The Power Of The Mind-Body Connection
When considering our mental and physical health, they are far from separate and there are many associations between the two. Often, poor mental health can lead to physical health issues, such as high blood pressure or chronic fatigue. Equally, research has shown that regular exercise can lift your mood as it releases positive hormones in the brain such as endorphins, increases motivation and can even reduce feelings of mild to moderate depression.
When you pay close attention to how you feel in your mental, physical and emotional wellbeing as a whole, this can lead to many improved benefits in your daily life. It can boost your performance at work, improve your focus and help to regulate your feelings and emotions. Below are three ways good mental health can help you to stay physically well.
- Better Sleep
Difficulty sleeping, lack of sleep and disrupted sleep are all common symptoms of many mental health issues, including anxiety and depression. On the other hand, when we are feeling mentally well and have less stressful thoughts, our sleep can improve dramatically.
- Increased Energy
When we are experiencing difficulties with our mental health, including stress, burnout, anxiety or depression, we often lack energy and can even experience severe fatigue as a result.
In contrast, nurturing good mental health can lead to feeling more energised and positive about our experiences, our environment and the relationships in our lives. Whether it’s setting healthy boundaries for yourself, completing a Famli mind challenge or spending time in nature, prioritising self-care can enhance your energy levels, improve your sleep and inspire a renewed sense of purpose.
- Improved Mood
While our mood can be affected if we are feeling irritated or stressed, nurturing good mental health can increase feelings of happiness and positivity. With less stressful thoughts clouding our minds, we can focus our attention on the positive aspects of our lives.
One way to support our mental health is completing regular mind wellbeing challenges with your family. This can help us to observe our thoughts together and take notice of how we feel, which in turn helps us to regulate our mood, reflect, and introspect, before reacting to any situation.
In conclusion, when we consciously choose to prioritise our mental health we experience a range of positive outcomes for our physical health. From an increase in our energy levels, to feeling motivated to move our bodies, to ensuring as much quality, restful sleep as possible – it can lead us to make conscious decisions to eat and drink well. Looking after our mental wellbeing is a vital component of keeping our bodies physically healthy.
Thank you for reading and take care!
Benjamin Draper, Co-Founder of Famli