November is centered around men’s health awareness, and it’s a reminder for everyone to prioritize their physical and mental health.
Prioritizing your physical health is important because it directly impacts your overall well-being and productivity. Understanding the impact of physical health on mental well-being is crucial.
Here are a few reasons why it is important to prioritize your physical health:
- Boost your quality of life – When you take care of yourself, you are on your way to being healthy and strong in both mind and body. You then will have the motivation and energy to live your life to the fullest.
- Develop more confidence and self-worth – You feel more positive and optimistic about yourself and your future when you treat yourself well and with respect.
- Prevent disease – You have some control over your health and how you spend your time, as well as what you do to prevent diseases. Make your health a priority so that you can try your best to avoid serious health complications.
- Increase energy – You will feel better without relying on caffeine or other artificial ways to keep you going when you’re tired.
Take charge of your health. Focus on your future by eating right and getting preventative exams.
Mental health matters too
Health is more than just physical. Neglecting your mental health can lead to numerous negative consequences, including physical illness and decreased quality of life.
Here are a few ways in which prioritizing mental health can improve your life:
- Enhanced emotional resilience – Increase emotional resilience and your ability to cope with stress and adversity by prioritizing mental health.
- Increased self-esteem and confidence – Increase self-esteem and confidence by promoting positive self-talk, self-care and self-compassion. This can lead to improved relationships, work performance and overall quality of life.
- Enhanced cognitive functioning – Enhance cognitive functioning by improving memory, attention and problem-solving skills. Prioritizing mental health can also reduce the risk of cognitive decline and improve overall brain health.
- Lower risk of chronic diseases – Mental health plays a crucial role in promoting healthy behaviors such as exercise, a balanced diet and stress management that reduce the risk of chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes and obesity.
- Increased life expectancy – Prioritizing mental health promotes healthy behaviors and reduces the risk of chronic diseases, thus increasing life expectancy. It can also enhance overall quality of life and improve the ability to age gracefully.
Take a moment to reflect on your health throughout Men’s Health Awareness Month. If something’s been nagging you, mentally or physically, reach out to a health care or mental health professional.
Join or Learn More
Virgin Pulse, your wellness benefit, takes a whole-person approach to health and well-being by providing members with a unified, highly personalized digital health experience. Virgin Pulse helps members improve their mental health, physical well-being and everything in between.
Virgin Pulse is available to all benefits-eligible employees regardless of their enrollment in Vanderbilt benefits.
Sign up today at https://join.virginpulse.com/VU/ or call 888-671-9395.
Lyra, your mental health benefit, can get you matched to a provider who speaks your desired language, has a relatable background, or has an expertise in helping members navigate multicultural topics. You can also find information about a provider who has clinical expertise in a topic that’s helpful for you or your family via the provider’s profile.
Vanderbilt employees and their families are eligible to receive 12 counseling sessions per household member each year, at no cost to employees.
Sign up today at https://vanderbilt.lyrahealth.com/ or call 877-804-2856.
You can view frequently asked questions on the Office of Health and Wellness website.
