It won’t surprise you to learn that most Americans find value in taking care of their physical health.
In Verywell Mind’s latest survey, 77% of adults say physical health is important.
We understand this as a critical component of our overall well-beingfrom our first P.E.
Joshua Seong / Verywell
What may surprise you is that nearly as many Americans76%acknowledge the importance of taking care of theirmentalhealth.
With results like that, we must be walking, talking strongholds of mental fortitude, right?
Well…not exactly.
Matter Over Mind
Improving your physical health isn’t easy.
It takes time, effort, know-how, space, andquite oftenmoney.
You could try some mental exercises right now in fact, right where you sit reading this article.
The question, then, is obvious: why do we tend to favor one over the other?
Eat less red meat or overprocessed foods.
Go for a walk every day.
Take the stairs instead of the elevator.
Increase your vitamin intake.
These changes aren’t easy, but they feel simple, tangible, and attainable.
These habits are instantly familiar to us, whether or not we practice them.
Have you been trained in these practices since childhood?
classes that taught you about exercise and got your body moving from a young age?
Most people likely didn’t attend schools that featured equivalent educational experiences around mental health.
It’s tougher to see those direct results when youre working on reducing yournegative thinkingor managing your anxiety.
There’s no scale to step on that says, “Congrats!
You feel better now.”
It’s important to reshape the way we all think about our mental health.
But there are also plenty of things you might do to focus on improving your mental health.
Take a moment to consider how much time youre devoting to your mental health versus your physical health.
Or you might realize you have been caring for your mental health all along in ways you never expected.
The survey is fielded online, beginning April 28, 2021, to 4,000 adults living in the U.S.
The total sample matches U.S. Census estimates for age, gender, race/ethnicity, and region.
Biddle S.Physical activity and mental health: evidence is growing.World Psychiatry.
2016;15(2):176-177. doi:10.1002/wps.20331
