Something I discovered in my journey towards “Transformation” ……..Emotional health and its effect on physical and mental health. Your emotional health should never be neglected as it affects, either directly or indirectly, both your mental and physical health. An emotionally healthy you is one who can take care of your relationships, handle failure and success in equal measures, and not be weighed down by life’s constant challenges. Therefore, emotional health is indispensable when it comes to your overall health.
Feelings and affections are important parts of mental health. The ability to give and receive affection affects intellectual and brain performance; if these feelings are not attended to then the delicate chemistry of the brain is altered. For example; feelings of satisfaction and accomplishment help prevent depression which is a mental health disorder (discussed in my book “Diet Desperation Total Transformation“). Another instance is your spiritual beliefs which can affect your health. A recent study showed that people who espouse strong spiritual beliefs have a better-preserved cognitive function than those who don’t. This means that the nurturing of a spiritual dimension in a person’s life (like reading of sacred texts or meditating) helps keep the mind agile and alert. Spiritual people are also known to have a strong supportive network of friends who look out for them.
Effect of Healthy Relationships
These relationships meet their emotional needs of being loved and respected and make them more likely to practice healthy habits which have a positive effect on their mental health. A healthy body and a healthy mind are somehow intertwined; when one is affected, the other sympathizes. One area affected by human emotions is the immune system. The immune system requires constant physical activity, a healthful diet, and positive emotional states in order to function well. Scientists call this effect of emotions on physical health the placebo effect. For example, depression and negative thoughts make you susceptible to diseases affecting the immune system like asthma, rheumatoid arthritis, and cancer. During the time of my personal crisis, I experienced a bombardment of negative emotions ultimately producing cancer-like symptoms in my body.
Achieve Emotional Stability
On the other hand, positive emotions stimulate the production of endorphins. These are ‘happy hormones’ that give you a feeling of well-being and also act as immune system boosters. Being kind to others, donating old things to charity and laughing are some ways in which one can raise their endorphin levels. Self-esteem and personal worth are two aspects of emotional health that plague millions of people worldwide. Having dignity and self-worth and not listening to negative opinions can help a person live a healthy lifestyle as emotional stability helps cultivate healthy eating habits. Loving yourself can prevent succumbing to eating disorders like bulimia, anorexia, and obesity.
Stable emotional health is key to both mental and physical health because thoughts and feelings are nutrition for the mind. For the human body to achieve maximum health levels a balance of these “Emotional Nutrients” are needed to create a healthy, happy and creative person.
