Easy Ways to Improve your Mental Health you can Start, Right Now!
We all know we need to work on our health with exercise etc, yet, emotional first aid and hygiene is equally important, but so often overlooked.
Considering your mental state influences physical health outcomes in incredible ways, its even more pertinent we learn how to support our mental health. For example, one 2020 study by National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine: "Social Isolation and Loneliness in Older Adults' ' found social isolation produced the same effect on all-cause mortality as those of smoking, obesity, and physical inactivity. They also observed a 50% increase in risk of Dementia, 29% increased risk of heart disease and a 32% increased risk of stroke related to social isolation.
In light of this, in this article I will share my top easy tips for things you can undertake right away to improve your mental health .
Exercise: Releases endorphins, improves sleep, longevity, focus and memory, promotes stress relief, resets you attention when you're in a negative spiral, expends adrenaline and nervous energy and wards off disease.
Take an Epsom Salt Bath: Replenishes Magnesium which produces Serotonin, relaxes muscles and eases nervous tension. Warm baths lower blood pressure, cause you to breathe more deeply, triggering the parasympathetic nervous system (rest and digest) and oxygenating your cells. Try a foot bath in a big saucepan if you don’t have a bathtub.
Sing: Singing stimulates the Vagus Nerve, improved vagal tone is associated with emotional and attention regulation.
Reduce Inflammation. Inflammation affects the brain and mental health severely. Common sources of inflammation are: refined sugar, refined carbs, processed meat, alcohol/smoking, sensitivities, heavy metals, refined oils, lack of sleep, environmental toxins, excess omega 6 (corn/soy) mould exposure, infections (like strep), insufficient exercise
Support can include: boosting the immune system by reducing stress (see rest of article) herbs, identifying allergens with an elimination diet, detoxifying and supplementing with D,A,C, E, B Vitamins, zinc and selenium.
You can cool body inflammation by supplementing with fish oil, ginger, garlic and tumeric. Speak to a health professional or Naturopath.
Breathing exercises. Calm the nervous system. Try the Box Breath, inhale count of four, hold count of four, exhale four, hold four, repeat four times. Try the Physiological sigh: Take a deep breath in, then an extra sharp sip at top, sigh out. Repeat as desired, or about eight times.
Find reasons to hope in your life, yourself and your future. Try to remain detached from needing a certain circumstance in order to be mentally stable/happy as well, but do things which encourage a hopeful, optimistic outlook. Gratitude meditation or journalling are great. When we search our mind for positive data we will return a lot more positivity than idle thoughts, and we renew the neural pathway to enhance our chances of visiting the happy thought frequently.
Journal Prompts include, listing:
Things I love about this world.
Lucky things I have experienced.
Things that make me smile.
Strengths and resources I have to get through this challenge.
Past challenges I have overcome/survived.
Things that can never be taken from me.
Things I have to look forward to.
Interventions I can take now that will have a positive effect on my future.
I also sell a 21 day Gratitude program and Meditation for Mental Wellbeing Package which has a gratitude recording.
Loosen your grip on outcomes. Pain, work, disappointment, unfairness and uncertainty are inevitable facts of life. Holding on too tightly robs us of peace, presence and optimism, and we are never fully in total control anyway. Trust yourself to get through anything and surrender the outcome.
Whenever you find yourself holding on, recognise, relax your body and say:
"I trust myself to get through no matter what, I was never in control so I just do my best then I surrender my worry, come what may" (or, whatever statement works for you.)
Connect with good people. There are many ways to connect. You can do someone a favour, volunteer, join a club, sport team, class or women's circle, speak to that person you see every day at the coffee shop etc. to establish a bond, rekindle old friendships, email your old work bff, follow through on your plans to see people, plan an event or group holiday or call your extended family. Write your own to-do list and follow through.
Work on your self concept. Follow through on your projects/intentions/commitments. This builds self trust and faith in your competence. Mutually, don't overcommit or expect too much of yourself all at once and accept there will be setbacks.
Learn to tame your ego. Our nervous system's job is to look after our body, and it contrives the ego personality to get those needs met ( eg. my sense of humour helps me with things like mating, employment, support, love, etc.) Feeling you're falling short of the ideal version of self you believe you need to be at all times to get your needs met, or struggling to realise a goal feels unsafe and this tortures the nervous system, leads to stress, and eventual burnout and Depression.
Recognise the ideal self/life circumstances you're measuring your value by is an ego construct that is unrealistic, unobtainable and still would never guarantee you never experience rejection, grief, injustice, trauma, etc. Even if we obtain the goal/perfection there will still be uncertainty, work and pain. At best, human's mostly experience fleeting moments of joy, but we can experience something better: lasting peace, if we are wise to how our system works and drop the story.
'I think everybody should get rich and famous and do everything they ever
dreamed of so they can see that it's not the answer.' - Jim Carrey
Learn to be happy with who/where you are now. Be ok taking things one small step at a time. Let go of regret, guilt and shame. Reflect on past mistakes for any lessons and then forgive yourself. You can also try my self love exercises here.
I hope you enjoy implementing these simple changes and the benefits they bring. The path of life and self improvement does require constant work, be consoled that that’s normal, and just undertake what you have the capacity for today.
Please seek professional assistance and support as much as you need, especially with chronic issues. Some supplements may be contraindicated, so seek advice. I’m always here to help, too.
Take a look at booking a session HERE
Yours in health and happiness.
E xx
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