Can You Have Good Mental Health Without Taking Care of Your Physical Health?
While in recovery, you might be tempted to believe that if you put all of your focus into improving your mental health, your overall health will flourish. Although it is admirable to focus on bettering your mental health, it is impossible to do so without tending to other aspects of your health. In fact, in order to improve your mental health, you must pay attention to your physical health as well.
Why Is Physical Health Important for Mental Health?
Everything in your body is connected. Much like your arms are connected to your shoulders, your mind is connected to your entire body; they are not separate. Because of this connection, how you physically treat your body inherently impacts the condition of your mental health.
In order to function properly, your mind needs your body to be well-cared for. This means you must ensure that your body meets specific needs consistently. Some of these needs include:
Enough sleep each night
Physical activity each day
Nutritious foods
Freedom from infections and illnesses
Taking care of your body in this way means also taking care of your mind's ability to function on a day-to-day basis. If you try to care only for your mind, you will find that you cannot do so properly because your mind cannot function in a healthy, clear way if you neglect your physical well-being.
What Will Happen if I Neglect My Physical Health?
When you think about the consequences of not tending to your physical health, you may think of catching a cold or spraining your ankle. While these certainly are consequences that can occur if you do not tend to your physical health, other issues can occur as well.
Some of these consequences can include adverse effects on your mental health. For example, when you deprive your body of the necessary amount of sleep it needs to function, you may experience mental fogginess. When experiencing mental fogginess, you may find that you forget things more often, cannot converse with others as easily as you normally would, and do not feel emotions as clearly as you usually would. In this scenario, trying to care for your mental health becomes much more difficult because your mind cannot function normally. If you try to use tactics to separate yourself from your thoughts and emotions during this time, you may not be able to do so effectively because your mind cannot work in the same way without proper sleep.
The same can be said when it comes to nutrition and exercise. If your body is not getting the proper amount of nutrients it needs each day, it will not function optimally. You may experience depression and/or anxiety from being deprived of the nutrients your brain needs.
Likewise, when you do not exercise, you may experience depression. Your body needs to move a significant amount each week in order to function properly. Not only can a lack of movement cause digestion issues, but not getting enough exercise can cause your mind to not process thoughts, feelings, and emotions properly. To be able to tend to your mental health, you need to care for your physical health as well. Otherwise, your mind will suffer greatly, and caring for your mental health will become extremely difficult.
How to Care for Your Physical Health
In order to care for your mental health, you must also care for your physical health. Because it can be difficult to know how to begin caring for your physical health, below are some suggestions to get you started:
Nutrition
Meal plan before the beginning of the week
Cook at home rather than eating out
Watch the cooking channels to gather more recipe ideas
Reach out to a nutritionist
Rest
Go to bed earlier
Start a nighttime routine before going to bed
Aim for seven to nine hours of sleep each night
Create an ideal sleep environment
Do not use electronics before bed
Have a day or two of complete rest and relaxation
Exercise
Attend an exercise class
Go on walks
Join a community sports league
Play sports with friends
Get yearly physicals from your physician
Caring for both your physical and mental health is vital for your overall well-being. Even though this is important, it can be a particularly tricky process to perfect. In this case, it is never wrong to reach out for help. Working with a trained professional can help you find a healthy balance that meets your physical and mental health needs. Taking care of both your mental and physical health will also aid your recovery. Your body and brain will thank you.
Your mental health is inherently connected to your physical health. If you do not care for your physical health, your mental health will not improve. In fact, if you neglect your physical health, your mental health will decline as a result. In order to begin caring for your physical health, you should prioritize nutrition, rest, and exercise in your life. Finding the right balance for you can be a difficult process. If you need help with finding this balance of priorities, call Next Level Recovery Associates today. Our caring, trained staff members can all help you find a balance between your mental and physical health while in recovery. We can give you the tools you need to strike this balance in your life while ensuring you are supported the entire time. To get help and support, contact us today at consult@nextlevelra.com.