Episode 33: 10 Tips To Take Control of Your Mental Health

Mini Solo Episode:

[00:00:00] Hi, it's Aneta. I wanted to come on with another solo episode today. May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and in today's podcast, I will share 10 things that you can do right now to take control of your mental health. Now the disclaimer is I am not a mental health professional, so the things that I share today are not in lieu of what you may currently be doing or what your doctor prescribes. These are additions to your existing routines, and also things that are natural and things that you can do right now.

[00:00:33] So I think it's safe to say that almost everyone has been impacted by mental health in one way or another. If you personally have not experienced any symptoms or been diagnosed, then you may know someone or someone close to you, or someone that you love who has, so I hope that today's episode allows you to feel empowered to do some things and to take control right now. If you choose to share it. If you find any of this helpful, that would be fantastic. One in five Americans, or people living in the United States right now has a mental health condition, and those numbers have continued to rise and to increase, especially in our young adult population. I just wanted to share some stats, which I think it's important to level set and just to kind of know where we are today.

[00:01:18] So anxiety disorders are the most common mental health illness disorders in the United States, about 48 million live with anxiety today in the United States, 21 million are living with major depression, and millions more live with post-traumatic stress disorder, bipolar disorder, borderline personality disorder. Obsessive-compulsive disorder and schizophrenia and the World Health Organization has recognized burnout as a chronic illness. Two-thirds of full-time workers, this is worldwide, say that they have experienced burnout at least one time during their career.

[00:01:56] Now, chronic periods of stress and anxiety negatively impact our immune system, and of course, lead to us not being able to feel good or to just live as optimally as we'd like to. So I put together 10 things that each of us can do right now to support our mental health, and they're natural. They're easy to do right away, and you don't have to do all of 'em. And of course, this list is not exhaustive, but I think it was a great place to start.

[00:02:25] So number one, and this is no particular order, but number one, be kind and compassionate to yourself and to others. Our self-talk can be so terrible, it could be worse than we would ever say to anyone else. Our thoughts are sometimes the language that comes out of our mouths as we think about ourselves. Take a moment and create some awareness. And if you notice that you are saying the same things over and over again, change in the moment. Choose differently. Choose a new thought. And then as we think about others, give others grace and compassion because we do not know what other people may be experiencing themselves personally or in their family. So let's just assume innocence, and give them a little bit of grace.

[00:03:10] Number two, and this probably should have been number one, is to give professional help if you feel like you may have something going on, or even if it's situational and you need to talk to someone, there are so many great resources available right now. Many employers are providing mental health, appointments and treatments, and professionals through their companies. So those might be free resources that are available to you. Many insurance companies also cover appointments with mental health professionals, so see if that is available to you and if not, ask for a referral. There are probably plenty of other resources that you can find through people within your network. Or even online, and I've included some of those in the show notes below.

[00:03:55] Get some sunshine to boost your mood so we know that we feel good when we're outside and it does feel good to be in the sun. And just getting even 15 to 20 minutes of sunshine a day can make a huge difference. When we're out in the sun, our bodies start to produce vitamin D and then we release more serotonin. And when these two things happen, we boost our mood and it actually can help with both anxiety and depression. So going outside, if you can, first thing in the morning is also really great for our circadian rhythms.

[00:04:29] Try to get seven to nine hours of sleep each night. So something else that is very critical is that many of us are not sleeping properly. We may not be getting the right amount of sleep. And when we sleep, that's when our bodies and our brains have an opportunity to rest and recover when we do not get proper amounts of sleep, especially REM sleep, the brain doesn't get to function correctly. And so this is also tied to mental health disorders and severity if we're not getting the proper amount of rem. So sleep is now understood as both the cause and the consequence of mental health problems.

[00:05:10] Surround yourself with loving people that you can talk to. We all need a tribe. We all need people around us that we feel safe, that we trust, and that we can share what is going on with us. Surround yourself with those people. Find your tribe. And if you don't have 'em today, Seek them out and see who it is you can talk to or talk to a professional instead. There is a happiness study that was done, and they said that the secret to happiness is actually the strength of our relationships. So make sure that you surround yourself with enough people within your tribe.

[00:05:48] Eating well and taking care of your gut health. So the gut is often referred to as the second brain, and our gut and brain are linked by the vagus nerve. So through the vagus nerve, we send signals from the gut to the brain and the brain to the gut. And the interesting cool part is that the gut can actually impact our emotional behavior in the brain, and then the brain can even impact the bacteria in the gut, which is amazing. The body is so amazing. So it's really important to nourish ourselves by eating whole foods. And when you think of Whole Foods, the things are really good for brain health. Think of fruits, vegetables, and foods, rich in omega-3. Fatty acids such as salmon, for example, dark, leafy, green vegetables, nuts, beans, and even lentils. They all help to boost our mental health and also invest in a really good probiotic. They're not all created the same, but I take my birth probiotic religiously every single day, and it's really good for gut health. So take a look and maybe talk to a natural holistic doctor or even your family doctor can help with that.

[00:06:59] Start a gratitude practice. Gratitude is so amazing because it seems like a simple practice that you can do anytime, anywhere in just showing appreciation, but it makes a huge difference. There are studies that have shown that those who practice gratitude consistently are happier, less stressed, less anxious, and less depressed. How amazing is that? I love to do it in the morning and in the evening because I love to start my day with gratitude and appreciation. It really helps to set my perspective for the day, and then also something you can do before you go to sleep at night, allowing it to be the last thing that you think of before you go to bed. It really will make a huge difference and it actually doesn't even take a long time. Just after a couple of weeks through the brain scans, they've been able to see changes in people's brains, so try it. I think you're gonna love it.

[00:07:51] Move your body. This is number seven. Move your body daily, even if you can just do it for 20 to 30 minutes a day. That is better than nothing. Research shows that people who exercise regularly have lower mental health illness rates and they also have better all overall mental and emotional wellbeing. Exercise helps to release endorphins. So we actually feel good as well. When we exercise, it boosts our mood. It helps us sleep better, it provides more energy. It's great for our immune system. It can boost our confidence and it reduces stress. So great way to do it is to move your body outside. If you can go outside, get the sunshine, and also stretch your legs. Get your steps in even better.

[00:08:36] Number eight, is to reduce stress through some mindfulness practices, and I love to highlight yoga, meditation, and breathwork. Those are three things that I practice and also teach. I can't say enough about mindfulness practices. They align our mind, our body, our breath, and our spirit together. When we practice mindfulness, it allows us to focus on the present moment. It helps to shrink the amygdala, and then it helps us to really be less emotionally reactive and to use more of the prefrontal cortex of the brain, which is another great way to be able to think more clearly.

[00:09:13] Number 10, and I put this on this list because it's something that I've been researching and I thought was very interesting to put out here, is that sometimes mental health illnesses or symptoms are attributed to having some vitamin deficiencies. So there are definitely vitamins that have been shown to support good brain health.

[00:09:32] And so your primary doctor, you can ask for a blood panel for vitamins and minerals and just to see if there are any deficiencies, especially vitamin D, B vitamins, and folate, which are all linked to mental health disorders. But there are plenty of resources online that will show you different supplements that support, different symptoms tied from everything from focus and clarity to anxiety, to depression, to stress. So, plenty of natural things are available. I've included additional [00:10:00] resources in the show notes. Of course, this is not exhaustive. I hope that this was helpful. I know that when I don't feel well and when I'm not my best self, I usually go and try to say, what am I slipping on? What do I need to do? I always start with sleep. And then I go to exercise and my diet of course. And when I do those things, I start to feel better. So I hope that you are able to take some of these things, incorporate 'em into your own routine, and if you found this helpful, share with someone that you think could benefit from it.

[00:10:29] I'm so grateful for you. Thank you for joining me again today, and I look forward to having you join me next week. Thanks.

End.