It is incredibly important to look after yourself; this includes not only your body, but also your emotional wellbeing. However, most people lead busy lives, meaning that they often forget to care for themselves properly.
It is important to note that physical and emotional wellbeing are directly linked. Therefore, in order to take care of one, you need to care of the other as well.
Keep reading to find out three easy ways to improve your physical and emotional health.
Eat well
It is a well-known fact that in order to properly care for your body, you need to follow a healthy diet by incorporating some nutritionally balanced recipes into it. What you may not know is that this is also vital for your emotional wellbeing.
Any doctor will tell you that a balanced diet reduces the risk of obesity, high blood pressure, heart disease and diabetes. With that said, the emotional benefits of eating well are almost as drastic.
Healthy eating actually improves energy levels, and this is because you are filling your body with the right fuel to keep it going. Due to this, eating well means you will be more productive, and you’ll find it easier to learn and retain new information.
A diet that is high in tryptophan and omega-3s will greatly improve your emotional and mental health. Both tryptophan and omega-3 are known as being natural mood stabilisers.
If you have signs of depression, it is recommended that you begin taking daily multivitamins. The extra vitamins will give your body what it may be lacking and this will begin to improve your mood.
Get plenty of sleep
Another easy and natural way of improving both your physical and mental health is by getting plenty of sleep. It is recommended that adults get around seven hours of sleep per night, but it is no secret that many people don’t get anywhere near this much.
Sleep plays an important part in helping your body function as it should. Interestingly, sleep is involved in helping the body repair the heart and blood vessels. Sleep also has an impact on the immune system as well as helping people maintain healthy hormone levels.
However, getting an adequate amount of sleep is also essential for your emotional wellbeing. This is essentially because it helps your brain to function properly. If you are not getting enough rest, it can alter activity in parts of the brain; this could result in you finding it harder to make decisions, cope with change and control your emotions.
Exercise regularly
Regular exercise has many benefits not only for your body, but also for your emotional health. It is suggested that adults partake in roughly half an hour of moderate to high intensity exercise per day for optimum health.
Exercise is undoubtedly one of the best ways of looking after your body. It is no secret that it can help you lose weight, or maintain your current weight, gain muscle and build strength. All of these are positive results. However, it can also reduce the risk of you getting illnesses such as:
- Heart disease
- Lung disease
- High blood pressure
- Diabetes
- Parkinson’s disease
- Alzheimer’s disease
Something many people often forget is that regular physical activity is also really good for their emotional health. This is essentially because movement releases chemicals and endorphins like serotonin, which is known for improving your mood. Furthermore, regular activity also pumps blood to the brain which will help you think more clearly.
However, there are also many other positive results of regular exercise on emotional health, such as:
- Reduces stress
- Reduces depression
- Reduces anxiety
- Helps with mental health recovery
