I’m pretty sure a lot of us have heard the popular saying, “Health is wealth.” Over the years, there have been many interesting quotes, articles and news about health. This shows how important our health is. When you hear the word “health”, what comes to your mind? For many of us, it would be our physical body. Of course, it is important yo take care of our physical health. However, health is not only limited to this. This is where our mental health comes in. Physical and mental health both work hand in hand. We cannot say one is more important than the other, which is why we need to pay adequate attention to both. One part should not suffer because of another. Unfortunately, not many people understand how to take care of their mental health.
It’s a new week and for today’s Hive Learners’ prompt, the community asks us how we can strike a balance between mental health and physical health. What are the ways to follow through on both without letting either suffer as a result? In my opinion, the first and most important step to striking a balance between your physical and mental health is to take ownership of your own happiness. Whenever we are happy, our skin starts to glow, our worries fade away and smiles are on our faces. However, the opposite happens whenever we are not happy. Our happiness has a remote control and the best person to hold that remote control is no one but you. If anyone else is in control of our happiness, that means they get to dictate when they want us to be happy and when they want us not to be.
I was actually in a terrible situation a few years back. A certain person was in charge of my happiness. When we were on good terms, everything went smoothly. My days were better and always well-spent, but whenever we quarreled, I struggled to do even the basic things. It was that bad. It was affecting both my physical and mental health. It affected my physical health because sometimes I would miss meals on purpose, which led to weight loss. I also would always find myself lost in thought.
Another way to strike a balance between your mental and physical health is to eat well and rest well. The importance of eating good food cannot be overemphasized. This morning, a friend posted on their WhatsApp status saying that they prefer to buy data on their phones than to eat. That’s actually very wild. I’m not a foodie, but I know that food goes a long way. There is this happiness that flows through my veins when I eat good food. Try satisfying your cravings for a whole week. Also, I understand that many of us are busy doing one thing or the other. It is very easy to get caught up in our busy schedules and forget to rest. Some people work more than two jobs just to be able to put food on their tables. While money is important, rest is also very important. If drafting a timetable is what helps you rest better, then go for it.
Finally, if you are a book lover, you should try reading self-help books. There are many books that teach how to balance our mental and physical health.
Thanks for reading.