Your Physical & Mental Health
Our physical and mental well-being affect every other domain of our lives. If we take care of ourselves physically, we are contributing to mental well-being and vice versa. If we ignore one or both, we will struggle in all aspects of life.
Poor mental health will affect your ability to make healthy decisions and fight off chronic diseases. Poor physical health can lead to an increased risk of developing mental health problems.
Effects of poor mental health
Some effects of poor mental health on your physical well-being are:
- Heart disease
- High blood pressure
- Weakened immune system
- Asthma
- Obesity
- Gastrointestinal problems
- Premature death
Assessment
Let’s start with an assessment of your current physical well-being and self-care.
- What are you currently doing for exercise?
- What are you eating?
- What does your sleep schedule look like?
- When was your last doctor visit? What tests or screenings did you complete?
Goals
Work toward these important elements of self-care and physical well-being:
- Regular exercise. Exercise releases chemicals called endorphins and serotonin that make us feel good and ease depression and anxiety.
- Eat healthy foods. Diets loaded with processed, high-calorie and low-nutrient foods are linked with increased depression and anxiety. Avoid skipping meals, which can lead to fatigue. Try to include vegetables, fruits, nuts, whole grains, fish and healthy fats into your meals.
- Maintain a normal sleep schedule. To learn more about obstacles to getting your best sleep, watch this video: How caffeine and alcohol affect your sleep | TED Talk
- Make an appointment with your primary care doctor for blood work and appropriate screenings.
Spending time and effort on these four areas will jump start your physical and mental well-being. Further self-awareness is needed for optimal mental wellness, but this is a good place to start.
For more guidance on what might be hampering your path to optimal physical and mental well-being and for help breaking unhealthy habits and establishing new healthy ones, check out additional resources from Domain Wellness Partners by clicking the button below.