For a truly healthy lifestyle, it is important to look beyond the body, to focus on how activities impact the way we feel. While many of the habits that benefit the body will have a positive impact on the mind, to ensure total wellness, one must consider both the mind and the body. Fostering habits that benefit both the mind and the body will ensure that you are in the best place to sustain a lifestyle change, so it becomes a way of life rather than a short-lived fad. The list below outlines some of the most beneficial lifestyle habits that benefit both your body and your mind.
Regular exercise
Most people are aware of the benefits of regular physical exercise on a person’s health, improving cardiovascular health and joint mobility to name just a few; but did you know how important health is for mental wellbeing?
Exercise can have a huge impact on your mental wellbeing. In fact, even a 10-minute brisk walk has been found to improve alertness, positivity, energy and mood. Regular participation in exercise also helps to improve self-esteem. Regular exercise has been found to play a key role in preventing the development of mental health issues and improving quality of life for people experiencing mental health problems.
The World Health Organization recommends that adults should do between 75 and 150 minutes of exercise a week. The amount of exercise you should aim to do depends on the type of actives you are participating in. If you are choosing to do 75 minutes per week, you should do more vigorous activities, such as running, fast swimming, aerobics or skipping with a rope. For those looking to do 150 minutes of moderate actives, these can include walking, hiking, or riding a bike. Any activity that makes you feel warm and raises your heart rate counts as exercise.
Sleep
Sleep is essential for both physical and mental wellbeing. It allows our bodies to repair themselves and our brains to consolidate memories and process information. Poor health and sleep are inextricably connected – poor health often worsens sleep and vice versa. Sleeping problems can be linked with a wide range of different health problems such as a weakened immune system, as well as mental health problems like depression and anxiety.
There is a range of different ways you can improve the quality and the length of your sleep. Individuals looking to improve their sleeping habits can:
· Make Lifestyle Changes
Substances like caffeine, nicotine and alcohol all directly impact your quality of sleep. Although the effects of alcohol on sleep are less noticeable than other substances, they are by no means less damaging. Alcohol initially depresses the nervous system, making it easier to fall asleep, but these effects wear off within a few hours, which often wakes the sleeper.
· Regular Exercise
Another way that exercise impacts physical and mental wellbeing is through its effects on sleep. Regular aerobic activity helps you fall asleep faster, stay asleep longer and makes waking up during the night less likely.
· Sleep Hygiene
Many experts believe that sleep hygiene is vital to ensure high-quality sleep. To improve sleep hygiene you can start by removing all screens from the bedroom and keep a consistent bedtime routine.
The importance of touch
Physical touch is incredibly important for physical health and mental wellbeing. Physical touch is an innate human need that has been necessary to ensure human survival. Although our threat of not surviving is less immediate in today’s world, our need for touch is no less important. Physical touch stimulates the production of powerful hormones such as oxytocin in both the giver and the receiver. Regular hugs between partners have been found to have a huge range of positive impacts. For example, frequent hugs between partners are associated with lower blood pressure and heart rates. There is also a connection between couples who hug regularly and better physical and psychological health, improved relationships and superior conflict management.
The most effective way of receiving the benefits of physical touch is by having an orgasm, either by means of a mutually consensual sexual encounter or masturbation. According to smile makers, orgasms promote good quality sleep and help to reduce stress levels. The reason that orgasms are so powerful is because they induce very high levels of the beneficial chemicals produced by touch, such as oxytocin.
There are many more habits that can be used to improve your mental and physical wellbeing, from eating a balanced diet to stretching your mind by learning a new musical instrument or a foreign language. These examples of touch, sleep and regular exercise are some of the most important habits for mental and physical wellbeing, but they won’t be an exhaustive list of that you need. If you are looking to make any lifestyle changes, remember for sustained change, that makes you feel good inside and out, you need to focus on both mental and physical health.
