The correlation between mental and physical health

There’s so much evidence that mental health is tied to physical health. If your job is stressful, for example, you can get terrible headaches, have insomnia, lack of appetite or overeating, stomach problems, and muscle tension. Long term effects of stress can lead to serious poor health issues such as hypertension and even stroke.

So what can you do if you have an incredibly stressful job or conversely if you are furloughed or laid off from your job? You can try to find another job but take the time to research where you should make your next move. You could wind up with a worse situation. If you have been laid off, take time to nurture your health because you will need to be in good health and have the stamina to find a new job.

Either way, there are techniques to help improve your stress. The obvious ones are yoga, exercise, finding a good hobby to offset your stress, and spending time with people who care about you. Depression is a common result of stress and often leads people to prefer isolation. Being isolated can make symptoms worse. Even a trip to the coffee shop with some interaction can help or a brisk walk.

Stress can lead to obesity when one eats to feel better. Carbohydrates such as donuts, cake, cookies, etc. can be soothing. But in the long run, obesity can lead to diabetes and many other problems. So managing stress and knowing what the signs are can help you to come up with ways to combat stress. When you manage stress with behavior that makes it worse, you compound your problems. For example, excessive drinking or drugs can make you stress worse because once you are sober the problems are back again and they can be worse if you aren’t feeling well.

The most important thing to do with stress is to take care of yourself. Self-nurturing and relaxation are techniques to help your health. Health is the most important. Don’t wear your body down or it will make your issues worse. Another option is to see a therapist or to self-meditate. Sometimes therapists can help you see a problem objectionably when you can’t. Some therapists can refer you to a psychiatrist who can prescribe anti-depressants or anti-anxiety medicine.