Diet, Exercise, and Sleep Are Pillars of Mental Health

Many people often wonder if diet is more important than exercise or the number of hours one should sleep for better health. They need clarification about what to focus on because diet, sleep, and exercise are often presented as co-related entities.

Undoubtedly, dieting or the nutrition your body is getting, the intensity of physical exercise and activities, and the number of hours or quality of sleep are interrelated. The main question is why these three concepts are collaborated and targeted often!

‍
Just like getting adequate sleep is an important part of physical health, eating proper food and exercising regularly for a certain number of hours are crucial for your mental health. If your physical health is not to the mark or you are suffering from any ailments, the impact will be on your mental health and vice versa. Therefore, diet, sleep patterns, and exercise are considered the three most important pillars of psychological health in a human being.

Tips for better sleep

• Eating healthy and exercising are the best ways to improve your sleep routine. The more nutrition you get and the more stamina your body develops through exercises, the faster your physical and mental health improves.
  
  
• When you exercise and continuously engage in physical activities, your body becomes tired, and sleep hits you the moment you hit the bed.
  
  
• Regular exercise is part of good sleep hygiene, so avoid dependence on drugs/medication for sleep. Instead, improve your diet plan and introduce meditation or yoga before bedtime to relax your nerves and boost your sleep activity.
  
  
• Walking after dinner is considered vital, as per the experts, as it helps digestion and increases sleep quality.

‍

Sleep deprivation makes dieting harder

When you sleep deprived for a prolonged time, you suffer from stress, depression, anxiety, and panic attacks. You become irritated and frustrated, which usually happens because your nerves are haywire, and you cannot focus on particular things, such as your studies or office work.

As a result of these issues, your appetite decreases, and you don't feel hungry, even when your body knows that it needs nutrition and the right amounts of food to increase energy and motivation.

In other words, your entire eating and sleep order gets jeopardized. The less you sleep, the more stressed you get, and your appetite flies out of the window.

What is More Important, Diet or Exercise for Mental Health?

It's a complicated question since, as mentioned earlier, diet, exercise, and sleep are the three most integrated pillars of mental health. If you do not get enough sleep, your diet routine gets affected, and you start feeling stressed out even from meager things.

Similarly, if you do not consume proper nutrition, your physical health takes a toss, and the impact can be seen on your psychological health. Therefore, it's impossible to prioritize the three since all these work hand-in-hand.

‍