How Mental Health Affects Physical Well-being
Mind over matter matters. The brain and body are powerfully connected, working in harmony to maintain essential mental and physical well-being. Your whole body suffers when you’re not in the right headspace. Stressful thoughts and negativity can start a downward spiral in your mental and physical wellness, ultimately sabotaging your overall health with harmful symptoms.
Your emotional state of mind affects A LOT. Positive practices such as meditation, gratitude, and a healthy attitude may help you live longer by improving your immune response. In contrast, depression and pessimism tend to weaken it, which can lead to life-threatening illnesses such as diabetes, heart attack, and stroke.
Life is short. Don’t shorten it even more with a bad attitude.
Your state of mind also affects your sleep patterns, energy level, and appetite. So, take care of your mental health before it wreaks havoc on your body...and your life.
What Are the Symptoms of Poor Mental Health?
Here are some of the most common mental health signs to watch out for:
- Prolonged sadness
- Increased confusion/concentration issues
- Excessive fears or worries
- Withdrawal from social activities
- Persistent fatigue/sleeping issues
- Difficulty coping with daily stress
- Major changes in eating habits
- Problems with alcohol or drug use
- Excessive anger
- Suicidal thoughts
Never ignore mental and physical warning signs!
How Does Your State of Mind Affect Your Body?
A healthy mind is crucial for a healthy body. Your emotional state of mind is often mirrored by your body’s well-being (or lack of it). When chronic stress takes over the body, a downward spiral of physical symptoms begins.
In addition to the health conditions mentioned above, stress causes tension and inflammation throughout the body—your head, neck, shoulders, and back are sore without even working out. Prolonged tension in these areas often leads to chronic headaches, and, before you know it, your body aches all over.
Don’t let stress get the best of you!
The Power of Positive Thinking
Happiness is a huge contributing factor to overall wellness. Life satisfaction and optimism are associated with a reduced risk of many serious health conditions such as cardiovascular disease, stroke, cancer, infection, and respiratory disease.
Here are some proven benefits of positive thinking:
- Higher energy levels
- Improved quality of life
- Better mental and physical health
- Faster recovery from injury and illness
- Fewer colds
- Improved stress management and coping skills
- Lower rates of depression
- Longer life span
Positive thinking won’t make your problems disappear, but it will make them more manageable, helping you cope with life’s hardships in a more positive and productive way.
Did you know you can actually train your brain to think more positively? Here’s how:
Start Each Day on a Positive Note
Begin each day with an uplifting ritual...
- Recite positive affirmations
- Listen to a playlist that makes you happy
- Give a compliment or do a good deed
Practice Gratitude
For starters, be thankful you’re alive. Practicing gratitude improves self-esteem, reduces stress, and promotes resilience even during difficult times. Focus on special people, memories, and things that bring you joy. At least once a day, express your gratitude—thank a loved one for helping around the house, a co-worker for assisting with a project, or your pet for loving you unconditionally.
Focus on the Positive
Challenges are unavoidable. When faced with obstacles and disappointments, try to focus on the good things in your life. It’s possible to turn a negative situation into a positive one by simply shifting your perception. Really. For example, if a friend cancels a plan, focus on how it frees up more time to do a fun activity or relax and watch a movie.
LOL A lot
It’s true, laughter is the best medicine. It reduces stress, anxiety, and depression while improving your mood, self-esteem, and coping skills. Allowing yourself to laugh, even during difficult times, instantly lightens your mood and lowers stress levels.
Spend Time with Positive People
You can’t choose your family, but you can pick your friends. Surrounding yourself with positive people improves your mood, self-esteem, and motivation. Spend time with people who lift you up—no Debbie Downers.
Conclusion: Your mental health affects your physical well-being, so maintain a healthy attitude.
“Our attitude towards life determines life’s attitude toward us.” ~ John Mitchell