The more challenges we face, the harder it can be to maintain balance. Poor lifestyle choices and turning to props such as alcohol or drugs to escape pain, disrupt our ability to develop healthy coping skills. Instead we need to find positive ways to cope .
LOOKING AT LIFESTYLE
Most people facing mental health issues can benefit from the support of some form of therapy, and creating a safe space to discuss problems and work through issues with another trusted person can be vital. As well as knowing when to seek help, lifestyle changes that we can make on our own can be powerfully therapeutic for our mental and emotional well-being.
OPTIMIZING MENTAL WELLNESS
Making lifestyle changes, and sticking to them, brings physical and emotional benefits and a sense of control and accomplishment. A lot of small actions, taken together, can significantly improve symptoms of anxiety, depression, self-worth, and self-confidence. Many of these lifestyle activities are also eflective ways of managing stress.
Exercise has measurable effects on well-being. Regular exercise can have a profoundly positive impact on stress, depression, anxiety, and conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). If something supports heart health, it is generally good for mental wellness, as it strengthens blood vessels, improving circulation and oxygenation to the brain and central nervous system. Those who exercise regularly report a tremendous sense of well-being, more energy, improved sleep and memory, and a more positive outlook.
Eating whole foods maximizes brain health. Leafy green vegetables, fruit, legumes, whole grains, lean meats, and seafood provide key nutrients such as folate, zinc, magnesium, and essential fatty acids and antioxidants, all necessary for optimal brain function. As well as choosing the right foods, a healthy diet is also about balance. The occasional cup of coflee can give us an energy boost, and drinking alcohol in controlled moderation can relax us and help us socialize. In excess, though, these can be harmful.
Sleep is as key to mental and emotional health as regular activity. It allows the body to rest, digest food, and repair itself. Good sleep habits—adjusting light and temperature in bedrooms, having a regular bedtime, and reducing screen time before bed, give the body and mind recovery time.
Getting out of artificial environments and spending time in a green space such as a local park, the countryside, or by the ocean de-stresses and connects us with the real world is needed. Activity and exercise keep us physically well and profoundly impact our mental well-being. It exposes our senses to new sights and sounds and our bodies to beneficial sunshine; sunlight synthesizes vitamin D in the body, which helps regulate sleep–wake cycles.
Cultivating healthy relationships boosts well-being. Positive relationships provide strength and support. Those who are socially connected to family, friends, or their community tend to be happier, healthier, and live longer. They also tend to experience fewer mental health problems than those who are less well-connected. It is not just about how many people you know; the quality and depth of relationships matter, too.
Regular hobbies and activities benefit mental health. Whether interests are athletic, creative, or intellectual, spending time doing something we enjoy improves well-being. Those with hobbies are less likely to experience stress, low mood, and depression. Group activities such as team sports also improve social skills and confidence.
Cultivating spirituality, in whatever form is meaningful to us, can give insight, hope, and peace of mind. It can also help us cope with stress, to accept and live with ongoing problems, and find strength to make changes. Exploring spirituality can also encourage altruism and a sense of service to the wider community, which has been shown to encourage a greater sense of self-worth.
WHAT TO AVOID
Unhealthy lifestyle choices can be hugely detrimental to mental wellness and physical health. Part of embracing a healthy lifestyle is knowing what to avoid. A sedentary lifestyle that doesn’t stimulate circulation and stiflens our bodies and insufficient sleep make us sluggish and below par mentally and physically. In addition, refined, processed foods high in salt and sugar (see p.106); drinking more than advised levels of alcohol; smoking; and using recreational drugs impact our emotional balance and brain function.
OUR RESPONSE TO STRESS
Though most of us are unaware of it, our bodies actually have two “Brains.” The brain in our head is connected to our central nervous system. We also have a “second brain” in our gut, known as the enteric nervous system, which controls digestion and local circulation. These two brains are in constant communication with each other, and
how our bodies deal with stress affects both systems.
AN HOLISTIC APPROACH
To view mental health as simply concerning the mind underestimates its impact and also unnecessarily limits the resources we can choose from to maintain mental equilibrium or find a path back to wellness. Multiple studies show that physical symptoms often accompany mental and emotional ones, and vice versa. Therapies that treat body, mind, and spirit as one allow for truly holistic mental health and healing. Mental wellness can also aflect and be aflected by things going on in our environment. Where we live, who we live with, where we work, and what is happening in our countries and the wider world. An holistic, or whole person, approach to mental health takes account of these factors and uses safe, eflective natural remedies and therapies that complement each other and work with more conventional approaches, to treat mind, body, and spirit.
THE IMPACT OF MENTAL HEALTH
We live in a society where, for the most part, we are expected to put our feelings aside and get on with our daily lives. However, when mental health challenges arise they can make getting on with things difficult. This is because the state of our mental health determines how we think, feel, and act.
ASSESSING HOW WE FEEL
As with physical health, prevention is better than cure, which is why it is important to check in with how you feel from time to time. Signs of mental unwellness can range from the mild and transient to acute and deep-seated problems. Regularly making time to check your feelings and needs can help you fine tune your responses and even out the often exhausting cycle of highs and lows.
However, few of us have developed the habit of regularly checking our emotional and mental well-being. Are we feeling low, worried, angry, or withdrawn? Is it hard to focus? Do we struggle to stop crying? Or are we acting out in ways that suggest hidden emotional conflicts?
Given that we all feel overwhelmed from time to time, how can you tell if the feelings you are experiencing are something to worry about or not?
Your vulnerability to major mental health issues can depend on multiple social, psychological, and biological factors. Issues in the early years, such as whether you felt safe, loved, and secure as a child, are a major factor. Poor mental health is also associated with rapid social change, stressful work conditions, gender discrimination, social exclusion, and abuse. Unhealthy lifestyle and physical ill health also influence long-term mental well-being.
Rather than being happy all the time, mental health is a dynamic state where diflerent components of well- being, such as the physical and social, are very much interconnected. This means that sometimes symptoms. As with your physical health, prevention is better than cure for mental well-being, so it is important to check in with how you feel.
Once acknowledged, mild to moderate mental health symptoms can be managed and mitigated through behavioral change and self-care choices to prevent things from getting out of hand. The key is knowing when self-care is appropriate and when you need extra help.
QUESTIONS TO ASK YOURSELF
What are the major stressors in my life—are they constant or temporary?
How well do I feel I am coping with stress?
Are there important feelings I am hiding from myself and others?
Do I have physical symptoms that I am ignoring?
Is my impulse right now toward self-care or self-harm?
What would make things better for my emotional and mental well-being?
Do I have a support system in place and am I making good use of it?