Things To Do For Our Mental Health

Mental health has impacted me for over half my life. As of writing this, that equals 23 years. 23 long years might I add! Writing this ‘things to do for our mental health’ post, is extremely personal to me. Notably, I am by no means diagnosing or treating anyone. I am no psychiatrist or psychologist.

Simply, I am a woman who has been severely, at times, affected by mental illness. And yet, have found immense relief in the last few years from changes in my lifestyle. There were times I was so low, I could never have dreamed of feeling and being where I am today mental-health wise! I truly hope that this reaches someone who needs to hear this!

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To start with, at around 12 years old, I first started feeling symptoms of depression. I would get periods of depression lasting days to months on and off. I am 34 now. For a child, this is obviously confusing and scary. Fast forward 5 years, I got hit at 17 years old with quite intense symptoms. From then on, I struggled to find any lasting relief for the next 15 years.

My diagnoses includes: bipolar type 2, general anxiety, social anxiety and depression. I don’t feel like I have had a proper, in-depth diagnosis. It always felt as though I was rushed. Rushed to get a prescription for drugs and to get out as quick as possible. Honestly though, from my research bipolar type 2 does seem appropriate. Mania was not something common for me as much as those deep, long low periods.

However, from someone who has experienced this for most of my life, it feels like there is more to the story than just a mental illness. Ultimately, our physical, mental, emotional and spiritual health all connect. I strongly feel that mental illness also encompasses emotional, and most importantly, spiritual health too. Science has surely shown how it effects physical health. Read my article demonstrating the crazy effects stress has on the body! In my eyes, spiritual health is at the root of all other health. I will leave that for another day though.

At this point in my journey, I have finally made it to a place where I have the tools to deal with my mental health struggles. By no means am I saying I’m 100% cured, this is something I will have to work at everyday. I have times when I still struggle. But, I know what to do to prevent declining and I know what to do to get myself out of a hole if I go down one.

I have to remain very aware and mindful of all my actions and choices or else the mental illness can take back over. Currently, where I sit, I have found the power over my mental health instead of feeling it has the power over me and my life 🙂 Now, I will share some things I do for my mental health 🙂

First, sunshine tends to immediately effect me, when I’m feeling low. I love how as soon as it touches my skin and I feel it on my face, I am comforted. As though, the sun came down and gave me a huge bear hug ha ha. More research is showing how the sun assists our mental health. This is not to say it’s a cure, but it sure helps out! Psychology Today recently reported how a study of 502,000 people demonstrates that every extra hour spent in the sunshine, their odds of developing depression decreases. Furthermore, it reduced their antidepressant usage, led to greater happiness, found it easier to feel more pleasure and less neurosis.

In addition, Our “sleep clock” or circadian rhythm is majorly influenced by the light and dark cycle of the sun, being an important cue for our body’s sleep cycle. Accordingly, if we (safely) lengthen our amount of time in the sun during the daytime we can experience incredible benefits such as: increased vitamin D levels (very important!), more alertness, better mood, lower stress, stronger immune system, and much more. Ideally, if you are able to get outside within one hour of waking, you may sleep better at night. Then, make your room darker at night, dimming the lights two hours before you want to sleep, and try to refrain from electronics. The last one is mighty hard though, I totally get it!

Second, it is no secret how exercise eases mental health symptoms. It’s known to improve mood, help lessen anxiety, in addition to a lot more! I find it to be a wonderful way to move and release stuck energy, like stress and anxiety. When you exercise your body releases endorphins enhancing your sense of well-being.

Once I get my butt up and move, I feel an instantaneous relief of mental health symptoms and the feel-good brain chemicals being released. I love it! Oftentimes, ‘moving’ for me simply looks like: talking a walk (in nature if possible), jogging, yoga, swimming, hiking or qi-gong. I don’t always go too hard on the exercise, I like it to be somewhat relaxing. Everyone is different this is just my preference. Sometimes, I need to force my lazy-self up and to move in some way, when I do, I’m always thankful I did!

Thirdly, toxins come in all forms and enter our environments, and bodies, in a variety of ways too. This one is a big topic that I will only briefly touch on today. Undeniably, evidence shows how toxins negatively impact our mental and emotional health.

A few of the impacts on our brains include increased risk of: depression and suicide, memory problems, Alzheimer’s, emotional outbursts, anxiety, ADD/ADHD and much more! In my case, this points had the biggest impact, hands down, for me! If I knew this sooner, my life would have looked a lot different. Although, I wouldn’t have learned what I did and had the perspectives I do today.

Smoking use to flood my body with toxins! I am reluctant to say how I smoked cigarettes’ for many, many years. Shame haunts me with smoking since it is so obvious how dangerous it is. And I am embarrassed how I let something like that control me for so long. I am coming to terms with it the longer I quit. But, it’s just one of those things you’re like, “what in the h*ll were you thinking?!” Ha ha, like we all tend to do from time to time 😉

I have followed the research of numerous Doctors connecting the dots between toxins and mental illness. Toxins enter into our bodies largely through our diets and the food/drinks we put into our mouths. Further, what we put on our skin absorbs into us through transdermal absorption. Equally important, what we breath in from the air has as an effect. All these pathways lead to our toxic build-up. It’s up to us to bring awareness to our environments and what we allow to absorb into our bodies. Unfortunately, we may not always have the control of our environments, like air quality. Simply, control what we can and accept what we can’t.

Lastly, food hugely impacts our mental health. I could write about this till the cows come home! Over and over again, I find studies and research linking what we eat to our mental health status. Talking about how nutrition helps people with mental health brings me so much joy. Since, I have felt the relief provided by nutrition first-hand. Nutrition and eliminating/minimizing toxins have done absolute wonders for me and I am so thankful I have the knowledge about them. Read my post about sulfur and how most of us are deficient in this important mineral!

Nutrients such as: omega-3’s, zinc, magnesium, B-vitamins, vitamin D3 and way more have proven to help with mood and brain health! Amino acids are the building blocks for neurotransmitters, hormones and proteins. They are compounds that play a lot of critical roles in our bodies. We use 20 different amino acids. Meanwhile, only 9 are considered essential, and we need to get them from our diet.

In most healthy diets where we eat a variety of whole, un-processed foods we can get these amino acids. Essentially, through ingesting amino acids, which make neurotransmitters, we can literally eat for mental health! Some of my favorite foods to eat for this purpose include: a variety of nuts (walnuts!) and seeds, dark & leafy greens, oats, beans, algae and legumes!

To summarize, each one of us has the ability to influence our mental health. I spent years and years searching outside of myself for healing and relief. It took me so long to realize I have the power, through my choices, actions, knowledge and mindset, over my health.

Once again, I still have rough days and make poor choices time to time that lead me to suffer, ha ha. I am only human, you know? Importantly, I will always get back up and try again. I understand the ability I have I have inside myself. Something each and everyone of us have if we find the way to access it 🙂 Cheers to you on your journey! And please share some things you do for your mental health in the comments below, I’d love to hear them!

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Sources:

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/your-brain-food/202202/walking-sunshine-the-light-day-improves-mental-health

https://www.verywellhealth.com/morning-sunlight-exposure-3973908

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/depression/in-depth/depression-and-exercise/art-20046495

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18621076/

https://www.amenclinics.com/blog/10-scary-ways-toxins-poison-your-brain/

https://theconversation.com/why-nutritional-psychiatry-is-the-future-of-mental-health-treatment-92545#:~:text=Recent%20research%20has%20shown%20that%20food%20supplements%20such,health%2C%20yet%20many%20people%20are%20lacking%20in%20it.