Mental Health IS Physical

 How many times have you participated in exercise where you felt better afterwards? Many, right? This effect is proof that mental health is also physical. For generations we have spoken about mental health as if it’s a separate issue but it isn’t. Society knows that when we exercise we feel better, our mood is better, our productivity is better and our success is greater, so why don’t we treat our mental health as part of our physical health?

Science has proven time and time again that the mind manifests physical ailments while physical inability impacts mental ailments. We literally cannot separate the relationship between the mind and the body. It is as if God decided that we would need both so he ensured they would be inseparable life partners who cannot do without each other. Unfortunately, there are stories in our social media news feeds and on our televisions that suggest that we can address one without the other. Here are a few examples:

·      Personal trainers who focus on ‘just moving’ instead of why you cannot be compelled to move all the while call individuals who lack motivation fat and lazy

·      Mindset coaches and wellbeing specialists who believe that physical activity (more than a walk) is not necessary for your health, if it is not connected to who you are

·      Cross training gyms that push intense workouts and little rest as a culture not just an exercise routine

·      Nutritionists and dieticians who believe that the right food choices alone will unlock mental clarity and mood

·      Entrepreneurs who believe that there’s only one way to life- hustle and grind or settle for a life less lived and

·      Body confidence coaches who believe that physical health doesn’t impact the mindset of individuals of all shapes and sizes

The list could go on. Society has essentially become so politically correct and afraid of upsetting anyone that they’ve risked negatively impacting their mental health. Working out is hard, being consistent at moving your body is hard but maintaining mental clarity, productivity, positive relationships, social connectedness and positive self-love is much harder when we do not address the need for us to deal with who we are at the core of our very being.

Our magazines tell us what we are comfortable hearing not what we need to hear. Sometimes what we need to hear is not enjoyable but it is realistic, and it will change our trajectory. Self-love, confidence and positive mental health is grossly impacted by a desire to avoid the tough conversations. The kind of conversations that ask ourselves: how did I get to thinking about life this way? How do I champion and chop down my own success and happiness through my belief systems? How does my self-talk, love and confidence impact my respect for my physical body and what it does for me without ever asking for any attention? How often do I SHOW myself that I am grateful for who I am and the daily choices I make?

When you answer these questions sometimes you won’t like the answers, but you won’t find a different response unless you are willing to get used to being uncomfortable, familiar with apologising to yourself and committing to being 100% accountable for what happens in your life. A drop in your physical health is not a surprise to your mind, your mind can see it coming. Similarly, a drop in your mental health is not a surprise to your physical body because it knows and experiences how you treat it.

Take the time to really ask the deep questions or enlist someone who will do this for you (and who knows what questions to ask). Spend time understanding the connection between your mind and body, commit to feeding both with what they need and you’ll find you are in a better mental and physical state.