Wellbeing goes far beyond the physical body. It includes our motivation, our resilience, our mood, our ability to engage with the world and live life fully.
We all understand physical health but when it comes to mental health we tend to focus on the prevalence of depression, anxiety, addiction, dementia and other mental illness’. But isn’t this mental UNhealth?
So what about Mental HEALTH?
We all spend a lot of time and money striving for a health body, eating well (or planning to) and exercising in order to prevent illness and injury. How many of us spend the same amount of time and energy looking after our mental wellbeing? It seems with our mental wellness we prefer to wait until we have a problem or “break” before we take any action.
And, of course, a lack of illness is not same as being in good health and that goes for physical and mental wellbeing. We can be getting by, always a little tired, stressed, not quite enjoying work as much as we used to, maybe our relationships seem more strained, we find it hard to focus, we feel like we are never doing the things we intend to do whether that be giving up smoking or making more time to spend with your kids. Does that sound healthy or fulfilling? Is this how we want to continue?
What a lot of people don’t understand is that we have just as much control over our mental wellbeing, our motivation, our creativity, our sense of satisfaction and all those other mental strengths as we do our physical wellbeing. In the same way that we can eat well and exercise to prevent physical injury and illness, we can build our mental health so that :
-
We are more resilient and less susceptible to stress
-
We become more effective communicators & stronger leaders
-
We build more collaborative teams and have better relationships
-
We are more likely to reach our personal, career and health goals
-
We naturally grow as a result of challenges
Furthermore, the bi-product of putting more energy into our mental wellbeing is that it enhances our physical wellbeing:
-
Our vital organs function more effectively
-
Our immunity improves
-
We are less susceptible to physical injury and pain
-
Our body is more able to build muscle effectively
-
We are more likely to eat healthily, less likely to gain weight and more motivated to be physically active
Another opportunity to look after yourself this year is to join London’s first Step-Inside™ Mental Fitness Class with Charlotte Wiseman starting on January 16th 2018. These classes will support your mental, social and physical wellbeing in one session enhancing your motivation, productivity and communication skills. There will be no physical ‘exercise’ so there is no lycra or special equipment required, just bring yourself and your mind.