Life can often be busy, and instead of focusing on ourselves and our wellbeing, we focus on work and social commitments. It is often essential to take a step back and tune in with your mind and body. Creating a healthy balance between life’s business and your own self-care is ideal for improving your mood, energy levels, and overall happiness.
If you often find it difficult to zone out from the present and focus on your inner-self, you may benefit from performing mind-body movements. Today, we are discussing the best activities to help you look after your mind and your body at the same time.
Exercising
Exercise offers great benefits for the body, such as improving strength and increase your endurance. But, exercise also has great benefits for the mind. Any form of exercise, from weight-lifting to running, releases endorphins. These endorphins improve your mood also help you concentrate and feel mentally sharp for tasks at hand. Exercise also stimulates the growth of new brain cells and helps prevent age-related decline.
If you are looking for fitness workouts online, Sophia Rose on Openfit offers a toning 4-week program where you work out just 30 minutes per day. Committing just a small amount of time per day to exercise can improve your happiness and physical strength.
Exercise can also improve sleep. Thus, after a regular exercise routine, you will feel less fatigued and have more energy, even if you are working out vigorously.
Yoga
Yoga is one of the most effective physical activities to create a stronger mind to body connection. The gentle flow and unwinding movements help to create mental clarity and calmness. For those who partake in regular yoga, the movement helps to increase body awareness, relieve chronic stress patterns, relax the mind, center attention, and sharpen concentration.
As well as being good for the mind, yoga is great for physical health. It requires gentle movements, so most people can partake in practice. Yoga improves strength, balance, and flexibility. Slow movements and deep breathing increase blood flow and warm up muscles while holding a pose can build strength.
Meditation
Meditation is one of the mentally strengthening practices out there. Similar to yoga but without movement, meditation helps restore balance and helps the mind focus on the present moment.
Not only does it reduce stress, but it helps control anxiety and relieves tension from the mind and body. The popularity of meditation is increasing as more people discover its many health benefits.
You can use it to increase awareness of yourself and your surroundings. Many people think of it as a way to reduce stress and develop concentration. People also use the practice to develop other beneficial habits and feelings, such as a positive mood and outlook, self-discipline, healthy sleep patterns and even increased pain tolerance.
You do not have to practice meditation for long. Just a few minutes every day is enough to attain its mental and physical health benefits. You can meditate sitting or lying down. Or, you can even practice meditation while drawing, walking, or writing. Whatever form of meditation suits you is fine, as you will still gain the benefits. If anything, practicing it in a way that suits you will maximize its benefits as you will feel more relaxed and in the present moment. Get started with meditation.
Walking
If you feel stressed or are going through a rough spot in your life, try spending some time outside and taking a walk, surrounding yourself with nature. This helps to get away from the distractions of everyday things and to clear your mind. Walking soothes the soul and is very therapeutic.
Walking is also a great form of exercise and improves your physical fitness. Just 30 minutes every day can increase cardiovascular fitness, strengthen bones, reduce excess body fat, and boost muscle power and endurance.
Journaling
If you find it difficult to express your true emotions, this may be a sign that you are over-stressed. It may help write in a journal every day to let out how you feel and thoughts that keep occurring.
An over-stressed mind and a build-up of emotions can have an impact on the body. It can make you feel tense, fatigued, and low on energy. If you let out your mental emotions and feel lighter in your mind, it will help release tension and stress in your body.
Journaling can involve writing down your thoughts and planning your future goals, mindful activities, or life achievements. A journal can be used to reflect as well as plan. Use it in whichever way makes you feel good and in a way that helps you release any stressful thoughts or emotions. Learn more about my take on journaling.
Dancing
Having a boogie every evening is a fun way to get active as well as release endorphins. Dancing benefits the mind and the body as it mental and physical strength. All of these functions working together can be beneficial to your brain and overall health. Because dance is a multi-tasking activity, many studies show it can improve cognitive function and even slow the aging process.
You do not have to attend a dance class or be a good dancer to get down and boogie. You can simply dance around in the comfort of your own home, alone or with someone else. If you do not often dance or find it unnatural, switch on a playlist of your favorite songs and walk around the room to get in the mood. When you do it once, you will notice how good it makes you feel mentally and physically; this will hopefully make you do it more often.
Cooking
Cooking at home should never be considered dull or a chore. It is a great activity to help you improve your mental state. Cooking at home or other places is good for your mental health because cooking is an act of patience, mindfulness, an outlet for creative expression. It is also a means of communication and helps to raise one’s self-esteem as the cook can feel good about doing something positive for their family, themselves, or loved ones.
Cooking can also benefit your body. Before cooking, you can focus on finding nutritious recipes full of flavor and nutrients. Cooking wholesome, healthy meals will therefore help you mentally and as well physically. If you cook nutritious meals, your will attain all of the essential nutrients it needs to reduce health conditions such as high blood sugar or diabetes.
When you prepare your own meals, you have more control over the ingredients. By cooking for yourself, you can ensure that you and your family eat fresh and balanced meals. This can help you to look and feel healthier, boost your energy, stabilize your weight and mood, and improve your sleep and resilience to stress.
Drawing
Drawing is a creative practice and a great way of expressing and letting out your thoughts and emotions. If you are not keen on writing or need another outlet to express yourself, drawing is a great activity.
We use our brains when we draw, and this not only releases endorphins but helps build new connections and pathways. When drawing, we actively use both sides of our brain, the right for creativity and the left for logical thinking. This strengthens both and helps develop the ability to focus and think strategically.
Through drawing and releasing endorphins, the body relaxes and releases tension in the same way the mind does. Thus, it is a great activity for the mind and the body if you are feeling stressed or anxious.
The next time you are feeling low on energy, fatigued, or stressed, try one of these mindful practices and notice how it makes you feel. You will attain mental and physical benefits from all activities. If one of the activities is new to you, such as drawing, dancing, or cooking, then have fun with it. You may find a new passion or hobby.
