When the thunderstorm comes, rain will follow
Start with Health!
Welcome avid readers to yet another post of our Healthy Thoughts Only (HTO) blog! If you’re in search of more juicy information to satisfy your insatiable hunger to improve your health then you are definitely in the right place. For today’s post, you will be reading a new post from a fresh new writer of the SynapseBN team. As tradition, we’ve commissioned his debut article to have an excerpt of his self-introduction. Enjoy!
“Hi there! People refer to me as Mar, a health enthusiast that has been incorporating health fitness exercises into my daily activities. I am active in sports and have been involved in multiple fitness events since 2011. Enjoying the adrenaline and stamina-challenging activities, Calisthenics has been my go-to workout routine to train my overall physique and endurance.
As a college student aspiring to be a Life Coach, naturally, that would mean keeping my physical and mental health in tip-top shape! With more knowledge I’ll gain during my journey, I will continue to share my insights here on HTO as often and as personally as I can!”
Mental stress and the body
When you just have too much on your plate! source: accupaintherapy.com
The link between the mental and physical health of a person is commonly misunderstood to be non existent. In actuality, both mental and physical health affects the overall performance of a human being rather than being separate entities. Being overwhelmed by constant pressure and stress from your daily work will have a toll on your performance which may lead to contracting various mental illnesses such as depression, anxiety or eating disorders, addictive behaviors and so on. In this post, I want to focus on depression and, to the best of my knowledge, propose a simple three way combo to help begin to mitigate this problem for you.
The mind and body are not separate units, but one integrated system. How we act and what we think, eat, and feel are all related to our health. Physicians should be capable of teaching this behavior to patients.
Bernie Siegel
Depression alone can be hazardous in causing you to experience bouts of low energy or fatigue, insomnia or hypersomnia, trouble with concentrating and even loss of pleasure in previously enjoyed activities. This may even compile to an even worse state that could lead to problems resembling heart disease, chronic physical pain, high blood pressure, obesity and so much more. In a nutshell, it is not a very good thing to overlook in the long run.
I would say if you do experience the symptoms of depression coupled with one or more of the aforementioned chronic illnesses, the first and foremost positive action you can take would be to to talk to your local doctor. Preserving mental health is the key towards improving physical health and consequently, making chronic conditions easier to manage. Getting a diagnosis from a well trained doctor is always a must-have before taking on any sort of supplemental remedies of your own. With the right combination of practitioners’ advice and healthily formed habits – that’s where the magic will truly work.
Disclaimer: All points I’ll be making in the following sections are based on my own personal observation and sourced from reliable bodies of knowledge. They are not meant to replace doctor’s advice but as merely as actionable guideline that can potentially benefit us all.
Exercise regularly
Sometimes, self-motivation is the best kind of motivation
Knowing how connected the mind and body are, getting regular physical exercise is a great way to channel healthiness throughout the body. From a simple start of daily walks outside the garden, to really pumping iron at the gym – you can choose whichever level to start off with and go from there. The main joy I find in exercising is it helps to divert my mind from the muddling, negative thought-cycles and stresses of daily life. At the same time, it makes me more focused on the better parts of life that I feel grateful for.
As someone who does Calisthenics, I am no doubt a big fan of getting the sweat out every now and then. If I have yet to sell you the idea, then perhaps this comprehensive list of additional net gain might persuade you
- Gaining of confidence. Achieving your exercise goals or challenges can help boost your self-esteem immensely. As the saying goes, “You look good, you feel good!“, having a fit physique would also make you feel a lot better about yourself!
- Releases endorphins regularly. Natural feel-good hormones released during these exercise sessions will make you feel pumped and more joyful throughout the day. The incremental gain of seeing yourself transform is a very rewarding experience in the long run.
- Improved social skills. Exercising and doing physical activities gives you the chance to meet friends and socialize with the people around you. Even exchanging a friendly smile or greeting as you jog along can help improve your mood significantly!
- Overall just better health, honestly. According to Mana Medical Associates, it has been proven using numerous studies that engaging in physical activities will not only increase your life expectancy but also reduces the risk of premature mortality, improve your respiratory and cardiovascular health, maintaining a healthy weight, strengthening muscles and bones, and so on! We can talk about it till the cows come home but a better idea would be to get up from your seat and start DOING IT!
Get enough sleep!
Here’s your serotonin boost for the day. source: A kitten sleeping peacefully
It is always tempting to finish just one more episode of Korean drama that you were binge watching until 3 in the morning. No need to feel ashamed, we’ve all done it! Sometimes we just couldn’t help it and it doesn’t seem to have that bad of an impact… at the time that is. However, the side effects that affects your mind and body can be devastating, research shows.
Sleep problems are often the core signs of depression and the two are almost always correlated to one another. Insufficient sleep is a recipe for a tired mind which causes stress hormones to build up in the brain. Getting less than 7 hours of regular sleep can potentially cause physical health issues. Let’s face it, your body needs sleep, similar to how it needs air and food to ensure that it remains healthy! So, you’re better off not cutting corners with your sleep schedule than it is to rely on absurd amounts of coffee to get you through the day.
Just think of the savings you’re making from staving off of Starbucks!
Take time for yourself. Just relax!
You have to admit, that looks really enticing for a day off! source: calming picture
With all the hard work you put into exercising and staying on your sleep schedule, it is crucial to continuously monitor the condition of your mental and physical state. With the many stressful events that the world undergoes, there comes a time where one must take a step back and breathe. An important lesson I’ve learned in my fitness journey is to not overdo it – over-exercising is just as serious a crime as to not exercising in the first place.
Ms. Joy (Nazura) from Joy Massage Journey, our lovely, local and professional masseuse, have spoken to us regarding some useful practices we can use for our relaxation period. Breathing exercises as well as massages can in fact relieve even the tensest of muscles from all those workouts you have done. Expanding further on this, she mentioned that incorporating the healing factors of aromatherapy into our day-to-day life can also help eliminate stress. It’s something we found genuinely surprising that a $10 scented candle can make a world of difference!
One shoe does not fit all. Not everyone’s relaxation activity can be summed up as having a nice spa and massage day. Perhaps you may be more into the creative arts like painting, crocheting, dancing, playing an instrument, and so on. Perhaps it can just mean some quiet time away with a good book. The choices are endless and exploration is open to find what best suits you!