LONDON — Sleeping enough, eating well, exercising and coping with stress are all components of good health, but focusing on all four at once while managing a hectic schedule might seem impossible. Safia Debar, M.B.B.S., an expert in tailored medical exams at Mayo Clinic Healthcare in London, explained how giving a little extra attention to one of these areas can improve the others.
“By pulling any of these levers, you can have a big impact on your health,” Debar said.
It all starts in the brain, she said. It can be in a state of “rest, repair and relaxation,” in which, assuming general good health, the body is functioning optimally. Or the brain can be in a stress state, in which the body’s primary concern becomes handling one or more perceived threats, and other physical needs are relegated to second place, she added.
“Our brain does not distinguish. The perception of threat and real threat are the same, so once that button is pressed, the same cascade ensues,” Debar said.
Stress can affect sleeping, eating and exercising. For example, when the brain is in a stress state, it is thinking in the short term and focused on feeling better immediately. That’s why it’s common to crave sugary and/or fatty foods and not make the effort to exercise when stressed: The brain tells the body it needs immediate energy, Debar said.
“The brain wants to feel better right now, so it’s not going to think about going to exercise and then feeling better afterward,” she explained. “It’s all intertwined.”
Similarly, sleeping, eating and exercising can affect how we handle stress. Key questions to ask yourself include:
“What is my sleep like?” If it’s not good, maybe that’s where to place your attention, by going to bed earlier or changing another aspect of your sleep routine, Debar said.
“How is my gut functioning?” If you are having digestive problems, it might help to optimize your nutrition, she added.
“What is my social support like?” That can affect mood, the doctor said.
“Do I find certain things are making me feel stressed?” For example, if checking email before bed or immediately when you wake generates stress, think about how to change that part of your routine to maintain calm.
“What kind of exercise am I getting?” If the answer is not much, try to find ways to incorporate more movement into your day, she said.
“By helping your gut, that might be enough for you, or helping your sleep, that might be enough for you,” Debar added. “It’s those simple foundational elements that can have a huge impact. Be intentional about certain things.”
Pulling these levers of health ourselves can feel empowering.
“It’s not, `A doctor said I had to lose weight and sleep and reduce my stress.’ When you understand the foundations of health, it then doesn’t become about you having low self-control, or procrastinating, or not being disciplined,” Debar concluded. “Instead, how do we take what you have in your life and embed these practices in it?”
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