“I pray for the day where we won’t have to call it “mental” and “physical” health, and we can call it health” - Dr. Saliha Afridi
I came across this sentence on Instagram more than a year ago, and I still think about it often. I have always been someone who strongly believed in the importance of mental health and how crucial it is that we see mental and physical health as one. However, that's not the reality we live in, because the world still sees mental and physical health as two separate things.
The reality of things is that we cannot be physically healthy if we are not taking care of our mental health, and the opposite is true. Around 3 years ago, I remember experiencing intense abdomen pain that lasted a whole month. During that month, I used to visit the ER every other day, and yet no one was able to tell me what was wrong with me. And even though nothing seemed to be wrong with me “physically”, not a single doctor or nurse asked if the reason behind this severe pain had to do with my mental health.
It was almost a year after that I came to learn that my physical symptoms were caused by my deep mental distress. These symptoms could have been avoided and even managed had doctors been more aware of the connection between mental and physical health.
Contrary to what so many might believe, our mental and physical health are connected to one another. In fact, they complete one another. Studies have also shown that people with mental disorders are at a higher risk of developing physical illnesses. Similarly, people who suffer from physical illnesses, such as cancer and diabetes, are also more likely to develop mental disorders.
When our mental health suffers, our ability to function properly and carry out day-to-day tasks also suffers. Interests and hobbies that were once interesting might no longer excite us. At the end of the day, if we are mentally not in a good space, we will be unable to truly live.
So how can we take care of both our mental and physical health?
Understanding that both mental and physical health are interrelated is the first step to ensuring you treat them as one. By taking care of either one of them, you are setting the tone for other aspects of your life to fall into place.
Perhaps one of the most instrumental ways to take care of both your mental and physical health is exercise. Moving your body can have a lot of benefits for your overall being. In fact, exercising frequently can help reduce stress and anxiety, improve mood, and increase endurance and overall fitness. Not only that, but exercise can also help you sleep better! Research also states that exercising can help manage symptoms of depression and anxiety, as well as decrease their prevalence.
Another integral part of the mental and physical health equation is the kind of diet you follow. Eating healthy does not only help you get the nutrients and energy you need to boost your immunity and stay active, but it can also help you stick with foods that are good for your brain!
"Fitness is mostly mental, your body won't go, where your mind doesn’t push it. Regularly exercising helps you sleep better which positively influences your mood. Fitness & Mental health go hand in hand." - Lara Khoury, IFPA Certified Personal Trainer
From the other end of the equation, when you feel emotionally or mentally exhausted, your physical health might also suffer. For instance, low mood and intrusive thoughts can result in low energy and the urge to stay in bed, which consequently impacts our physical health. And while resting is important, when such instances occur frequently it can have detrimental effects on your physical health. That is why when you are mindful and aware of your mental state, you can determine how to act before it impacts your overall well-being. It is also important to seek professional help or the support of family or friends if you feel you need it.
Ultimately, one cannot be really healthy if they do not take care of both their physical and mental well-being. Because at the end of the day, whether mental or physical, health is health and you must ensure you take care of it.
