What can you do to improve your Mental health ???
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We have had lots of questions about mental health and what can be done to lift mood, ease anxiety, and increase general feelings of wellness naturally.
**ps you should always seek the advise of your GP on this matter **
In a similar ways to physical health there are things we can do to improve mental health.
Things research have proven to have a beneficial effect on mindset and mood,
1. enough quality sleep – If you are feeling low and stressed and things get on top of you one of the first things to check is are you getting enough quality deep sleep ??
Things that affect sleep quality , alcohol consumption, excessive caffiene intake, electronic gadgets and blue light before bed, bedroom too hot / cold, bedroom not dark enough, low magnesium levels, going to bed with things on mind without brain dumping them on paper before bed.
2. Meditation / Hypnosis – meditation can be as little as 5 mins per day and lots of styles to try but proven time and time again to reduce stress, increase happiness, increase focus and clarity. Hypnosis can help our underlying unconscious programmes and patterns of behaviour .
3. Exercise – countless studies have proven the brain altering affects of regular exercise on reducing stress, anxiety and increasing mood though changing brain chemistry through bdnf and dopamine levels. Find something you can do regularly and stick with it. From yoga, walking, running, lifting and it may well be best to mix all the above for mental health it could be argued.
4. Diet – the brain needs fuel and the right nutrients to perform optimally and reduce inflammation. We know getting enough essential good fats daily is crucial. So we are talking omega 3 from ideally oily fish and some omega 6 from nuts and seeds and some saturates and mono unsaturates from the likes of avocado, butter, olive oil etc. We also alongside enough good fats we need to remain adequately hydrated daily so water intake is really important .
5. Breathing practices – when we are stressed / anxious breathing is usually shallow and faster. When relaxed we normally breathe deeply and sends signals to our brain to relax and go into rest and restore parasympathic state.
There are countless deep breathing methods to try from box breathing, wim hof breathing to a million other types for you to research and find what works best for you.
6. Gratitude – writing down on a morning and again at night what you are grateful for is a supersimple way to feel better consistently by focusing attention on what is good in your life no matter how small.
7. Process & outcome goals – A key source of successful goal setting and self actualisation is pursuing healthy objectives that cause personal growth. A key mistake is the setting of long term outcomes with no daily process goals . Have small daily tasks to achieve which builds confidence and momentum and day by day get you closer to positive long term outcomes .
8. Time outdoors / in nature – walking in nature and getting up hills and mountains is such a great activity for us and has profound affects on us
9. Time with those that lift you up – spending time with positive people and friends
There are 8 options we can utilise to give ourselves the best options within our control to optimise mood and our mental health. As above you should always seek the advise of your GP if you are struggling .