Many things contribute to resilience, including physical health. This article will discuss the relationship between resilience and physical health and how to improve your physical health.
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Research About Resilience and Physical Health
Researchers have found the following factors to be associated with increased resilience, including:
- Experiences of unconditional love (1)
- Relational intelligence which involves listening and speaking with empathy, reaching out for help, forgiveness, and healthy boundaries in relationships (1)
- Supportive friends (2)
- Physical activity (3)
- Sleep (4)
- Good diet (Resilient by Rick Hanson)
Defining Physical Health
Here, we define physical health as consistent care for the body and virtuous relationships with others. We’ll explore both of these factors below.
Caring For The Body
Practically, caring for your body gives you more energy and reduces stress. More energy and reduced stress contribute to resilience because both help to regulate a nervous system that may be on overdrive due to trauma, help you to cope better with stress caused by daily hassles, and ultimately, help you to thrive by giving you more energy. Therefore, it makes sense that a healthy diet, regular sleep, and consistent exercise are associated with improved resilience.
That covers practically why caring for your body is essential. But what about from a Catholic perspective?
Sometimes, for Christians, there can be a temptation to disregard our bodies entirely, focus only on the soul, and assume our bodies won’t matter after we die since they’re only shells our souls are in until we die. However, the Catholic Church actually considers these ideas to be heretical.
In paragraph 364 of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, it says the following about the body:
The human body shares in the dignity of “the image of God”: it is a human body precisely because it is animated by a spiritual soul, and it is the whole human person that is intended to become, in the body of Christ, a temple of the Spirit:
Man, though made of body and soul, is a unity. Through his very bodily condition he sums up in himself the elements of the material world. Through him they are thus brought to their highest perfection and can raise their voice in praise freely given to the Creator. For this reason man may not despise his bodily life. Rather he is obliged to regard his body as good and to hold it in honour since God has created it and will raise it up on the last day.
This paragraph means that:
- To be human means to have a body AND a soul. Both make up our human nature.
- Our human nature allows us to be the image of God.
- Death separates our souls and bodies, but this was not God’s original plan. In fact, at the final judgment, we’ll be reunited with our bodies because they are so important to our humanity.
These ideas mean that our bodies are important because they are integral to how we image God. So, we should take care of them, not to fit with what’s on the cover of magazines or for prestige, but to honor the gift God gave us in our bodies.
So, how do we care for our bodies?
There are lots of ideas out there, but all of them revolve around the following:
- Nutrition, or properly fueling your body
- Exercise
- Sleep
How this looks will be unique to each person because our bodies are different. Do some research and experiment with what works for you.
A good way to work on caring for your body is to pick one of these three areas and one habit in that area to implement to improve, and you can add on more if needed. As always, I recommend consulting with your doctor before making any changes.
Virtuous Relationships With Others
At first glance, having virtuous relationships might not make sense to lump in with physical health. But, as we’ll see below, from a Catholic perspective, it makes sense and is well explained in John Paul II’s Theology of the Body, a set of papal audiences he did on the body and human sexuality.
One of the key points of the Theology of the Body is the importance of the body for being human, which the Catechism passage we discussed above echoes. The body is especially important because it images God’s love by helping us to relate to others. Whether through touch, how our bodies show our emotions, and our ability to communicate, our relating to others happens through the body, and so shows God’s love. That is why I think of our relationships with others as part of physical health.
Relationships with others are a key factor for resilience because research has shown time and time again that we heal in relationships, we cope better in relationships, and we cannot thrive without relationships. Virtuous friendships that challenge us to grow are integral to a thriving, healthy life.
How do we grow in virtuous friendships?
Time is essential for relationships with others, so setting aside consistent time, away from distractions, and being with friends and family is necessary.
If you haven’t found a good community, there are several ways to find one, including:
- Find groups that share a hobby you enjoy, such as running or hiking.
- Find groups with your local parish or diocese to join, such as a young adult’s ministry, a marriage ministry, or a choir.
- Reach out to people at work, school, or church to get together.
Finding a community can be challenging, but the effort is worth it. I challenge you to develop a social plan for yourself that helps you be around people who challenge you consistently.
Conclusion
Physical health is integral to our resilience, so I challenge you to take steps to improve and maintain your physical health.