By Hayley Geiger, Staff Writer
Last year, I experienced overwhelming, anxiety-inducing stress. I was caught completely off guard and had no idea how to manage this feeling. I was studying for the LSAT, and I often found myself sobbing at the dining room table over my computer, feeling like there was something wrong with me. As my to-do list grew mountainous, I felt like there was not enough time in the world, nor enough focus within me, to get it all done. And every time I would sit down to try, I felt the tears start to come back.
Feeling utterly lost and confused, I booked an appointment with my doctor, who gave me two options: anxiety medication or a lifestyle change. It was obvious to me that I would try the latter, and she advised a balanced diet, meditation and most importantly, physical movement. I took her advice and incorporated mental-health walks, stretching and the occasional dance class into my day-to-day. The anxiety became more manageable, and I realized that my doctor’s advice was surprisingly simple: move more, eat better and take care of both body and mind. What surprised me even more was discovering that this advice was not new at all.
The Rambam (Maimonides) is described as a “healer of the body and the mind.” In his Mishneh Torah (Hilchot De’ot), he wrote a special section named The Regimen of Health, in which he described bodily and emotional well-being as interconnected. Rambam taught that good health depends on maintaining balance in both body and mind. He taught that emotions such as anxiety, grief and anger could harm physical health, while proper nutrition, regular physical activity and a calm state of mind help preserve both physical and mental well-being. He advised that long-term emotional stress can cause bodily illness, and that we pay close attention to maintaining an emotional equilibrium. Although Rambam acknowledges that stress and anxiety sometimes require medical treatment, he warns against thinking that medical treatment alone can fix emotional instabilities. He instead advises contemplation to reduce bad thoughts, anxiety and distress — similar to the meditation my own doctor advised.
Further, the Torah commands us to scrupulously guard our bodies and souls (Deuteronomy 4:9). Rambam understood this as an obligation to avoid activities that harm the body and to embrace those that strengthen it. He taught that physical inactivity is detrimental to health and that regular exercise is the most supreme form of preventive medicine — capable of not only improving health, but extending our years of life. Alongside a nutritious diet and emotional balance, exercise was central to his vision of a healthy life. Rambam’s teachings from the 12th century are basically the same as my doctor’s advice.
As I applied these coping mechanisms to my life, I noticed a real difference in my quality of life: the anxiety, tears, and sense of helplessness were gone. The underlying pressure was still there, but it had become more manageable and was no longer debilitating. Looking back, I realize that stress and anxiety are two separate things. Stress wasn’t the real problem. If anything, it pushed me to study and work towards my future. Learning about Rambam’s approach to mental health helped me understand that my anxiety came from a different source and that was what required a remedy. Reflecting on this led me to contemplate the constructive purpose of stress: it’s not meant to cause anxiety, but to motivate productivity. Without some degree of pressure, would I ever really meet the deadlines, write the papers, schedule the appointments or study for the LSAT?
A philosopher, physician and Torah scholar, Rambam teaches us how to approach and manage stress in a healthy way. His emphasis on exercise, healthy diet, emotional balance and contemplation recognizes that while stress may be unavoidable, feeling overwhelmingly anxious because of it is not. He gives rational tools, essentially identical to those my doctor gave me, to respond to life’s challenges with a healthy body, a balanced mind and the mental clarity to overcome.
Stress can (and should) exist without the overwhelming anxiety and panic I experienced. It is the natural response that pushes us to act. Depending on my response, it can be either a pressure that weighs me down or a source of motivation that pushes me to face whatever challenge stands ahead. A shift in perspective can transform stress from a source of anxiety and panic to a source of motivation to take the steps necessary for growth, achievement or change. Instead of letting it hold me back, stress has become a motivator that pushes me to act.
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