As we take stock of our health, Ohio doctors say it's important we don't neglect our mental well-being

TOLEDO, Ohio — Now that we've had a chance to settle into 2022, it’s time to take stock of our new year's resolutions.

For many of us, this includes not just ensuring that we are physically fit – but taking care of our mental well-being as well.

After all, the two components of our health are connected.

"If your mental health is not doing well, then your quality of life goes down and that very often feeds into your physical health,” said Dr. Rajiv Parinja, psychiatrist at Mercy Health.

Dr. Parinja says working on mental health is often put on the back burner, but there are a lot of things that are easy to do to help keep it in balance.

"The easy ones are making sure that you get enough sleep, making sure that you take some time out from all the things that stress you out, that pull you in, and take some time out for yourself to unwind," said Dr. Parinja.

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Being kind to yourself is also important because it allows us to become emotionally calm, which helps us to focus and improve our performance.

And as your physical health gets better, your mental health will tend to improve as well.

"Working on your physical health is actually great for your mental health too because there is a huge corrolation between mental health and physical health,” said Dr. Parinja.

And if you are having self-doubt is normal, remember, that’s normal.

One of the best ways to have a mentally healthy new year is address our concerns head-on, instead of tucking them away where they may build into something bigger.

"We tend to project ourselves as being capable and competent, but very often a lot of people have a lot of self-doubt, even people who are very high achieving. So this is not an uncommon problem," said Dr. Parinja.

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As the saying goes - "no man is an island."

If you find yourself struggling to better your mind and spirit, it may be time to consider reaching out for help from others and talking to a mental health professional.

"We want you to go in and seek help sooner rather than later because early treatment makes the duration of the illness shorter, the severity of the illness shorter, and you have a better prognosis. You have a better chance of getting well and staying well."

Experts suggest you remember that a new year does not have mean a brand new you, but setting healthy boundaries and goals could lead to a better state of mind as well as a healthier body.

Click here for a list of service providers in northwest Ohio. 

If you need help immediately you can call the Crisis CARE Line 419-904-CARE (2273). 

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