serotonin.
These endorphins are responsible for regulating your mood. A good dose of these endorphins can dramatically improve your mood. Additionally, exercise will help balance stress hormones like adrenalin and bringing your body to a more neutral state.
Enabling you to better manage your emotions, relieving anxiety and depression and minimising negative emotions. Therefore, improving your emotional wellbeing.
Choosing forms of exercise that are tailored to you
Going to the gym for workouts is not for everyone and thankfully there are so many other exercise solutions available for pretty much anyone and everyone. These include:
- home workouts
- yoga classes
- running
- athletics
- kick boxing classes
- pilates
- swimming
Even small amounts of exercise such as walking, gardening or dancing while cooking will contribute to your physical health. But, it is important to find the method that works best for you so that it improves your mental and emotional wellness too.
I personally love weight lifting because I gain a sense of personal power and strength. Which in turn, boosts my mindset and affirms my mental strength too.
Walking into a gym just because you feel like you have to, most likely won’t make you feel good. And you will not gain as much from the positive impact your physical health can have on your mental wellbeing.
Therefore, try a few different workouts to find something that inspires you and positively improves your mental health too.
Lowering sugar and processed food consumption
Sugar and processed food have many negative impacts on your physical health. These foods are associated (and mainly known for) with weight gain particularly as it increases hunger.
As well as causing other diseases like heart disease, acne and type 2 diabetes. But more significantly, sugar and processed food can cause blood sugar swings and inflammation which can lead to depression.
Additionally, the blood sugar swings result in fluctuations in your energy. Feeling tired and suffering from short bursts of energy can completely interfere with your mental wellbeing.
I know when I’m tired, I am not motivated to workout, I’m sluggish and not in a very positive place. Imagine feeling this way every day!
It can be managed and avoided by lowering your sugar and processed food consumption. Instead consuming a balanced and healthy diet can improve your energy levels, mood and weight. Improving both your physical, mental and emotional wellbeing.
Getting a handle on your diet your way
The best thing about wellness is that there is no right or wrong way. You can do what is best for you and no one else. I mention this because there are so many approaches to diet.
Whilst cutting back on sugar and processed food can have a massive positive effect on your physical health. Adjusting your entire diet can increase these benefits even more.
You may have a physical goal in mind, such as losing weight. Tracking calories and meal prepping may be the best method to use to keep your focus on your physical wellness.
However, changing your diet doesn’t need to be about weight but choosing a healthier lifestyle. Therefore, just being more mindful about your diet can be transformative for your wellness.
Drinking more water
Hydration is slightly underrated but has so many benefits on your physical health and therefore your mental wellness.
Research has shown that dehydration leads to lower moods, higher difficulty perception, low concentration and headaches. As well as cognitive performance significantly dropping with even mild dehydration.
There is so much research available that stresses both the importance of water for the body itself but also the brain. Drinking more water can completely transform your physical, mental and emotional wellness.
Enabling you to manage your emotions and mood, have better concentration and focus and higher performance during exercise.
Your body needs around 6-8 glasses of water every day. Make this a goal for your daily wellness routine to start improving your physical health now.
Sleep
I am a bit of a sleep advocate and truly believe in the power of sleep for your overall wellness. Providing your body time to repair and recover as well as your brain store memories.
Did you know that sleep is responsible for managing weight, maintaining healthy blood pressure and supporting your immune system? Disruptive sleep can disturb your moods and reduce your cognitive function.
Therefore, sleep is essential for your physical health and mental wellbeing.
You can use a few techniques to improve your sleep. Studies have shown that meditation for sleep can improve the quality and duration of your sleep. As well as supplements like CBD for sleep.
Quit smoking
We all know the kind of effect that smoking on the physical body. Causing problems as small as mood swings and anxiety to more severe diseases like cancer, heart disease and blood clots.
Smoking is extremely detrimental to both your physical health, mental and emotional health. However, at first it may be difficult dealing with the nicotine withdrawal. Nicotine promotes the release of dopamine to help you feel good but this endorphin can be stimulates by more natural solutions like exercise.
Therefore, a resolute mindset and finding healthier solutions until you no longer crave a cigarette. This can improve your physical health by allowing your body to heal from the toxins. As well as, boosting your mental and emotional wellness by balancing your hormones, mood and removing reliance.
Come up with an effective strategy that will work for you to quit smoking. Using your physical and mental health as solid motivation to commit to this goal.
Start Implementing Physical Health Techniques today
It is clear that improving your physical health will improve your mental and emotional wellness. Providing you with the tools you need to help:
- manage emotions effectively
- reduce mood swings
- improve symptoms of anxiety, depression and stress
- feel more positive about yourself
Ultimately, these 8 ways to improve your physical wellness are essential parts of a wellness routine. Also remember that you can tailor your routine to you completely. Wellness is about what is right and works successfully for you.
How do you meet your physical wellness needs? let us know if the comments!