5 Ways to Improve Mental Wellbeing

1. Exercise

Exercising has so many benefits, not just for your physical health, but also for your mental health.

When use the term 'exercise', it doesn't mean you have to run 5km. It just means doing an activity that requires "physical effort, carried out to sustain or improve health and fitness". It can be anything from swimming for 20 minutes, or doing 10 minutes of Yoga a day.

Yoga helps*:

• Lower heart rate.

• Lower blood pressure.

• Improve respiration.

• Reduce the stress response.

• Reduce depression and anxiety.

*Domingues, R., 2018. Modern postural yoga as a mental health promoting tool: A systematic review. Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice, [online] 31, pp.Pages 248-255. Available at: <https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1744388118300653?via%3Dihub>

Exercise can as well...

• Raise self-esteem.

• Decrease stress hormones (cortisol) while increasing endorphin production.

• Reduce the chance of panic attacks.

• Help distract you from negative thoughts and emotions.

• Improve relationships with others, especially if you exercise as part of a group (e.g. football teams).

This list is almost endless how wonderful exercise is for you. Try it!

2. Connection

Connecting with others is a great way to feel you 'belong'. Good relationships with others are a great way to support your mental health. Interactions with others create a sense of belonging and give you the emotional support needed. Healthy relationships are mutually beneficial, as both parties get the support desired.

After all, 'a problem shared is a problem halved'.

3. Eating & Drinking Well

For decades, science has concluded that what we eat and drink has major effects on our body & mind. Although certain foods seem 'comforting', there are healthier food types that lead to better health in the long-run.

What can we eat/drink to be healthier?

• Nuts & Seeds - Food groups such as nuts and seeds increase polyphenol levels via large quantities of antioxidants. This can promote small increases in brain function.

• Lots of Fruits and Vegetables - Vegetables such as spinach, beetroot, potatoes and mushrooms contain lots of vitamin B12. B12 promotes the production of serotonin and dopamine, leading to a regulated and maintained healthy mental state.

• Wholegrain Cereals & Bread - Wholegrain foods contain a specific type of amino acid called tryptophan. Tryptophan helps the body produce serotonin and melatonin, which improves general mood and relaxes the brain. Melatonin is also very beneficial for maintaining regular sleep cycles.

• Drink Lots of Water - The average human should drink around 3 litres of water a day. Drinking lots of water helps with physical and mental states. As water contains natural calming properties, drinking enough water is a crucial step when managing anxiety.

• Avoid Excessive Caffeine - I, just like most people, will always start the day with a small caffeine boost in everyone's favourite format; coffee. Without getting too scientific, caffeine is a central nervous system (CNS) stimulant which blocks the neurotransmitter adenosine's receptors. Caffeine can improve mood, boost alertness, and help people feel productive, however, too much can also affect the opposite. Too much caffeine causes side effects like irritability, gastric distress and insomnia.

4. Asking For Help

As humans, we rarely want to burden loved ones with problems. However, sharing thoughts and emotions is a crucial skill to have. If you ever feel overwhelmed or feel as though everything is getting too much, ask for help.

There are many people and services that will help you. These include:

• Talking to a counsellor or therapist to discuss your issues.

• Joining support groups nearby to help create changes within your life.

• Speaking to your GP as they may refer you to specialist services.

5. Practicing Mindfulness

Mindfulness is the human ability to be fully present and aware of where we are and what we’re doing. It’s about not reacting to our surroundings. Most of us are practicing mindfulness every day without realising, however, the primary key to mindfulness is being 'aware' of what is happening.

How can we be aware?

• Try slowing down, pay attention to your surroundings.

• Take a minute to focus on your breathing and see how fast or slow it is.

• Try to listen to your heartbeat. Is it fast/slow? Where can you hear it? Can you feel it in your chest?

• Accept yourself as who you are - Take small moments to think of all your best qualities. Even when you are at your lowest, try to remember there are still qualities about you that are great. You just might have to dig a little deeper to bring them to the surface.

We can carry mindfulness out in many formats; seated, walking, standing, lying down.

It can help reduce stress, grant insight into problems that you may be worried about, create awareness about other’s well-being and our own, and also enhance performance in day-to-day life (increase attention and decrease the chance of burnouts).

Mindfulness isn't an exotic practice that has recently formed, it's something humans have been doing for centuries. It's taken many forms and gone by many names. We just haven't been so aware of it.

For more information on how to practise mindfulness, you can visit: https://www.mindful.org/what-is-mindfulness/.

DISCLAIMER: I am not a qualified doctor, nor do I consider myself to be. This article was formed with over 10 hours of research & prior knowledge. All changes to diet, lifestyle, and/or medicine intake should be checked through with a doctor first.