We often hear our friends say, “I have been doing all that I can from meditation to gratitude journaling but still, I am getting nowhere in my mental health”. Sound familiar?
The truth is, while practices like meditation and mindfulness can be incredibly helpful, they sometimes need an extra boost to be fully effective. Let’s get a bit chemical to understand that, there are certain hormones like serotonin and endorphins that our brain produces, while performing specific tasks. These hormones play a huge role in regulating our emotions and overall mental health.
In this blog, we’ll take a closer look at all the factors that influence our mental health improvement and talk about how leading a healthier lifestyle and seeking professional help can make you feel better and sustain that feeling in the long run.
What Is Mental Health?
To be precise, mental health is our psychological and social well being. It affects how we think, feel and act. Our mental health shapes our ability to handle stress, build relationships and make decisions. When we have good mental health, we can tackle everyday problems easily, be productive and positively contribute to our communities.
Mental health conditions account for 13% of the global burden of disease, surpassing both cardiovascular diseases and cancer. Half of all mental health conditions start by 14 years of age but most cases are undetected.
The Connection Between Lifestyle And Mental Health
Our lifestyle has the greatest influence on our mental health. Everything from what we eat, how much we move, when do we sleep and the amount of sleep we get, to the strength of our social connections.
This is not something we said, these are the statements of reputed experts of the field. According to the British journal of psychiatry Individuals with diets high in processed foods are 58% more likely to develop depression compared to those with diets rich in whole foods.
Harvard Medical school proved with research that People who experience chronic sleep issues are 10 times more likely to have clinical depression and 17 times more likely to have clinical anxiety.
Another famous journal from the American Journal of Epidemiology states that Strong social relationships improve mental health and can decrease the risk of mental health issues by 50%.
Even BMC medicine published data stating individuals who maintain a combination of physical activity, a healthy diet, and sufficient sleep have a 65% lower risk of developing depression.
Now, data and research are all good but how to make these healthy lifestyle changes in a busy routine and what do you do when the changes don’t work for you in the way you intended. This is where we come in to clear out the blur around the healthy lifestyle changes for better mental health.
Key Components Of A Healthy Lifestyle
A Healthy Diet
Our brain requires a variety of nutrients to function at its best. From omega-3 fatty acids found in salmon to theobromine present in dark chocolates every nutrient and vitamin has its part to play. Even a single vitamin deficiency or surge in blood sugar can decrease the brain efficiency in performing a single or various tasks.
Tips To Implement Healthy Dietary Changes For Improved Mental Health
Meal Prep: Set aside time each week to plan and prepare meals. This can help you have healthy options available and reduce your reliance on processed foods.
Balanced Plates: Aim to fill half your plate with fruits and vegetables, a quarter with lean proteins, and a quarter with whole grains at each meal. To make sure your food supports a healthy gut microbiome.
Hydration: Drink plenty of water throughout the day. Because dehydration can negatively impact your mood and cognitive function.
Mindful Eating: Pay attention to what and how much you eat, make sure there are no screens around while you eat and eat mindfully to enjoy your food more and to avoid snacking later.
Consistent Meals: Try to eat at regular intervals to maintain stable blood sugar levels and avoid extreme hunger or overeating.
Exercise
Regular physical activity stimulates the production of endorphins, these acts as natural pain killers and mood elevators. Exercise reduces levels of the body’s stress hormones, such as adrenaline and cortisol. It also helps increase production of norepinephrine, a chemical that can moderate the brain’s response to stress.
Tips To Add Exercise Into Routine For Improved Mental Health
Find Enjoyable Activities: Choose exercises you enjoy, whether it’s yoga, walking, running, swimming, dancing, or strength training. This will increase the likelihood of you sticking with your routine.
Set Realistic Goals: Start with small, achievable goals and gradually increase the intensity and duration of your workouts.
Consistency: Aim for at least 30 minutes of exercise 3 to 4 days a week. Even minimal activity like climbing the stairs or cleaning the table after a meal can be beneficial.
Accountability Partner: Exercise with a friend or join a fitness group to stay motivated and accountable.
Mix various physical activities: Do a variety of exercises to keep your routine interesting like dancing, cardio or weight training and work different muscle groups.
Sleep
Our sleep cycle and the quality of sleep influences the balance of stress hormones like cortisol. A quality sleep can maintain a healthy hormonal balance and improve your learning, memory consolidation and overall cognitive function. while poor sleep can impair attention, alertness, concentration and problem solving skills.
Tips For Better Sleep Routine To Improve Mental Health
Regular Sleep Schedule: Go to bed and wake up at the same time every day, even on weekends, to maintain a good circadian rhythm for your body.
Environment: Ensure your bedroom is dark, quiet, and cool. Use earplugs, an eye mask, or white noise if necessary.
Screen Time: Avoid screens (TV, computer, smartphone) at least an hour before bedtime. The blue light emitted by screens can interfere with your melatonin production, the hormone that is responsible for sleep regulation.
Bedtime Routine: Have a calming pre-sleep routine, such as reading, taking a warm bath, or practicing relaxation exercises like deep breathing or meditation. Even the 4-7-8 breathing technique would work.
Caffeine: Avoid caffeine at least 2 to 4 hours before bed time, as it can disrupt your sleep patterns and also make it hard for your brain to tap into REM sleep.
Social Connections
Positive social interactions stimulate the release of oxytocin in our brain, this hormone promotes the feeling of trust, bonding, and relaxation. Social connections provide emotional support and make us feel less alone and decrease the chances of depression by 50%.
Tips for better social connections to improve your mental health
Social Activities: Participate in group activities or clubs that interest you, such as sports teams, book clubs, or hobby groups.
Volunteer: Volunteering for causes you care about like animal welfare or child education can help you meet like-minded people and create a sense of purpose and connection.
Strengthen Existing Relationships: Make an effort to maintain close relationships with friends and family. Regularly communicate, spend time together, and offer support when needed.
Build New Connections: Be open to meeting new people. Attend community events, join social groups, or take up new hobbies that involve interacting with others.
Therapy
There are various mental health conditions that cannot be cured by lifestyle changes or meditation. Such chronic situations need immediate attention from expert psychiatrists like MindSpa Psychiatry. They can help you cope up with the intense emotions and offer customized therapy treatments. You can learn various methods that work for you to manage triggers that are associated with anxiety, depression and PTSD.
Practices For Best Outcome From Therapy
Consistency: Attend therapy sessions regularly and commit to the process. Consistency is vital in improving mental health.
Open communication: Be honest and open with your psychiatrist about your thoughts, feelings and concerns.
Monitor progress: Keep a track of your progress like improvements in your mood, behavior and coping strategies.
Follow Prescriptions: If prescribed any medication, take it exactly as prescribed. Do not change the dosage or discontinue use without consulting your psychiatrist.
Conclusion
Each and every one of us leads a busy life, with so much information to consume and the tasks piling up, but it has never been this easier to make the changes. Whether it be connecting with an expert psychiatrist consultation online through calls and video conferencing from the comfort of your home or getting healthy food delivered to your doorstep.It is always the effort you put into improving your mental health that can impact everything about your life. In short, make sure that you diagnose and discuss your mental health issues with a professional expert and build better habits and make a big difference in your day to day life.
Leave A Comment