When I don’t walk around all day, leave the house all day, or have the opportunity to engage in any physical activity– my brain, mind, and soul gets strange. But the second I leave the house, walk around the block a few times, go lift weights at the gym, commute and hang out somewhere, my mental issues dissipate.
Which makes me wonder:
What if much of our “mental” issues were rooted in the physiological (pertaining to our physical body)?
Cabin fever
To have “cabin fever” or to go “stir crazy”– perhaps this is the body rebelling against closed quarters.
Actually if we consider our nomadic roots, to live indoor in a closed off home is probably one of the most unnatural things we can do. We are technically designed to walk around all day, to experience life outdoors, and to expose ourselves to irregularities in temperature, climate, and our surroundings. Perhaps this is also why we disdain the same; we are hungry for visual novelty, as that is our hunger for exploration and adventure.
Intense outdoor reset?
Perhaps if we are suffering from mental ills, would an outdoors purge work? Meaning a week of time spent outdoors, hiking, backpacking– something more primal?
I know even for myself a simple 3 hour hike in the middle of the day is good enough to clear my mind. Or even simpler an hour walk around the block. Or a simple trip to the gym and some squats or deadlifts.
Always priorize your body over your mind
Your body always comes first. If you take care of your body and obey the needs of your body, your mind will pornably be fine.
My theory:
When we have mental issues, it is our brain perhaps telling us that there is something wrong with our bodies which need to be addressed.
For example our need to be outdoors, to walk, to breathe fresh air, to perceive depth (the ability to see things very far away to exercise our depth-sensory perception).
Your body always comes first!