The last time I looked, I wasn’t carrying my head under my arm. In other words, my mind and body are, indeed, connected! And – oh yes, your head and body are too!
Therefore, it ‘stands’ for good reason that if we want to feel our best mentally, then we need to take good care of our bodies.
A good deal of the time, those of us who do feel stressed, exhausted or just plain mentally down, down, down are either under-exercised, dehydrated, undernourished (even if we are overweight), and under-rested.
We seek a quick fix, and sometimes we find something that does give us a little boost, allowing us to override our physical needs, which only leads to more ‘optional suffering.’ Clearly, for the most part for those of us who are reading this, being dehydrated and undernourished is optional. No?
Point being: You cannot override your physical needs, drown out your body’s voice and expect to feel good on any level.
Today, I’d offer a gentle kick in the tush that I hope give you food for thought, something helpful to chew on and send you in the right direction.
KICK IN THE TUSH: (Are you ready, ’cause here it is in a nutshell.) In order to have optimal mental health, we need to take care of our bodies.
This may not be BIG news, but given the statistics as well as the emails I receive from y’all, seems a good deal of us have forgotten. I am now offering you three easy steps to your optimal help. Have you heard most of this before? Probably. Are you practicing a healthy lifestyle? Probably not! So … listen up and lighten up!
Three Easy Steps to Your Optimal Mental Health
Aerobic Exercise. According to numerous major studies, exercise improves self esteem and mental health. It also helps to fight obesity/weight issues and improves sleep patterns.
Aerobic Exercise keeps the heart rate gently elevated. It is continuous and rhythmic. Depending upon the level of effort you exert, you can include the following in your aerobic workout: Walking, biking, rowing, swimming, stairs, jogging and – my absolute favorite – dancing!
Proper Rest/Sleep. Poor sleep is associated with depression as well as weight gain. Two things to consider are the amount of sleep you are getting and the regularity.
Most adults require, on average, 8 hours of sleep per night. Some people do better on 9 or 10 hours sleep per night. How many hours of sleep are you getting? How will adjust your schedule so that you settle in earlier and sleep later?
It’s best to go to bed and wake up at the same time each and every day. If your sleep cycle looks like an EKG chart, rethink it. Your sleep cycle consistency is important to your mental health and physical health.
You Are What You Eat (and drink). Eat real food, for goodness sake; foods that are alive and humming with vitamins and minerals. And drink water. Your body is approximately 80% water. How do you think it is going go function when the well is dry and cracked like the desert?
Again, I know you know; but you don’t necessarily act like you know. Consider this post a reminder; a gentle Kick in the Tush!
Need another Kick in the Tush?
Optional Suffering!!! What is it? Do I suffer from it?
Need a Mood Lift?
Spread the word … NOT icing!
Janice
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