Physical Health & Mental Health: The Connection and Importance

Dr.Sneha Sharma, 4 mins read

Though physical health and mental health are often seen differently, they are knitted in close relations. That means if your physical health is good, your mental health will also be good and vice versa. 

Being aware of whatever you do has an impact on your health - can go a long way in helping you achieve overall wellness. In this blog, we’ll closely look at their relations.

What is Good Mental Health?

Good mental health meaning might be different for each of us. But it is generally understood as the ability to think positively about ourselves and others, cope with challenges, carry out daily tasks efficiently and build good relations with others.  

Tips to Improve Mental Health

• Make social connections, especially face-to-face.
• Consider exercise and yoga to improve your emotional health, sleep and memory and reduce stress.
• Talk to your friends and family members about your concerns and worries.
• Involve yourself in activities that improve your mood.
• Set time for yourself. Take time to relax and think about the positives of your life.
• Include brain-healthy food in your diet, like fatty fish, nuts, avocados, fresh fruits, beans and leafy greens.
• Consider sleeping at least seven to nine hours every night. To get good sleep, reduce your screen time before bedtime and consider reading or listening to relaxing music.
• Invest time to find the purpose and goals of the day. Try to avoid things that affect your mental peace.

What is Good Physical Health?

Having the ability to maintain a good quality of life and carry out most of the regular tasks without much fatigue and physical stress is considered good physical health. 

Tips to Improve Physical Health

• Consider exercising for at least 150 minutes every week. Include strengthening exercises in your routine to keep your muscles and bones healthy.
• Manage a healthy weight.
• Prepare your plate wisely. Include a variety of nutritional food in your meal plan.
• Build healthy habits, like quitting smoking, limiting alcohol intake, taking adequate sleep, reducing stress and considering yoga.

Relation Between Physical and Mental Health

You may have possibly heard that “you are what you eat” But have you ever dived deep into its meaning?

Well, it implies the things you eat or do - have a direct impact on your mental health. For example, if you have a healthy eating, exercising and sleeping pattern, you’ll probably experience better mental health than those having a sedentary lifestyle. Having good health is important to handle regular stress and lead an active life.

The same goes for mental health. For example, individuals having the potential to cope with stressful situations efficiently and who generally feel satisfied with life are most likely to have good physical health.

Both physical and mental health work in tandem to maintain the overall well-being of an individual.

Also, Read: 9 Easy but Effective Ways to Manage Your Mental