The Wisdom of Proverbs: 10 teachings on Physical and Mental Health

The Wisdom of Proverbs: 10 Teachings on Physical and Mental Health

The proverbs are famous the world over, and they cover almost every aspect of life.

Many of them have to do with health, wisdom, and happiness in general, which makes them well worth your attention.

If you are looking to improve your well-being on either front, here are 10 proverbs that teach us about physical and mental health.

1- Eat together as often as possible

Eating with friends is one of life’s great pleasures. But eating with friends can also be beneficial for your health.

Studies have shown that people who regularly eat out (and who share meals together) weigh less than those who dine alone or prepare their own food, even if they order unhealthy foods, like fast food.

Additionally, having regular group meals can give you something to look forward to, along with a reason to get together.

It gives your social life a purpose beyond bonding over sports or gossiping about coworkers.

And when it comes time to go grocery shopping or cook dinner at home, you will have something else besides yourself to keep in mind!

Try making specific plans with a few different groups, your family, coworkers, book club members anyone!

2-Take care of your body and it will take care of you

An old proverb says, Physician, heal thyself. This may seem like a selfish saying, but it is not. It takes an understanding of your own physical health to know what will work for you.

If you don’t know what you are doing in terms of diet and exercise (or even if you do), don’t try to take care of others until you have taken care of yourself.

Your happiness starts with your personal well-being,  ignore that at your own peril.

3-Being kind is more important than being right

The book of Proverbs says, Kind words are like honey, sweet to the soul and healthy for the body.

Kindness is more than a nicety, it is actually an important part of maintaining good health. Studies show that individuals who engage in compassionate activities such as giving to charity, volunteering, or helping strangers have greater physical health, better self-esteem, greater life satisfaction, and increased longevity.

Practicing kindness every day brings great benefits to your well-being.

Every time you speak kindly to someone or make an effort to understand someone else’s perspective, you are taking a step toward improving your physical and mental health. There is nothing like putting kindness into action.

4- Listen, listen, listen. Then talk, talk, talk.

This adage may sound like a broken record, but when it comes to your mental health, it is worth repeating.

Healthy relationships (between parents and children, spouses, friends) are characterized by mutual trust.

But in order to develop that level of trust, there needs to be an open channel for both parties to express their concerns without being met with defensiveness or judgment.

That means listening, really listening to what someone has to say before offering your own input or insight.

When conflicts arise between loved ones (and they will), give each other space and avoid immediately jumping into problem-solving mode.

5- Learn from others’ experiences

When you are in a good place with your physical health, stop and think about how you got there.

There is likely no one thing that made you feel healthier, rather, it was a steady combination of positive habits exercising regularly, getting enough sleep, avoiding stress that started to add up.

You can do something similar with your mental health by looking back at where you are now and finding new ways to improve by incorporating new habits into your life.

For example, if waking up with an alarm clock helps keep things moving on workdays but throws off your rhythm when you are sleeping in on weekends, consider switching to an app that sets quiet vibrations that would not disturb anyone else in your home.

6- Love deeply, but learn to let go

Love deeply, but learn to let go. It is very easy to get attached to people and fall in love.

However, falling in love with a new person every few months is not healthy or possible for most people, at some point, you need to move on.

As hard as it is sometimes, learning how to love deeply but learn how to let go is one of life’s greatest lessons.

If you stick around too long with a toxic person, things will likely only get worse over time, instead of things getting better, they will slowly get worse.

7- Grudges are a waste of time

Letting go requires a certain amount of courage. For starters, it means leaving your job if you hate it, or letting an old relationship end because it is not healthy for you.

But there are less obvious ways to let go, too like clearing out your inbox.

A lot of people see an overflowing inbox as an accomplishment, I see it as proof that I am not doing my job well enough.

Because when it comes down to it, no one is going to remember how many messages you were able to send in a day, they are just going to remember how well you did your job.

8- Overwork leads to exhaustion

One of your most important professional duties is making sure that you do not overwork yourself.

Overworking leads to burnout, which can cause you to become less productive in both your career and personal life.

To prevent overworking yourself, schedule a day off every week to relax.

Additionally, make sure that you take advantage of any time off that might be provided by your employer, taking these breaks will help you stay fresh while also giving you time to think outside of work hours.

9- Do not always do what is easy, do what is right.

There are going to be times in your life when it seems easier to give up than to keep going.

You will experience setbacks, you will struggle with mental health issues, and there will be dark times that cause you to doubt what is good in your life.

But when you are healthy mentally and physically, those challenges can inspire you instead of knock you down, they can help you grow stronger instead of bringing you down.

So always do what is right. Always do your best. Always live a healthy lifestyle, even when it is hard.

When life gets tough, there is no shame in getting help from family or friends who can encourage you through tough times.

10- Leave things better than you found them

It may be a simple concept, but it takes self-awareness to make sure you are maintaining your environment as you go about your day.

Whether it is getting through a messy kitchen or cleaning up after dinner, take that extra second to tidy things up now so you don’t have to do them later, because in life, there is always going to be later.

Leaving things better than when you found them is not just common courtesy, it is also practical.

It is also an important part of stay present, stay sane mantra because clearing away distractions can help keep our minds clear and one of those distractions is clutter.