Lifestyle

Investing time into physical and mental wellbeing

Maintaining your mental and physical health is something you should always do, not just when you're having trouble or feeling down, apprehensive, or upset. Keeping an eye on our mental and physical health benefits us now and enables us to handle challenging situations in the future. It can eventually lower our likelihood of experiencing physical health issues.

How can stress harm your body?

Physical symptoms from chronic stress include high blood pressure, headaches, gastrointestinal issues, and more. It can affect how well the digestive, immunological, cardiovascular, and reproductive systems work and increase the risk of major illnesses, including diabetes and heart disease. 

Serious mental health illnesses like anxiety, depression, insomnia, and eating disorders can all be exacerbated by stress. Low energy, mood fluctuations, irritability, becoming easily angered, having difficulties falling asleep, increasing drug or alcohol usage, disordered eating, and other symptoms may be present.

How can you invest time in your mental and physical health?

Here are some tried-and-tested ways of investing time in mental and physical health.

1. Pick up a hobby that excites you.

It's important to have a hobby or interest that you are passionate about. Interests can range from physical pursuits like yoga or running to inward pursuits like reading or writing. Be bold and experiment with different things once you find something you genuinely enjoy doing. 

A hobby can help you add joy and excitement to your life daily. Also, it helps to support your sense of purpose and involvement in life, which are the two crucial components of psychological well-being.

2. Meditation

The vagus nerve, which influences everything from digestion to heart rate, is stimulated when you sit quietly and concentrate on breathing. It is bad for your health but can help you feel better, reduce stress, and promote clearer thinking and better decision-making. According to Lipman, even 10 minutes a day of meditation can significantly impact cognitive function. It enhances memory, focus, and creativity and may reduce blood pressure and anxiety.

3. Try intermittent fasting

Intermittent fasting supports healthy insulin levels, blood pressure, and liver function, increases cellular-repair mechanisms and reduces inflammation. The most common strategy entails fasting for roughly 16 hours between dinner and morning. Your body can experience a longer-than-normal time of low insulin in the blood, which is a potent reset that tells your metabolism to start burning fat.

4. Make yourself a priority. 

When continuously being pulled in many directions, forgetting about your needs is simple. Finding time for oneself while everyone else is busy requires putting your needs first. It involves learning to say "no" when something or someone risks your well-being. For instance, when a parent volunteer request comes in the middle of your busiest work month. Just say I can't do that right now and give yourself priority. 

5. Go for a therapy 

Taboos and myths have traditionally surrounded psychotherapy. Therapy is as commonplace and accessible as getting a haircut or seeing the dentist. Therapy is maintenance for your mental health. It is not just for people who are distressed or have serious issues; many people get it to improve and refresh themselves. Making a good marriage even better, being a better parent, or improving their decision-making at work can be some of their treatment clients' objectives. Therapy assists you in overcoming issues or difficulties in life in a more effective way.

6. Give yourself a break.

Take a break when you are tired, and don't be frustrated if you skip a day or two—or if a week passes without engaging in your new wellness practice. Do not waste your limited free time feeling sorry about what might have been; the goal is to feel better and get back on track.

How can you practice relaxation?

You might be able to modify an activity currently a part of your regular schedule. You may practice mindfulness on your morning dog walk, for instance. The practice of mindfulness involves becoming more conscious of our environment. Taking in what we can see, hear, smell, taste, and touch requires using our senses. The objective is to become more tuned in to this and less consumed by any unpleasant thoughts and feelings we may be experiencing by becoming more aware of and connected to what's around us.

If going for a daily walk isn't possible, you could wish to read a chapter of your book each night before bed. This might be a wonderful substitute for looking through your phone before bed and encouraging better-quality slumber. Make a playlist of your favorite tunes if traveling is part of your daily schedule, or sign up for a podcast on a subject you're interested in learning more about. Change your nightly shower to a bath if you are short on time during the day. Warm water immersion can help soothe sore muscles and give you time to unwind before bed.

What are the benefits of relaxation?

By allowing us to release mental and physical strain, relaxation enables us to decompress and get some rest. It can help us preserve peace, promoting our mental and physical welfare. According to studies, regular, effective relaxing can improve our health in the following ways: 

• Decrease in heart rate 

• Assisting the gastrointestinal system 

• Reducing fatigue and exhaustion 

• Controlling blood glucose levels 

• Enhancing concentration and increasing clarity

• Encouraging restful sleep 

• Controlling breathing rate 

• Reducing tension and nervousness