Why Physical Health Is Just as Important as Mental Health
Why Physical Health Is Just as Important as Mental Health
The hard truth is how you treat your body with exercise and food can impact your life in harmful or detrimental ways, including your mental health. If you opt for a poor diet, avoid drinking water, and don’t move around much, it is likely your mental health is reduced too.
Your physical health is as important as your mental health because the mind and body work together. Your physical health is based on eating a proper diet, and incorporating exercise into your daily life, along with other things. If you aren’t healthy physically, your brain isn’t at it’s peak either. Below are a few instances and issues related to physical and mental health issues that you want to watch for, since they can lead to diminished functions and a shorter life expectancy.
Worsening Mental Health Symptoms
A poor diet can lead to weight gain and a sedentary lifestyle that can ultimately lead to depression and stress. Some mental health conditions also cause you to eat a poor diet. For example, if you have anorexia or orthorexia, you may be using food in unhealthy ways that contribute to worsening mental health symptoms.
Decreased Mental Focus
Poor nutrition from an improper diet often leads to symptoms of brain fog. This affects your ability to focus and perform optimally. Most people are walking around dehydrated too. Dehydration can also lead to issues that keep you from using your brain to its full ability.
Weight Gain and Obesity
Those who have a poor diet and lead a sedentary lifestyle are more likely to be considered obese. Obesity can cause many health problems, including depression and even death. While everyone should practice body-positivity, understand that obesity is a health condition that has many issues associated with it, and it can be prevented.
Sedentary Lifestyle
Research shows that twenty percent of deaths above the age of thirty resulted from a sedentary lifestyle. Sitting for longer than four hours each day can decrease your life expectancy exponentially, so get moving more. If you’re trapped inside, turn up the music and dance it out. You only need to do it for 30 minutes a day to change your health for the better dramatically.
Increased Risk of Cardiovascular Disease
Obesity and other symptoms of poor physical health can lead to cardiovascular disease. Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the USA. Even if you’re not obese, a lack of vitamins and nutrition can lead to mental health issues such as anxiety.
As you can see, treating your body right and doing what is needed to improve your physical health is just as important as working on your mental health. If you only focus on improving your mental health and ignore your body, you may waste your time focusing on the wrong solution, when your physical health is really to blame.
Always work on both. Thankfully for some, all you have to do is change or eliminate bad habits that lead to poor physical health, and your mental health will improve. Get moving every day and be sure to hydrate appropriately. The better you treat your body, the more your mental health will improve. However, don’t be afraid to get mental healthcare if you’re doing all this and still suffering.
