The subject of mental health has never been more important because of the pandemic and lockdown and the impact of restrictions and changes on our lifestyle. Some people have thrived due to being able to spend more time with family and pets at home, and other people have suffered due to a significant loss of in-person contact with people at work, and with family and friends who live in a separate household.
Prior to the pandemic, according to the Mental Health Foundation, for people living in the UK, “one in six adults experiences symptoms of a common mental health problem, such as anxiety or depression, and one in five adults has considered taking their own life at some point”. These statistics are very likely to have worsened now due to many people losing loved ones, high rates of job losses and unemployment, and significant changes to the ways we work, exercise, shop, socialise and carry out our regular day-to-day activities. Most importantly, we must all take time to acknowledge the impact of all this to how we feel, as it is very normal to experience strong feelings because of all these changes.
Our mental and brain health is key for having optimal health as it affects our motivation and our energy. If our mental health declines, our immune system can shut down and other body functions can be impaired like hormones and digestion.
Here are ten ways things you can do to maximise your mental health and help keep your energy and productivity high:
Look after your gut health - serotonin is a neurotransmitter necessary for stabilising our mood, having feelings of well-being and feeling happy. 90% of our serotonin is made in the gut, therefore we need to ensure a good balance of gut bacteria. We can achieve this through eating fermented foods daily like coconut or water kefir, sauerkraut, kimchi and miso. Avoiding sugar and keeping a regular schedule for meals and our sleep also helps.
Ensure deep restorative sleep every night - sleep is vital for our mental health as it helps with emotional resilience and we all know we are not at our best mentally after a bad night’s sleep. Sleep enables our brain cells to repair, allows toxins to be cleaned away and also keeps our brain neurons healthy which we need for memory. Ensure that the hour before you go to sleep, you take time to properly wind down with limited device time as the blue light interferes with melatonin which helps us sleep deeply. Try taking a relaxing bath or reading some fiction before you go to sleep. Avoid exercising late in the evening as this can disrupt sleep.
Eat protein, healthy fats and colourful vegetables at every meal - our brain needs these nutrients as well as good hydration to function well. Try to only eat real food and avoid processed foods. It is also worth considering if certain foods cause you to feel more anxious or drained - some foods that can have this effect are wheat (bread, pasta, baked goods) and dairy. Keep a log of how you feel after you eat certain foods and you may find some patterns. Be sure to eat these top 10 brain foods every day, as recommended by brain coach, Jim Kwik: avocado, blueberries, broccoli, coconut oil, eggs, green leafy vegetables, salmon, turmeric, walnuts and dark chocolate.
Reduce stress - stress can be a trigger to mental health issues like anxiety and depression. The quickest way to relieve stress is to breathe diaphragmatically for just 5 minutes. Also, try to spend time daily for at least 10 minutes doing something you enjoy. If you struggle to think of something, think about the activities and hobbies you used to enjoy as a child, for example, playing sports, doing a jigsaw, playing games or a musical instrument, or time with pets.
Reduce stimulants - try to avoid foods and drinks containing caffeine and artificial sweeteners and excessive carbohydrates as these can cause unnecessary anxiety.
Reduce toxins - according to brain doctor, Dr Daniel Amen, environmental toxins like mould and heavy metals can cause many brain health issues like anxiety, depression and brain fog. Take his questionnaire to understand your brain’s current toxic load and risk of brain and mental health issues.
Daily exercise and movement - these help bring blood flow to the brain. Low blood flow to the brain has been linked to depression, schizophrenia, alzheimers and other brain disorders. Find ways of bringing in more daily movement, for example, take the stairs, go out for a walk, do a big clean of the house, choose far away parking spaces and dance to your favourite songs.
Strong network of support - having supportive friends and family around us is vital to ensure good mental health. Think carefully about who wants the best for you and spend time with these positive people as much as possible.
Positive thoughts - negative thoughts can be more destructive than eating a bad diet or not exercising. Challenge any negative thinking, defeating beliefs, and deeply-held negative emotions and journal about them or talk to supportive friends and family to truly understand what is causing these thoughts.
Effective regular self-care - it is important to regularly make time for the kind of self-care that will help you the most, whether that is regular exercise or spiritual practices or slowing down and having a lovely treatment like a massage or reflexology or reiki or acupuncture, whatever helps you to feel grounded and calm and resilient. Consider whether some kind of therapy could be helpful for you if you have had any adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) like divorce, neglect, abuse or a loss of a loved one - it can be useful to calculate your ACE score with this questionnaire. According to Bessel van Der Folk, author of ‘The Body Keeps the Score’, many people may not be aware that they have suffered from trauma. He cites examples of people having car accidents and blotting these experiences from their memory and explains how people can respond to different types of therapy so it is worth giving some of these therapies a try: EMDR, Emotional Freedom Technique (tapping), hypnosis, sound therapy, theatre work etc.
I hope these tips have given you ideas on how you can look after your own resilience using diet and lifestyle habits. For a quiz and more tips on mental health, you can download my free worksheet: how to prevent anxiety and depression. And please do follow me on Instagram for daily tips and inspiration!