From the inside out: why mental health is the root of true physical well-being

By Jean Baptiste Ndabananiye

You can eat clean, train hard, sleep eight hours recommended by health experts, and still feel like you’re falling apart. Why? Because the real engine of your health isn’t your diet, your gym routine, or even your genes—it’s your mind. We don’t talk enough about how many physically healthy people silently battle invisible wars within. Nor do we question why someone like the Robert Urich—charismatic, strong, resilient—could embody inner power, fight like a warrior, and still be devastated by disease. The truth? Physical health may be the armor, but mental health is the blacksmith. The late Urich once said “A healthy outside starts from the inside”.

In a world obsessed with visible results, we often forget the internal systems that sustain them. This piece isn’t just another call to meditate or journal—it constitutes a deeper look at how mental health determines the quality, sustainability, and direction of our physical lives. And it’s time we gave the mind its rightful place at the center of well-being. The story begins where real healing begins: inside. This piece completes Nurturing health from the inside out— the key to lasting well-being.

Mental health as the core of physical well-being

While nutrition and physical activity are vital for maintaining health, as the mentioned article explains it, mental health forms the core from which all other aspects of well-being stem. It’s easy to underestimate the power of a positive mindset or to overlook the effects of stress, anxiety, or depression on physical health. Yet, research has repeatedly shown that mental health is not only important for emotional well-being but also directly influences physical health.

When we experience mental strain—whether it’s due to work, relationships, or personal challenges—our bodies release stress hormones such as cortisol. Elevated levels of cortisol over time lead to a range of health issues including chronic inflammation—a prolonged, low-grade immune response that persists over time, often damaging healthy tissues and contributing to diseases like heart problems, diabetes, and cancer—, digestive problems, and even a cardiovascular disease. On the other hand, mental health practices such as positive thinking, emotional therapy, and mindfulness significantly reduce stress, improve mood, and enhance overall health.

Furthermore, positive mental health contributes to better decision-making in relation to diet, exercise, and self-care. When we feel emotionally balanced and resilient, we are more likely to adopt healthier choices such as eating nutritious foods, staying active, and ensuring enough rest. A healthy mind fosters a healthy body, and vice versa.

By nurturing our emotional health, we create a stable foundation that enables our bodies to thrive, inside and out. “Mental health is a state of mental well-being that enables people to cope with the stresses of life, realize their abilities, learn well and work well, and contribute to their community. It has intrinsic and instrumental value and is integral to our well-being.

At any one time, a diverse set of individual, family, community and structural factors may combine to protect or undermine mental health. Although most people are resilient, people who are exposed to adverse circumstances – including poverty, violence, disability and inequality – are at higher risk of developing a mental health condition,” states the World Health Organization—WHO.

Cleveland Clinic, a more-than 100 year nonprofit multispecialty academic medical center integrating clinical and hospital care with research and education, emphasizes “Living a full, productive life depends on more than just what you might think of as ‘physical’ health. Mental health matters just as much.

Mental health refers to your overall psychological well-being and the state of your emotional, cognitive and social functioning. Mental health touches many parts of our lives, from our relationships with others to what makes us feel fulfilled and how we deal with life’s challenges.”

Building a foundation for lasting health

Creating lasting health requires a commitment to building strong internal systems—mental, emotional, and psychological. Urich’s quote serves as a reminder that health is not just about the exterior; it encompasses maintaining a balanced and thriving inner state. The cited article contains more details around Urich. While many of us may be tempted to chase quick fixes or superficial solutions to improve our appearance, true health involves sustainable practices that support the body over time.

Building this foundation starts with small, consistent actions that promote internal health. Developing a daily routine which includes exercise, proper nutrition, mental health practices and sufficient rest is key to long-term vitality. Rather than focusing on short-term goals or fleeting appearances, we should adopt a holistic approach that nurtures both the body and the mind.

Positive thinking is one of the most powerful mechanisms to promote and maintain good mental health. It shapes how we perceive challenges, how we talk to ourselves, and how we bounce back from setbacks. However, while positive thinking is immensely valuable, it works best as part of a broader mental health toolkit. Sometimes, deep-seated issues like trauma, chronic or long-standing depression or anxiety can need more than mindset shifts — such as therapy, support networks, or medical treatment.

The deep-seated issues are not just mindset challenges — they have become complex emotional and neurological imprints that need professional intervention to heal effectively. In other words, you can hardly overcome these deep-seated issues by just positive thinking, unless you are aided by mental health professionals.

Positive thinking could be seen as the heart of good mental health, thriving even more when combined with other practices like mindfulness, self-care, therapy, and meaningful connections. While a positive mindset  acts as a daily shield, it rarely cuts deep enough to heal the wounds etched by trauma, chronic anxiety, or unresolved grief. Overcoming such issues often requires the expertise of mental health professionals — the therapists, counselors, and psychologists who help us to unpack, process, and rebuild from within.

Positive thinking nonetheless challenges us to keep positive thoughts and feelings even while we are facing overwhelming difficulties. The time we are facing these overwhelming hardships represents the right period we have to summon the last ounce of our energy to render our thoughts positive again and maintain this environment within us. These challenges convince us that we no longer possess the capacity to aggressively attack back and make the situation positive again, but the truth is that we actually do.

When we dare to hold onto light even in our darkest hourss— during this time life feels like it’s collapsing around us, we manage to protect the sanctuary of hopeful thoughts and feeling. Life In Humanity has accurately observed that it is those moments of overwhelming hardship— when everything within us screams surrender—that are precisely the opportune or perfect moment for us to summon the last ounce of strength to reignite positivity from within.

The challenges then perform every endeavor to convince us—our minds—that we’ve lost the power to push back, to rise again, to reclaim peace—but the truth is, that the power never leaves us. It only waits to be awakened. We have to use the same tool—our mind. We have to persuade our minds that we are brimming with the power to endure, to reframe the pain, to reclaim our clarity, and to transform adversity into untiring and invincible strength. The mind that was once subdued by fear becomes the very engine of resilience. When we train it to believe positively again, we don’t just survive—we begin to soar.

Kindle what Life In Humanity calls the “supreme will” or “sheer will”—that highest, most intense force within you, driven by an unrelenting desire to shift your thinking from your current deepest and most horrifying darkness to the brightest, most radiant light. This isn’t just ordinary resolve—it’s the ultimate strength, the mental uprising that births unshakable faith. When you tap into that wellspring of inner power, you don’t just cope—you rise extraordinarily. And when you rise, success follows. Miracles begin to unfold.

If you are struggling with seemingly insuperable adversities, regard this as your awakening—the sign calling you to summon that peak energy already dwelling within you to vanquish those trials. You only have to trigger that supreme desire. When you activate this supreme will, you unlock a force that doesn’t just respond to life’s trials—it reshapes them. With this inner fire lit, there occurs no challenge too vast, no setback too crushing, that you can’t face with clarity, courage, and unshakable purpose.

When you activate this supreme will, you spark an inner revolution—one that doesn’t merely withstand adversity but transforms it into a gateway to stunning success. With this uprising of the mind, no obstacle remains unconquerable, and every challenge becomes a catalyst for extraordinary growth.

Case proving the deep mind-body connection

Rethink Mental Illness is a UK-based mental health charity that works to improve the lives of people severely affected by mental illness. Founded in 1972, it provides support, information, advocacy, and campaigning for better mental health care and rights. The case is one covered in its 21/02/2022 story headlined “From psychosis to: Alika’s Story”.

Rethink Mental Illness then reported “Alika, 31, lives in London where he has built a life he loves. In addition to raising a young family, he has pursued his passion for music, and you can find him on Instagram @AMNOWFREE. He also recently embarked on an apprenticeship and is a mental health campaigner too.” The following is the story in its entirety—without any edits.

The year I turned 21, a number of events in my personal life took their toll on my mental health. I had all these different stresses in my life. In just 12 months, my auntie died, my five-year relationship crumbled, my savings were stolen, and two friends of mine were killed in violent attacks. It all started to overwhelm me, and I began to feel and behave differently.

Looking back now, it’s a bit hazy. My mind was buzzing with questions. I couldn’t tell the difference between what was reality and what was a dream. I was going through depression, anxiety, manic episodes, self-harm, and voices and illusions in my head. But I kept it all to myself, and over time I became more withdrawn and erratic. I retreated from the world around me, focused on survival as I tried to work things out for myself.

It all came to a head. An ambulance was called. I ended up in the hospital, where the doctors told me that I was experiencing psychosis [a mental health condition where a person loses touch with reality, often experiencing hallucinations (seeing or hearing things that aren’t there) or delusions (strong beliefs that aren’t based in reality). In simpler terms, someone with psychosis may perceive or believe things that feel absolutely real to them, but are not actually happening in the real world around them.]

What was psychosis? I had no idea. The first time I ever heard about psychosis was when I was going through it. I’ve since learned that it’s happening to many of us. I know that a lot of young Londoners, especially Black males, are moving along a similar trajectory to the one I was on. And there’s not enough information about the support that’s out there.

The Early Intervention Centre really helped me, it gave me space to look at my situation. With professional guidance, I could work through questions which led to a lot of eureka moments and helped me understand what led to my hospitalisation. I could trace back through the steps that had led me there.

I’m also very solution-driven and it offered a lot of things that helped my recovery. I learned the hard way how important some of the basics are. You start exercising more, you go to sleep early, you eat better. If you’re spiritual, not necessarily religious, then pray or meditate. I realised I was bottling things up because I was scared, but talking about my feelings also helped.

In total, I spent four months in hospital, where I was also diagnosed with bipolar disorder [a condition where a person’s mood shifts between feeling overly excited or energetic and feeling deeply sad or hopeless, often in ways that disrupt daily life]. It was a very scary time for me, but I was able to pull through thanks to my mother, other close family and friends, and the great staff on the ward. My faith, music, reading books and learning new coping strategies really helped too. I also threw myself back into youth work and music, my first love.

In some ways, I was lucky because I got the help I needed. But it would have changed my entire trajectory if I’d received treatment for psychosis earlier. I might not have needed to go to hospital. It would have helped me to understand what I was going through so I felt less alone.

I nearly lost everything when I was in crisis. But now I’ve brought life into the world, I have a young family, I’m following my dreams. That’s why I’m supporting this campaign. We need more awareness about psychosis because getting support early means a better chance of recovery

Psychosis had a big impact on my life, but I’m proof that you can get back to good health. You’re not stuck. It might feel hard to see past it, you can feel like you’re lost in a weird maze, but there is a way to get back to a better state. It’s not necessarily going to be easy or happen overnight, holding on to that hope is very important. Your life is not worthless. So don’t give up.

Two key lessons from this narrative: the following are two essential lessons that arise from the story and could serve as reflective takeaways to reinforce the power of mental health in overcoming life’s challenges.

Lesson 1: True healing starts with mental alignment

You cannot fully recover physically, if your mind remains fragmented. Mental health is not just a support to physical well-being—it constitutes its foundation. When your thoughts, emotions, and inner resilience align, your body begins to reflect that balance, strength, and vitality from the inside out.

Lesson 2: The mind, when awakened, becomes the greatest weapon against adversity

No matter how dire the circumstances, the power to transform them lies within. When you stimulate your supreme will—what Life In Humanity calls the inner revolution—you don’t merely manage pain or illness; you challenge it, rise above it, and often turn it into a catalyst for profound growth and success.

While Urich’s message is true, why has it not helped him?

To answer the question, Life In Humanity is going to avail itself of the Los Angeles Times 27 February 1997 story “On the Rebound: After Cancer Treatment, Robert Urich Bounces Back to Host ‘Vital Signs’”, among other key sources.

“Robert Urich, the never-ruffled tough-guy star of ‘Vega$’ and ‘Spenser: For Hire,’ has long played characters who are up to the task no matter how daunting. In his personal life, too, he’s demonstrated resilience, bouncing back no matter how many times his TV shows have been canceled, shouldering responsibilities and creating a luxurious life for his family. Last summer, a growth in his groin, initially thought to be nothing more than an annoyance, turned out to be cancer.” The cancer was synovial sarcoma—a rare form of soft-tissue cancer.

The story adds that he quickly realized that while he held no control over what had occurred to him, he could control how his reaction to it. He explained “So my response was to go at it in a very business-like, professional manner. I needed a weekend to compose myself and put on my game face, my fighting face. But when the doctor said to me ‘When would you like to come in and start treatment?’ I said ‘What time do you open?’ He said, ‘6 a.m.’ I said, ‘I’ll be there at 10 to six. I want to be the first one to be cured every day.’ ”

“When that call came, it was terrifying. You want to fall apart. But I have always played these guys who are capable, and now I thought, ‘Maybe it’s time to prove that you are capable.’ But those first few days–even though I always had a great prognosis–no doubt about it: It’s scary.”

As stated by Los Angeles Times, Urich experienced aggressive medical treatment. “Besides the chemotherapy, he underwent a month of radiation treatment and two surgeries: the first to remove the tumor and a second operation that cleaned out surrounding tissue. It has been a grueling, debilitating six months. But now, Urich’s doctors say, he’s in the clear.”

Chemotherapy is a treatment that uses powerful drugs to destroy rapidly growing cancer cells throughout the body. Radiation therapy, on the other hand, employs high-energy rays to target and kill cancer cells in specific areas.

Urich was finally declared cancer-healed. He was at one point declared cancer-free, after undergoing the aggressive chemotherapy and radiation.  He was pronounced cancer-free in 1998. He even went on to conduct advocacy work, raising cancer awareness, and continuing to act and produce. He once said “I say that it’s all over, but then you get reminded every once in a while, ‘Oops, is it really all gone?’ But every day I’m feeling better and better.” Even though he was declared free of cancer, the disease unfortunately reoccurred later. He passed away in 2002 due to complications from the cancer.

Response to the question

To Life In Humanity, it doesn’t seem that Urich fully applied the message of healing and transformation. He appeared fearful, sometimes unable to believe that the cancer had truly left his body. That lingering doubt reflects a mindset still entangled in fear and ego, rather than one fully aligned with deeper spiritual awareness and trust in inner healing.

In contrast, consider Brenda Michaels. Her story reveals what it truly means to implement the message of healing—by recognizing that we are more than just physical beings enduring physical illnesses. Michaels, in her book The Gift of Cancer: A Miraculous Journey to Healing, powerfully affirms that we are spiritual beings.

She explains that when we fail to recognize the stressors in our lives or believe we are powerless to change our circumstances, we fall victim to those very situations. She writes “Once this happens, our ego-mind takes over and promises us solutions. But the ego-mind is not equipped to find solutions. Solutions can only be accessed through creative energy and an awareness of ourselves as spiritual beings.”

This idea is key. The ego-mind thrives on spinning negative stories and offering shallow, short-term answers that feed into fear and helplessness. Such a mindset, Michaels argues, places immense stress on the body and weakens the immune system—paving the way for illness, not healing.

Michaels’ journey shows what it looks like to move beyond this. After her third diagnosis and a grim prognosis, she made a conscious decision not to follow the recommended chemotherapy route. Instead, she chose to awaken the healer within her. She didn’t run from the disease—she embraced it, letting it teach her the lessons she needed. “My desire to not only get well, but to create a harmonious body, mind and spirit connection became my passion,” she writes. That inner shift, fueled by spiritual insight and determination, became the foundation for her healing. For more about her, click on— Agathe Hagenimana: a testament to human potential beyond limits  — featuring her.

Psychology Today echoes this understanding, pointing out in a 2010 article that the ego-mind is limited and often keeps people stuck in unfulfilling lives and fearful patterns. Without guidance from the heart and spirit, we miss the deeper melody of life and end up chasing surface-level goals that leave us unfulfilled. Healing, they argue, comes from aligning with the heart—not just the intellect or fear-driven ego.

So while some may linger in fear, uncertain of their healing, Brenda Michaels shows us a path beyond. She exemplifies how embracing our spiritual nature—seeing ourselves as more than the body, more than the illness—opens us to real transformation. That is what it means to truly apply the message of healing. Even this article— Once a skeptic of spiritual healing, a prominent physician is now its fervent promoter—  featuring Dr. Jeffrey Rediger underscores it. Dr. Rediger is one of the most prominent medical figures in the world, known for exploring cases of radical healing that defy conventional medical expectations.This article also provides other stunning examples— of people miraculously healed of their cancers, through the message contained in Urich’s quote—collected by this physician.

Real healing actually begins within

You can nourish your body, build strength, and rest well—but if your mind remains at war, your health will always be at risk. True wellness is not skin-deep; it starts in the mind, courses through your emotions, and ultimately manifests in your body. The stories of triumph and tragedy—like that of Brenda—are not contradictions, but confirmations that the inner landscape determines the outcome far more than we acknowledge.

To truly heal, we must stop separating the mind from the body. We must embrace the truth that resilience isn’t merely physical—it is a mental force forged in our darkest hours. It is not weakness to seek support. It is strength to admit when positivity alone isn’t enough. Therapy, self-reflection, spiritual practice, connection—these are not luxuries. They are essentials.

This is your invitation to begin from within

Summon your supreme will—not to deny adversity, but to face it head-on, armed with the understanding that your mind is your greatest healer. The storms outside may rage, but the transformation that will weather them always begins inside. Nurture that fire. Guard that peace. Lead your healing from the inside out—and let the miracle of lasting well-being unfold.