‘Health is Wealth’
There’s absolutely no debate on that. However, a question branches out of this thought: Despite great physical health, do you really feel ‘healthy’ when your mind feels exhausted?
Think of it this way: You spend hours at the gym trying to perfect that body. Or you run miles non-stop to build stamina. Without a doubt, you notice how these physical activities also free your mind, uplift your mood, and make you feel more ‘fresh’ and ‘satisfied’.
On the contrary, try doing these activities with a foul state of mind – no matter how hard you keep pushing yourself physically, you’ll not be able to feel the benefit of it flowing through your veins.
That’s exactly how our mind & body work in beautiful harmony. One cannot grow without the support of the other. A desperate state of mind can make a mother lift a car to save her child (Read: Hysterical Strength), a motivated state of mind can make a runner sprint that last 50m of the race in all his might, and a negative state of mind can make it difficult for a full-grown adult to move their muscles out of their bed.
Considering that the mind-body connection is the link between a person’s thoughts, attitudes, and behaviors and their physical health, how can one take care of both, and ensure one compliments the other?
The answer is training.
You need to train your mind to take up physical challenges, and you need to take up physical challenges in order to keep your mind healthy.
For example: In order to prevent chronic diseases, a doctor would generally recommend to make lifestyle changes like eating healthier, and exercising more frequently. As simple as these changes sound, it’s our behaviour, will-power, and attitude that eventually motivate us to implement these changes.
Similarly, in order to free our mind, people would recommend to go for a jog, or exert yourself in some way to release the ‘feel good’ hormones.
The mind-body connection is still a complex relationship that is being studied. But there’s no doubt that making healthy lifestyle choices is an important part of maintaining the balance between mind and body.
Seek a counsellor who can help figure the thought patterns, fears, worries, and anxieties that are holding you back on your path of physical & mental wellbeing, and guide you to a better version of yourself.