Back to the basics on stress and mental health
There is one topic that I truly do not think can ever be discussed or taught about enough, and that is mental health. No matter how open we think we are becoming in society as a whole regarding depression and anxiety, almost all of us still end up still feeling massively alone, misunderstood, and helpless at some point in our lives. This is completely okay, but part of where I want to jump in on this conversation is by simplifying small steps we can take to support our mental health.
There are likely millions of podcasts and self-help books nowadays on this topic, and although that is great, sometimes it can be overwhelming. Please understand that still not feeling 100% every day and like you have mastered your mind is completely normal. In truth, it is not even the goal. Life happens and you are going to become stressed again, you are going to grieve, and you are going to be knocked down. This is not a failure, but there are ways to prepare yourself for this and be realistic with your own individual coping needs when it happens.
For some people, a bath and a candle might truly do the trick. For others, it may take a year of therapy to feel like they are starting to see the light again. No matter where you are at, this blog is going to help you understand that you are not alone and there is always hope. I promise you don’t have to break the bank on supplements and advanced courses in order to feel better, beauty and breakthrough is always in simplicity and what is sustainable for you.
Reframe Your Perception on Stress
The first thing to understand about managing your stress is that it is not inherently bad. Having a stressful life does not always mean something is terribly wrong that needs to be fixed. This may feel confusing and in direct opposition to a lot of the health info out there showing staggering statistics about how stress shortens our lives and increases risk of disease.
Remember, the key here is how we view it.
A Stanford psychology study showed that viewing stress as a helpful and necessary part of life, rather than having a victim “why me” mentality, actually is associated with better overall health, emotional well-being, and productivity (even if these are levels of very high stress)
This study reported that people who claimed to have no stressors in their life at all actually showed signs of lower cognitive functioning and faster aging when looking at the hippocampus and telomere length. Stress is good for the brain! We crave challenges for a reason
View your stress as positive. Tell yourself “I am going to grow from this challenge and come out the other side. I have all the tools necessary to overcome this obstacle. I have felt this way in the past and ____ ended up happening. My body is reacting exactly the way I need it to right now”. Whatever pertains to your specific scenario and stressor
Try to avoid the “we are on a floating rock so none of this really matters” mentality to make yourself feel better and throw out what is stressing you. While it may feel relieving in the moment, the truth is that we need discipline and we need challenges in life. This is how we grow in to ourselves. The key is figuring out what you are learning in each scenario, and how it is getting you to where you need to be at the end of the day
Go Outside and Move your Body
No matter what ancient form of medicine you consult, every physician is going to tell you the same thing: you need to move. Western psychiatrists are going to look at increased levels of dopamine and serotonin, Traditional Chinese Medicine doctors are going to say you need to move your stagnant Qi, and Ayurvedic doctors will say you need to burn up your Ama and create a sense of lightness. Regardless, we all agree and for good reason.
Take a walk. You do not need to hit a PR at the gym or breakout into a sweat every day to feel the benefits. Studies have shown that walking improves forward-thinking, creativity, release endorphins/serotonin, blunts noradrenaline release, and help to decrease fear perception by deactivating the amygdala
When you do have the time and physical energy, getting your heart thumping and a good sweat is largely beneficial. Vigorous exercise is shown to increase both glutamate and GABA levels as well as boosting BDNF
Forest bathing is shown time and time again to improve mood and focus while decreasing feelings of depression and anxiety. Discovered in Japan, shinrin-yoku is not anecdotal and is backed by decades of research. We are meant to be outside far more than we are in the modern age. Walks in the forest are shown to decrease cortisol, and natural oils in trees actually contain 3-carene which alleviates inflammation, lowers anxiety, and improves sleep
If you cannot get outside for a walk at the moment, even just looking outside a window can help your brain to calm down. This study actually showed that people recovered quicker from surgery when in a room with a window instead of a brick wall. In addition, visual access to the outdoors is shown to increase focus when given a task
Consume Foods that Love you Back
When I say consume foods that love you back, I am not trying to say you need to go on a strict diet and start living on salads and broth in order to feel joy again. I think what is most important here is being conscious of what will truly nourish our bodies and minds, instead of giving us a quick jolt of comforting dopamine to get through a stressful day. When looking to really improve our mental health, we are looking for long term solutions
There is consistent research coming out regarding a direct link between regulation of your mood and glycemic index (blood sugar). Those with hyperglycemia or diabetes consistently show a correlation in symptoms of depression and anxiety. This also is accurate in those without a diagnosed condition who eat a diet high in sugar and refined carbs displaying an increase in mental disorders. Being sure to add in roughly 20-30 grams of protein per meal and snacking on protein and fiber rich foods throughout the day, such as rice cakes with peanut butter or tuna and avocado, is largely helpful and an easy adjustment
Eat a large variety of plants. Even if you can do this by adding in a green and some seeds to your morning smoothie, you are already improving. By feeding the probiotics in our gut and SCFA’s (short chain fatty acids) through fiber rich foods, we can alleviate symptoms of depression on a large scale
Experiment with herbal teas and adaptogenic drinks throughout the day when your energy and mood is dipping instead of plain water. Adaptogens are plant-derived substances used to regulate your adrenals. These are some great recipes to try instead of reaching for a 3rd cup of coffee at 2 pm! For tea, I like chamomile, St.John’s wort, and lemon balm
Reference my past article on depression for more specific information on helpful nutrients and herbs ♡
Breathwork, Meditation, and Mindfulness
Being mindful in your life really boils down to being present. Oftentimes, if you sit with your feelings of fear, anxiety, pain, depression, etc., they reveal themselves to be either a rumination in the past or a worry for the future. Do not let this rob you of the present moment, of your life as it is happening. I am well aware that this is easier said than done. Sometimes, not all the gurus and guided meditations in the world can dig you out of your rut. But, if you take it one breath at a time, slow down, and realize what actually matters right at this very moment, it almost always helps at least a little.
When you are in a state of anxiety and panic, you breathing seems to only be happening in your chest. In order to activate our parasympathetic nervous system, we need to breathe into our bellies and make our exhales longer than our inhales, as a general rule of thumb
A good trick I like to use is two quick nasal inhales into your abdomen followed by a long exhale. Think of a child’s cry, they intrinsically know how to regulate! This is a great technique for acute anxiety to lower your heart rate and calm you down, repeat as many times as necessary
Alternate nostril breathing, or Nadi Shodhana Pranayama, is a yogic breathing technique very effective for alleviating stress and depression. This technique is thought to create a balance and align the hemispheres of the brain. Breathing dominantly through the left nostril ( Ida) creates an overly feminine and passive energy, whereas the right nostril (Pingala) is masculine and over-assertiveness. Here is a great video to follow along for your first time
Allow yourself a 10 minute meditation break during the work day. This may sound daunting when you are slammed and barely have time to eat, but you are eventually going to encounter burnout if you don’t allow your brain time to recover and easter into alpha brain waves and instead keep running on beta. Instead of a guided meditation in which you are taken out of the present moment, if you work from home a good method is to set a timer, light a candle, and focus on the flame for 10 minutes straight. If you don’t work from home, I recommend finding a comfortable space where you can be alone and doing a simple body scan meditation with deep breathing
Heat therapy and epsom salt baths are amazing tools alongside mindfulness techniques if they are accessible to you. Lately, cold plunges are getting all the hype, but many forms of traditional medicine would actually quiver at the thought of this! Maintaining heat gives your body a sense of safety. Infrared saunas cause a release of endorphins, muscle relaxation, vasodilation, and pain relief. Epsom salt baths allow magnesium to absorb into the skin, the benefits of which are discussed here in my past blog on minerals. The studied amount is 4-5 cups per bath at least a couple times a week
Don’t Get Lost in the World of Wellness
Above all, remember that sometimes the act of chasing after healing over and over again can be more negative for your mental health than helpful. As a whole, society has placed wellness and health into the same lens as it does everything else: all hustle and bustle, down to business, working endlessly on it. The truth is, sometimes it may help to read a self help book but sometimes when all you’re doing over and over again is fixating on healing you aren’t actually creating space to heal. Sometimes it’s better to pick up a fiction book and let your mind get lost in a rich story, or to choose to spend the afternoon painting instead of working out, or making some baked goods and guiltlessly enjoying them instead of hyper fixating on eating 100% clean.
Although there’s a lot of social media accounts and podcasts and blogs that talk about how you need to do be doing a million things a day for self care, it’s not realistic or sustainable to think each person has the time in the day to have a 3 hour morning routine. Sometimes, 2 minutes of quiet breathing in the morning is all you have and that’s more than okay. Take it easy on yourself.
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