Hello everyone, Today, we will discuss how to improve your mental health during this pandemic. It is normal to have some stress in your life. Stress helps us to get things done. Unfortunately, when we do not find ways to decrease our stress level, it can lead to long term damage to your body. The main components to decrease stress are: sleep, exercise, food, breathing, and meditation. All of these have a cumulative and synergistic effect. So, working on any one piece of the puzzle can help the whole body. Start with whatever technique sounds comfortable first, and add in other aspects as you go along.
The key to knowing if these things work is when our brain's stress story line is shut down. We feel a feeling of well being, safety, and relaxation. 1. Sleep: So important and sometimes one of the first things to be impacted by stress. Either difficulty falling asleep or waking up after a few hours of sleep and being unable to fall back to sleep.
Best sleep for your brain is between 10PM and 2AM.
Limit screen time 1-2 hours before bed. Invest in a blue light filter for your phone and computer screen. If you are having trouble falling asleep, try going to sleep 1 hour sooner than you normally would. You may be missing your bodies natural dip in wakefulness. Leading you to become over tired and wired, causing difficulty falling asleep. My favorite things to help with falling asleep or if you wake up and cannot fall back to sleep are: Yogi Tea/ bedtime tea; Rescue Sleep melts by Bach; and Calms Forte by Hyland's. I also take L-tryptophan 500mg every evening, 1 hour before bedtime. Tryptophan is the substance in turkey that makes you sleepy. It is also the precursor to serotonin which could help you to feel more positive. So, a win win! 2. Exercise: Not much to say here, except the obvious. Exercise lowers stress levels by burning off excess energy and getting your mind focused on something else. It also helps you sleep better. Outside exercise also has the added benefit of sunlight which increases your vitamin D. The most effective types of exercise increase your heart rate. There are also benefits with stretching and walking. If you have not been exercising, start slow. Remember, any exercise is better than no exercise. Shoot for 30-60 minutes/day. 3. Food: The best foods are the simple, whole foods: fruit, salads, meat, eggs, nuts. Shopping around the edges of the grocery store is where you will find these hidden gems. Everything in the middle of the grocery store is the stuff that you should consider as junk food. I use the 80:20 rule. Eat healthy 80% of the time, and unhealthy 20% of the time. Start with one meal/day and make it 100% healthy X 1 week. Then, after that week, pick another meal to make healthy, Repeat again in week 3! Then, you will be eating healthy 3X/day! Save the unhealthy food for snacks or occasionally, as a meal. Changing your diet can have a profound effect on your mental health! Limiting caffeine, sugar, juice, and low fiber carbs can really help. Your body needs good nutrients to stay healthy. 4. Breathing and meditation: Every time you take a deep breath, that air exchange in your lungs is detoxifying your body by releasing carbon dioxide with traces of substances that your body does not need. If you do not breath deeply, you are not getting this benefit. Set your phone timer for 5 or 10 minutes, press start, close your eyes and breath. It is that simple. The next step towards meditation while breathing is to clear your mind and concentrate on your breathing. If a thought comes up, acknowledge it by saying "I am thinking" and then go back to focusing on your breath. Try and do this everyday. As you find it easier with consistency, extend the time. The goal is 20-30 minutes 1-2 X/day. This will lower your stress level and hopefully, your blood pressure. This technique can even be taught to children and done together as a family. Namaste, Nancy the Shamanrunner