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Why You Should Take Care of Your Body and Health

Taking care of your physical body is good for your mental health. The mind and body interact and influence one another in complex ways. Physical illness can make managing your mental well-being more difficult. Stress, lack of energy, poor sleep, and other problems can also take a toll on how you feel mentally.

This article discusses why you should take care of your body and how it can support your mental health. It also explores what you can do to take better care of yourself.

Why Taking Care of Your Body is Good for Mental Health

There are a number of reasons why taking care of your body is good for your mental health:

• Health problems affect functioning: Health problems, even minor ones, can interfere with or even overshadow other aspects of your life. Even relatively minor health issues such as aches, pains, lethargy, and indigestion take a toll on your happiness and stress levels.
• Poor health habits can add stress to your life: They also play a role in how well you are able to cope with stress. The stress that comes from poor health is significant.
• Poor health interferes with daily living: Health challenges also affect other areas of your life. Health problems can make daily tasks more challenging, create financial stress, and even jeopardize your ability to earn a living.
• Stress can worsen health: Stress itself can exacerbate health issues from the common cold to more serious conditions and diseases,1 so maintaining healthy habits can pay off in the long run. This article looks at some healthy habits that have a positive impact on your life.

Find Ways to Manage Your Stress

Stress is an inevitable part of life, but it can take a serious toll on your mind and body if it gets out of hand. Excessive stress is linked to a number of serious health ailments, including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, obesity, and ulcers.

Stress management strategies that can help include:

• Practicing mindfulness: Mindfulness is an approach that involves focusing more on the here and now instead of fretting over the past or future. It can help increase your self-awareness and improve your ability to handle the daily challenges life throws your way.8

  Kriakous SA, Elliott KA, Lamers C, Owen R. The effectiveness of mindfulness-based stress reduction on the psychological functioning of healthcare professionals: a systematic review. Mindfulness (N Y). 2021;12(1):1-28. doi:10.1007/s12671-020-01500-9

• Utilize stress management techniques: Incorporate a variety of stress management tactics into your life, such as deep breathing, guided imagery, and positive self-talk. Making these a habit can help you combat stress in the short-term, as well as later down the road.
• Eat a balanced diet: A poor diet can exacerbate the negative effects of stress.9 Instead of reaching for high-sugar snacks or fast food meals, focused on following a balanced diet that incorporates fruits and vegetables, lean proteins, and complex carbohydrates.