Medivate Forum

It's an interesting question. I do think it's similar and different in a number of ways. Start with similar:

I really feel like there's a clear benefit from all of the things I'm counting. And a lot like exercise, or good oral hygiene, or eating well, it doesn't necessarily feel beneficial in every session or period, but over the long term it's more evident.
For all of them, the benefit come more from returning repeatedly and contintually working than from a single good run or single good session on the cushion or single good writing session.
For all of them, I didn't really all come together for me until I routinized it and made it so regular I felt weird *not* doing it. Until that point, each time to do it would require a larger effort than I could regularly muster.
They all can feel a bit like a grind at times, and are hugely helped by the way in which I trust in the long term goals and results to get through the times it's not fun and I have to grit my teeth and just do it.

Ways they're different?

They obviously have different goals and results. While all things I'd describe as "helpful practices" have the very simple goal of "a better me", body health and mental health are related but still pretty distinct in my mind. Lots of people have one but not the other.
The kind of discipline and attention that's needed to go running when I'm not really feeling it is at least a bit different from the kind that's needed to sit when I'm not really feeling it. It's similar, but "bearing down" to meditate is a trickier and finer line for me then for exercise. Because meditation is so mental and balance is so embedded as and necessary for the goal, it requires a lighter touch.