Self-Care for Mental Health

Intro

What is Mental Health?

Mental health is the psychological, social, and emotional well-being of an individual. It affects how an individual makes decisions, interacts with others, and handles stress. It impacts the way an individual thinks, feels, and behaves. There are many factors that affect mental health such as:

• Genetics
• Physical Health
• Brain Chemistry
• Life Experiences
• Socioeconomic Status
• Relationships with Others

The promotion and protection of mental health are important to enhance the quality of life. Poor mental health can lead to diagnosable mental illnesses such as depression or anxiety. If mental illness is suspected or distressing symptoms are present, it is important to contact a medical health professional for treatment.

Self-Care can help!

Self-care is a technique used for maintaining and promoting positive mental health. Self-care benefits both physical health and mental health because every component of health is intricately intertwined. This website examines three self-care concepts that can contribute to improving health and well-being:

• Healthy Food
• Movement
• Sleep

Incorporating each of these concepts into a daily regimen can have powerful effects on overall health and well-being. Every day is a new opportunity to care for your health. Choosing healthy food, movement, and sleep every day can make a difference in your life by improving mood, increasing energy levels, improving cognitive function, and reducing the risk of chronic disease.

Healthy Food

What is considered Healthy Food?

A healthy diet consists of foods that contain a variety of fiber, healthy fats, vitamins, and minerals. Healthy foods can be organized into food groups including fruits, vegetables, grains, protein, and dairy. It is important to eat a variety of different foods because the body uses different nutrients for different functions. Water is the recommended beverage for staying hydrated. A lack of nutrients negatively affects mental health because it can make a person feel lethargic, depressed, anxious, and contribute to other neuropsychiatric conditions. Diets high in unhealthy foods like processed foods, refined sugar, and caffeine also negatively affect mental health by causing inflammation, mood swings, and impairing memory.

How does Nutrition Improve Mental Health?

The structure and function of the brain are dependent on nutrients such as amino acids, lipids, vitamins, and minerals. These nutrients also help to protect the microbiome of the gut, which is responsible for producing the “feel good” neurotransmitter serotonin. The nutrients in healthy food positively affect mental health because the gut-brain axis regulates emotions, protects cognitive function, and coordinates immune response. Maintaining a healthy gut microbiome by consuming a healthy diet helps to reduce stress and inflammation in the brain. Studies show that diets high in fresh fruits and vegetables contribute to reports of higher levels of happiness and well-being.

Reference: Adan, R. A. H., van der Beek, E. M., Buitelaar, J. K., Cryan, J. F., Hebebrand, J., Higgs, S., Schellekens, H., & Dickson, S. L. (2019). Nutritional psychiatry: Towards improving mental health by what you eat. European Neuropsychopharmacology, 29(12), 1321–1332. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.euroneuro.2019.10.011

Movement

Move to Improve your Mood

Exercise is essential for both physical health and mental health. Studies show that exercise can alleviate symptoms of anxiety, depression, stress, and social withdrawal by improving energy levels, cognitive function, and self-esteem. During exercise, as the heart rate increases, more blood flows to the brain providing it with more oxygen. This allows for more neurons to be formed, which is a process known as neurogenesis. Neurogenesis contributes to improved learning, reasoning, memory, and overall cognitive functioning. Exercise also activates neurotransmitters such as dopamine and serotonin which contribute to feelings of happiness. Exercise combats the devastating effects a sedentary lifestyle has on mental health.

According to the CDC, it is recommended that adults get at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity a week. In addition, adults need 2 days of muscle-strengthening activity each week. When incorporating exercise into a lifestyle, it is important to choose an activity that the individual enjoys. Different examples of aerobic exercises include walking, running, hiking, biking, and swimming. It is a good idea to try a variety of exercises to work different muscle groups and to prevent boredom. Setting aside a certain time to exercise can assist in turning exercise into a daily habit. It is also important to start “easy” and gradually increase the amount and intensity of exercise to prevent injury. Set realistic goals to prevent discouragement. It takes dedication and perseverance to change one’s lifestyle, but the physical and mental health benefits are worth it!

Reference: Sharma, A. (2023, August 22). Exercise and brain health. Whole Brain Health. https://wholebrainhealth.org/exercise-and-brain-health/?gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAiAtYy9BhBcEiwANWQQLxhMC-er-qVwgny7k77_iAaxPW5kHMEk3Yf6PP4qV5coZmkz4CIOSBoC89YQAvD_BwE

Sleep

Why is Sleep so Important?

Sleep is essential to mental health. It is during sleep that the brain forms new neural pathways, conserves energy, enforces memory, and regulates immune function, metabolism, and hormones. It is recommended that the average adult gets between 7 and 9 hours of sleep every night. A restless night can lead to lethargy, mood disturbance, impaired focus, an increase in pain perception, and a lack of motivation. Chronic sleep deprivation can lead to an array of other health problems such as obesity, depression, anxiety, substance abuse, and cardiovascular disease. The consequence of poor sleep has a detrimental impact on the quality of life.

How to Improve Sleep

Sleep hygiene techniques can assist in improving the quality of sleep. It is important to maintain a regular sleep-wake schedule that consists of going to bed and waking up at the same time every day. It is also important to create a relaxing bedtime routine. This can include activities such as taking a shower or reading a book. However, blue-light from screens should be avoided for at least 30 minutes prior to sleep. The environment of the bedroom should be comfortable, dark, and have a cool temperature. Avoid alcohol, caffeine, and heavy meals before bed. During the day, it is helpful to get exercise and spend some time outdoors in natural sunlight. These techniques help to regulate the body’s natural circadian rhythm.

Reference: Halter, M. J. (2018). Varcarolis’ foundations of Psychiatric-Mental Health Nursing: A clinical approach. Elsevier.

Contact

If you have any questions or comments regarding the information on this website, please send us a message. We would love to hear how incorporating healthy food, movement, and sleep into your lifestyle has impacted your mental health. Please share any other self-care strategies that you include into your daily routine that have made a positive impact on your life.

Elements

i = 0;

while (!deck.isInOrder()) {
    print 'Iteration ' + i;
    deck.shuffle();
    i++;
}

print 'It took ' + i + ' iterations to sort the deck.';