2023-05-17 00:22:34
Understanding how exercise, sleep, diet, and stress are related can help us manage our overall well-being. (Getty Images)
Getting enough sleep, eating right, exercising, and coping with stress are all components of good health, but focusing on all four while managing a hectic schedule can seem impossible.
Dr. Safia Debar, a tailor-made medical exam expert at Mayo Clinic Healthcare in London, explains how paying a little more attention to any one of these areas can improve the others. “By pulling any one of these levers, you can make a huge impact on your health,” says Debar.
May is Mental Health Awareness Month, a good time to follow the doctor’s recommendations, but her advice is valid any time of the year.
It all starts in the brain, says Debar. You may be in a state of “rest, repair, and relaxation” where, assuming general good health, the body functions optimally, or you may be in a state of stress, where the body’s primary concern is coping with stress. one or several perceived threats and other physical needs are relegated to second place.
“Our brain does not distinguish. The perception of a threat and an actual threat are the same, so once that button is pushed, the same cascade occurs,” says Debar.
Stress can affect sleep, eating, and exercise. For example, when the brain is in a state of stress, it thinks in the short term and focuses on feeling better immediately. That’s why when you’re stressed, it’s common to crave sugary and fatty foods and not make the effort to exercise: The brain tells the body that it needs immediate energy, says Debar.
“The brain wants to feel better right now, so it’s not going to think about exercising to feel better later,” he says. “Everything is intertwined.”
Similarly, sleeping, eating and exercising can affect how we manage stress. The key questions to ask yourself are:
“How is my dream?” If it’s not good, that may be where you should focus your attention, going to bed earlier or changing another aspect of your sleep routine, says Debar.
“How does my gut work?” If you have digestive problems, it can help you optimize your nutrition, says Debar.
“What is my social support?” That can affect mood, he says.
“Do I find that certain things make me feel stressed?”. For example, if checking email before bed or immediately after waking is causing stress, think about how to change that part of your routine to stay calm, says Debar.
“What kind of exercise am I doing?” If the answer is not much, try to find ways to incorporate more movement into your day, she says.
“If you help your gut, that might be enough for you, or if you help your sleep quality, that might be enough for you,” says Debar. “It’s those simple building blocks that can have a big impact. Be intentional with certain things.”
Pulling these levers of health ourselves can make us feel empowered, she says.
“It’s not about saying: ‘The doctor told me that I have to lose weight, sleep and reduce stress.’ When you understand the fundamentals of health, it’s not about having poor self-control, procrastinating, or not being disciplined,” says Debar. “Instead, how do we take what’s already in your life and add these practices to it?”
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