Wellness Wednesday: The Science Of Physical and Mental Health

When it comes to our daily routines, the one thing that is missing is routines. Our daily lives constantly interfere with the natural ebb and flow that should be our 24-hour span until we start over a new the next day. We extend our days longer, cut our sleep shorter, and eat whenever we have time. To most people that seems like it’s not that big of a deal, but with both mental and physical health appearing to dwindle in our lives, maybe that’s where it all starts, the routine.

No matter what you believe in or what you study, the basis of everything in life revolves around balance. The Chinese philosophy of yin and yang, or the belief in karma, Isaac Newtons Third Law of Motion, light and dark, good and evil all revolve around the balance in life. The same could be said for our energy and rest. When it comes to health and fitness, all everyone wants to talk about is what food you need to eat to restore your energy levels and what exercise you need to do to burn off the extra calories. No one ever talks about the other side, rest.

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If you really want to dive deep into your overall health, the most important topic to consider researching is circadian rhythms. Outside of the science speak, these often refer to how the body acts and reacts within a 24-hour time span. Our brain and our body tell us when to wake up when we feel hungry when we need rest but for years we’ve been living worse and worse lifestyles that throw off our natural rhythms.

As children, our parents had us up for the babysitter or up for school at the same time every day. We had our lunch and recess around the same time. Our bedtimes were never past a certain hour on a school night and we had the energy to make it through the day without the energy drinks. Even as toddlers when we could take naps they were around a structured routine.

Then came high school and the demands of meeting deadlines to turn in papers. When we graduated we got jobs that rushed us around and fit our meals in where we could. The demands of parenting have us running out to take our children to practice and squeeze the unhealthy fast food in on the way just to save time. We’re constantly burning our bodies’ natural energy and replacing it with what’s available at any given time.

Everyone who succeeds in diet and exercise has one thing in common, a routine. People on keto/carb-free diets, vegans, meal preps or every fad diet in between they all stick to a strict routine and that’s why they’re successful. They all are on different dietary restrictions but the ones who are in the best shape aren’t the ones cutting out certain foods for another, they’re the ones who stick to it.

We’ve spent years reprogramming our bodies to fit our lifestyles and never give them the proper cycle back to rest. It’s no wonder we’re getting more obese and suffering from more mental illnesses. We’re fast-forwarding our bodies too early death and using artificial energy to keep them going. If health is our main priority, its time to pivot from a diet and exercise the only mindset and start focusing more on our day today. Waking up at the same time each day, eating meals at the same time, not eating past a certain time every day, and going to bed to get the same night of sleep every day.

It will take some time to reprogram your body back to the healthiest point before you hit a wall at 30, but it can be done. Diet and exercise are the biggest part, but failure comes from not balancing those out with your body’s natural periods of energy and rest. Fix that cycle and your health will return.