The link between mental health and physical health

By Lewis C. Howe

Over the past several months, I have been sharing my journey toward achieving lower blood pressure and weight loss with the hope of helping others improve their heart health.

In this piece, I want to discuss the connection between mental health challenges and the decline in physical health.

For most of my life, I was thin due to smoking and drinking instead of having balanced meals. However, quitting these habits led to weight gain and hypertension. Complicating things further is my lifelong struggle with anxiety and depression. Whenever my physical health declines, my mental health worsens, and it exacerbates my existing medical issues. To tackle these problems, I recently consulted my mental health provider and nutritionist. At times like these, treating the entire body, including the mind, is crucial to prevent minor problems from becoming catastrophic. My therapist, who has been with me for almost 15 years, reminded me that I've overcome worse times. I used to motivate myself to stay on a healthy track by aiming to be present in my children's lives when I struggled with depression and anxiety. Now that my children are older, I'm reassessing my life and contemplating what I want to do.

Photo by TienDat Nguyen on Unsplash

My therapist, nutritionist, and primary care doctor all want me to live a healthy life into old age. Still, I need to be willing to make the effort. I told them I don't see myself taking up extreme activities in my 60s, so I need to consider what I enjoy doing and what new pursuits I'd like to explore in my free time. I don't have all the answers yet, but one thing I've been able to do is rekindle old interests in the arts and antique shopping. I've moved to a small town with a vibrant theater community and several second-hand shops. Instead of attending my youngest child's soccer matches on Sundays, I walk downtown from my house, explore the shops, and read local literary magazines at a coffee shop. It takes me back to my youth in the city and helps me feel connected to my new community. Apart from the high-fat muffins at the coffee shop, this has proven to be a good strategy for my well-being and overall health. Despite the challenges, my average blood pressure has only slightly increased, and I've gained back only 4 pounds of the 22 I lost last year.

Returning to a heart-healthy lifestyle requires more than avoiding unhealthy foods and drinks. I need to manage my blood pressure through a sound mind and body. This path takes work. In times of great personal stress, I often sought comfort in unhealthy foods, which led to obesity and hypertension. I must remind myself that a healthy heart begins with a healthy brain. I must resist temptations and remind myself that I will feel better and likely live longer by taking better care of myself. The next few weeks are going to be challenging, and I will document my progress as before. I welcome suggestions from you, my readers, and encouragement as I get back on track. To anyone else struggling, I urge you not to give up, even when faced with setbacks in life.

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