How Physical Health Affects Mood

How Physical Health Affects Mood – How you feel affects everything you experience. If you’re unwell, either physically or emotionally, then everything else becomes difficult and, quite frankly, extremely irritating. Importantly, this is true regarding all facets of personal wellness, including both physical and emotional health.

So, why is it that physical and mental health are so closely interlinked and how does physical health affect mood? We’ll discuss all of this and more in today’s blog.

How Physical Health Affects Mood

When we discuss health, we must address whole-body wellness, which includes both the mind and body. In fact, given the close relationship between physical and mental health, there isn’t really an easy way to separate the two. What we eat matters, what we do matters, what we think matters, and how often we sleep matters. Essentially, all these elements intertwine into a massive web representing holistic health.

To understand exactly how physical health affects mood, let’s consider the following:

Research shows that exercise boosts mood and improves sleep. What’s more, other studies have found that a good night’s rest can boost mood and increase daytime energy (which makes it easier to exercise). Finally, research also suggests that people who are happy are generally more motivated and thus more likely to engage in healthy (often physical) activities. Additionally, happy people also tend to experience less stress and sleep better at night.

Why Physical Health Affects Mood

Given these results, it’s obvious that good physical health improves mental health and vice versa. However, it’s difficult to determine exactly why physical health affects mental health, particularly because there are so many variables at play. For example, some speculate that exercise improves mental health by releasing serotonin, dopamine, and endocannabinoids like AEA and 2-AG. Others speculate that exercise improves sleep which also protects the brain and wards against mood disturbances.

Psychologically speaking, some suggest that exercise can boost one’s outlook on life by serving as a meaningful recreational activity and creating a sense of accomplishment. Still, others suggest that exercise improves our resilience to stress, both physical and psychological, making us less prone to depression and other mood problems.

Tips to Ensure Well-Rounded Health

These trends undoubtedly confirm that optimal well-being is a multifaceted process. You cannot alter one area of your health without directly affecting another. That’s why it’s so important to understand how physical health affects mood, and then take the steps necessary to improve both. Here’s How:

Establish a Routine

Your brain likes predictability. If you have a habit of scrolling Facebook for an hour before getting out of bed, then that’s what your body will expect. However, if you create healthy morning routines, your body will start to expect that, instead. As such, a healthy lifestyle always starts with a healthy routine.

Importantly, you don’t need to overhaul your entire schedule to ensure it’s a healthy one. In fact, doing so can actually make the process more daunting. Instead, begin with a single healthy addition to your day. Wake up a little earlier or consume health-boosting products with your morning coffee, for example. Remember: you don’t have to be perfectly healthy, just healthier than you were yesterday.

Don’t Wait for Motivation

Sometimes the hardest part is just getting started. However, once you do get started – and accomplish even one small task – then your brain will reward you with motivation to keep going. Essentially, you can use this brain hack to snowball your progress and accomplish great things. For example, if you start your day with a walk, then you’ve set yourself up to accomplish more healthy, productive activities later; you’ve created motivation to use throughout the day. On the other hand, if you stay in bed that extra 20 minutes, it’ll become much easier to talk yourself out of other tasks, as well.

Get Outside

We are an important part of nature, but sometimes we get lost in our daily routines and forget that. However, research shows that spending time in nature reduces stress, cortisol levels, muscle tension, and heart rate. What’s more, going outdoors can also improve mood and focus, and help us heal quicker according to some studies.

Stretch Often

Stretching is an easy, low-impact way to warm the muscles and get blood flowing throughout the body. To be clear, healthy blood flow helps clear the mind of stressors for a more positive outlook on life. Additionally, stretching helps emphasize the mind/body connection by pulling thought processes towards muscles in the body (and not what Becky said at lunchtime). And, when we pay closer attention to our bodies, we are better equipped to address concerns before they become problematic.

Nourish Your Body

The phrase “you are what you eat” does not mean you’ll turn into a hot dog if you like to eat hot dogs. Instead, it means that if you eat an unhealthy diet, you too will be unhealthy. Importantly, this refers to more than foods and drinks, though. Yes, plant-based diets and sufficient water intake will help your body function at top capacity. However, the things you listen to, discuss with peers or even tell yourself also affect your health. If you regularly consume negative gossip, news stories, or thought processes, your mental well-being will reflect that negativity, as well. As such, you must always be mindful of the things you consume to ensure everything is for your greatest good.

Add CBD to Your Routine

CBD, or cannabidiol, is a phytocannabinoid that mimics endocannabinoids to reduce stress within the body. When ingested, it could improve sleep, reduce pain and swelling, boost mood, and so much more. As such, adding CBD to your routine could support your wellness journey and give you the boost you need to maintain that healthy momentum. What’s more, with so many great hemp products available, it’s easier than ever to find CBD products that support your specific wellness goals.

Start Feeling Better Today! Visit Doc’s to Find Out How

At Doc’s, our goal is to help you feel better. That’s why we’ve introduced our carefully-selected CBD product line, including numerous products designed to assist specific wellness goals. Shop our line of premium CBD products now or contact us to schedule a consultation with the Doc.

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