Where Do I Begin in Trying to Improve My Mental Health?

Among the MANY things I’m interested in learning about a person visiting my therapy room for the first time, there are three things I make sure to ask about: their sleep habits, their basic nutrition, and whether they exercise. While it goes without saying these three factors are key to physical well-being, they are also of paramount importance to our mental health. Finding out about them can serve as a helpful place to begin in trying to set a course for healing. These are things people can often talk about with relative ease. They serve as a great baseline to make note of and provide me with a launch pad for discussing and evaluating a person’s level of self-care.

Sleep, nutrition, and exercise are our foundation for wellness. Recognizing you feel “off,” or not optimal, is a signal to check in with how you’re doing in each of these areas. If just one of them is “out of whack,” chances are there is something within your power to improve it, and thus positively affect how you feel both physically and psychologically.

1. Sleep

There is a concept called “sleep hygiene” which encompasses having a regular, soothing routine around sleep. It incorporates going to bed and rising at roughly the same time every day of the week and falling asleep without electronic devices beeping and flashing nearby.

Some people report having trouble falling asleep. Those who do can experiment with strategies such as using a white noise machine, practicing meditation or relaxation exercises before bedtime, journaling, praying, reading, applying a scented lotion such as lavender, using blackout shades, or thinking thoughts of gratitude.

Those who struggle with waking during the night and having trouble going back to sleep can try leaving a pen and notepad on their nightstand on which to deposit any persistent, intrusive thoughts (don’t even bother turning on the light). This helps to externalize those thoughts so you can address them during waking hours, and essentially gives you permission to return to sleep. Breathing exercises and, again, perhaps flipping on a white noise machine with a timer might also be the trick to sending you back to dreamland.

It goes without saying if our sleep is disturbed or we don’t get enough, we may feel sluggish, are less able to focus and perform tasks efficiently, and have a lower threshold for stress. Improving our sleep habits can be the first step in improving our mental health.

2. Nutrition

When we don’t eat in line with what our bodies need, or when we consume things we know are inflammatory or irritating to our systems, we often don’t feel well. We find ourselves bloated and gassy, overly full or with an upset stomach, lacking energy, or subject to the roller-coaster ride that too many simple carbohydrates and sugars can subject us to.

Exercise is key to building confidence, gaining clarity, and fighting stress.

The key is to pay attention to your body. Do you eat when you’re hungry? What are the foods that impact you negatively? For example, do you get a stomachache every time you eat ice cream or potato chips? If so, it makes sense to honor that knowledge and refrain from inflicting that discomfort on your body again and again. When you don’t listen to the signals your body gives you, you are doing your system a disservice and taxing it in unnecessary ways, hindering its ability to handle stress and cope effectively, and potentially contributing to the development or exacerbation of symptoms of anxiety, depression, or other issues.

Eating regularly and choosing what your body needs in order to be healthy ensures that your tank is full with the “right” fuel, enabling you to run more smoothly, effectively, and comfortably.

3. Exercise

Moving our bodies is a way for us to feel powerful, strong, and capable, and can improve our mood. It’s a great way to expend nervous or excess energy. It can be a means of getting fresh air or engaging with others.

Exercise is also a way to challenge ourselves and note progress. Feeling a sense of accomplishment can improve feelings of efficacy. You don’t have to join a gym or train for a marathon for it to mean something. Do something that’s different or “more” for you, and give yourself that opportunity to experience a personal success and triumph when you achieve it.

Exercise is key to building confidence, gaining clarity, and fighting stress.

How It All Comes Together

Sleep, nutrition, and exercise are linked like fingers interlaced. We sleep better when we move our bodies and when we aren’t hopped up on caffeine or sugar. We exercise more effectively when we’ve had ample rest and we’re fueling our bodies with what we need to perform well. We have the wherewithal to make healthy food choices when we are rested and we recognize the importance of well-being and fitness.

When we begin to get these three things in check, both our physical and mental states may begin to improve, or, at the very least, we have a foundation on which to build the process of healing ourselves at a deeper level.

So as not to overwhelm, it may be best to start with ONE thing you can do to improve just ONE of these three areas and then let that serve as your first step in improving your mental health—and, with it, your awareness around the power you have within yourself.

Note: If you are planning on making big changes to your diet or exercise regimens, it’s always advisable to check with your doctor first.

© Copyright 2016 GoodTherapy.org. All rights reserved. Permission to publish granted by Laurie Leinwand, MA, LPC, GoodTherapy.org Topic Expert Contributor

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