How we look after ourselves

The last couple of years have impacted everyone in many different ways. We have been in circumstances that have been incomparable and unavoidable. Discerning and accepting what we cannot control, and, focusing on what we can, has become more important in looking after ourselves. It also raises the question of “How do we look after ourselves?”. Some of the ways in which we used to look after ourselves may have been restricted for a period of time and we may need to relearn these now that things are returning to a new normal.

Much could be written on each of these topics. So what follows is in no way exhaustive but rather might provide a starting point to consider the importance of these and other areas of your life in how they could help facilitate mental wellbeing. It should also be acknowledged that while these things may help facilitate wellbeing, we are not talking about a logical equation. These self-care tasks do not nullify the effects of not communicating our needs in thoughtful ways to others, or the impacts of finding ourselves in unsustainable relationships, nor necessarily the impacts of chronic issues. Complex problems often require complex solutions, which can be discussed in therapy.

a) Social connection

It has been described that we have been built with biological drives for social connection, for example how oxytocin (the love, or rather, connection hormone) can be released alongside cortisol during stressful times in order for us to seek out social support. Social connection is not always available to everyone, but efforts to connect can lead to a sense of belonging. When social connections are lost it can lead to loneliness, and may contribute to people isolating themselves further to avoid the risk of further loss. Some people may have learned and adapted from a young age that it is important for them to isolate or spend time alone in order to regulate their feelings. Reconsidering our social habits can be an important part of looking after ourselves.

b) Physical activity

Daily physical activity, when not contraindicated by the presence of eating and body disorders, has been shown to be conducive to improved mental health. Physical activity for mental wellbeing may be considered not only in how it releases feel good hormones, but also in how it can regulate our emotions via activation of our central nervous system. A simplified way to think about this might be whether we may need emotional regulation through ‘up-regulating’ the central nervous system by doing more intense movements like dance, boxing-exercise, jogging, compared to whether our nervous systems require ‘down-regulating’ via relaxing activities such as stretching through tai chi or yoga, gentle swimming and walking in natural environments. Often a variety of up-regulating and down-regulating activities with consideration to the other nervous system stressors in a persons life are required for a balanced positive impact of physical activity on mental wellbeing.

c) Eating

It can be difficult to discern credible information about eating and food in our marketing-heavy social world. However, preliminary evidence suggests that a Mediterranean diet can have positive impacts on mental health in people with depression (Parletta et al., 2019). This finding detailed that diversity of vegetables, legumes, nuts and fruit correlated with improved mental health as well as supported other research of the benefits of omega 3 fatty oils and dietary fibre (Cowan & Leonard, 2021). Along with this, it is understood that regular meals and fluids help to maintain blood sugar levels and hydration and have links to improved mood.

d) Sleep
Much has been written on the links between sleep and mental health. While we may not entirely understand its role, good sleep is accepted as a fundamental condition for mental wellbeing. Some initial tips for improving sleep might include having regular sleep/wake times, minimising exposure to light before bed, keeping bed for only sleep or relaxing activities, reduce (to shorter times and earlier in the day) or remove napping, develop a pre-bed routine without screens that involves calming activities. Others might be found here: https://www.sleepfoundation.org/sleep-hygiene/healthy-sleep-tips

e) Mindfulness
Mindfulness has roots in ancient traditions and has multiple aspects to its original, culturally rich meaning. In our contemporary setting we have defined mindfulness as paying attention to the present moment with openness, curiosity and without judgement. Mindfulness has been shown to have a wide range of benefits for mental health for people of all ages. Some of these benefits include increased resilience and ability to manage emotions. Resources to help foster a regular mindfulness practice might include an app-based course like The Basics of Mindfulness by Dan Harris and Joseph Goldstein. There are also free mindfulness resources like the Smiling Mind app, and the Dharma Ocean website which has guided practices that you can stream. Mindfulness is not indicated for everyone, however, for example people with a history of psychosis are not encouraged to pursue mindfulness as a practice.

Of course there are many other things that contribute to this mental well-being recipe. Such as expressing our creativity, finding purpose in work, how we communicate what we want to others in our lives, who we choose to spend time with, the stories about our lives that we repeat to ourselves, and, how we confront, avoid and process our emotions are all important parts of looking after ourselves.

References

Parletta, N., Zarnowiecki, D., Cho, J., Wilson, A., Bogomolova, S., Villani, A., Itsiopolous, C., Niyonsenga, T., Blunden, S., Meyer, B., Segal, L., Baune, B. T., & O’Dea, K. (2019). A Mediterranean-style dietary intervention supplemented with fish oil improves diet quality and mental health in people with depression: A randomized controlled trial (HELFIMED). Nutritional Neuroscience, 22(7), 474-487. doi:10.1080/1028415X.2017.1411320

Cowan C. S. M., & Leonard, B. E., (2021) Microbes and the Mind. The Impact of the Microbiome on Mental Health. Modern Trends in Psychiatry. Basel, Karger, 32(1), 100–112. doi: 10.1159/000510422