Did you know that anxiety disorders are the most common mental illness in the U.S., affecting over 40 million adults each year, on average?¹ There is a fundamental link between physical and emotional health. In 3 John 1:2 it says, “Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well.” 

As humans, we need physical activity to be healthy. This doesn’t mean running a marathon, but getting your body moving and exerting energy daily, has a surplus of benefits. While staying active provides many benefits, including reducing the risk of a heart attack, lowering blood cholesterol and blood pressure levels, lowering the risk of type 2 diabetes, and some cancers, it also provides an abundance of emotional advantages. These advantages include reducing anxiety, depression, and negative moods while promoting self-esteem and cognitive function. 

If you feel like your life is hard, you are not alone! Quite frankly, living in 2020 is stressful. Sometimes it feels as if the world is moving nonstop while most of us are barely hanging on. In uncertain times, when deadly viruses, natural disasters, and racial injustice are a daily occurrence, it can become easy to forget to prioritize self-care — your physical and emotional wellbeing. During the State lockdown, like many others, I went through periods of anxiety and sadness. As humans, we are created for connections. For me, the transition from being around others multiple times a day to being limited to my home, with limited contact with the outside world, was extremely difficult. During this time, I turned to exercise to help soothe my anxiety. Yoga and meditation became a daily practice that greatly helped with my mental health. Both exercises help with improving awareness and harmony in both the mind and body.

Job 12: 7-10 says, “but ask the beasts, and they will teach you; the birds of the heavens, and they will tell you; or the bushes of the earth, and they will teach you, and the fish of the sea will declare to you. Who among all of these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this? In his hand is the life of every living thing and the breath of all mankind.” It is easy to get lost in your mind and forget about the greatness of God. Increased awareness will remind you of God’s generous, loving nature and His promise to make “all things work together for the good to them that love Him.” (Romans 8:28) Physical activity is a great way to slow your mind and steady your thoughts. If you allow yourself to be centered and embrace the goodness of God through physical activity, you will experience practicing gratitude, releasing stress, and feeling happier and healthier overall.

1. “Facts & Statistics,” Anxiety and Depression Association of America, Accessed October 29, 2020, 

 https://adaa.org/about-adaa/press-room/facts-statistics

Helpful Resources

1. Benefits of Yoga. (2019, July 12). Retrieved October 29, 2020, from https://osteopathic.org/what-is-osteopathic-medicine/benefits-of-yoga/

2. Connection Between Mental and Physical Health. (n.d.). Retrieved October 29, 2020, from https://ontario.cmha.ca/documents/connection-between-mental-and-physical-health/

3. Seven Ways to Improve Your Spiritual Health. (2017, February 08). Retrieved October 29, 2020, from https://wellness.ku.edu/seven-ways-improve-your-spiritual-health