The mind is a powerful tool, which can work for and against an individual. On a daily basis, people hit the gym to stay healthy and in shape yet many people fail to realize the importance of nurturing one’s mind to avoid ailments down the road. Hence, the mind and body are interrelated so the two must work together for an individual to achieve complete wellbeing.

According to a study released by the University of Chicago, people who are chronically lonely have a shorter life span and are more likely to develop health problems.

However, a person doesn’t have to be physically alone to develop chronic loneliness. According to the study, a person can have nine kids and still experience loneliness.

There are moments in a person’s life that could cause loneliness such as a divorce, the passing of a loved one or retirement. It’s normal to have temporary loneliness as long as it stays temporary. However, those negative feelings have a chance of becoming chronic and lead to serious health conditions.

According to the study, feelings of loneliness can be just as harmful for an individual as obesity. The long-term effects of loneliness include high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, stroke and an increased risk for dementia.

The mind can often act like a prison so it’s important to take control of it before being locked inside forever.

While many people use physical exercise like running, yoga or swimming to ease the mind, there are other measures one can take to find peace of mind, including joining local organizations like church groups, volunteering at a local homeless or women’s shelter and building quality relationships with others.

In this day and age, it seems as though there aren’t enough hours in the day to do everything but it’s vital to carve out time every day to nurture yourself.