Back to Basics
I don’t want you to think I am minimizing your suffering with anxiety, depression, stress, or grief because I know how overwhelming these can be. Over the years (30+) I’ve learned that the first things that get left out of the self care equation are the basics- eating regularly and nutritiously, getting the right amount of sleep, exercising, social interactions (I know it’s a bad time to bring that up), working the appropriate number of hours, resting/relaxing, time outdoors, and breathing. These are so important in managing a healthy lifestyle for everyone but are especially important when dealing with any type of mental health issue or chronic condition. Sometimes we are overwhelmed dealing with so much that we simply forget what we need to do to take care of ourselves.
Eating nutritiously
When stressed you may go for the junk food. This is just not helpful though. It interferes with eating what’s best for you and generally leads to feelings of fatigue (due to sugar and Carb crashes) and guilt. This doesn’t mean don’t ever treat yourself it just means don’t eat that way most of the time.
Often when dealing with overwhelming emotions many people find they are overeating, or sometimes not eating enough due to feeling anxiousness and nauseated. Often people will skip meals, and this can wreak havoc on your ability to think clearly, concentrate, and eat in a healthy way all day. Our bodies tend to want to make up for the lack of eating later in the day.
Do you drink enough water? I know you’ve heard how important it is!! If you don’t like the taste of water (Strathroy water-YUCK) there are flavour enhancers you can buy. It’s important to get some water in you early in the day to help you have energy and be able to think more clearly.
If you aren’t sure what healthy eating is look at Canada’s Food Guide (it’s just a guide) and it lays things out pretty clearly. It may be hard to follow to a tee but it’s a good start in knowing how much of what is healthiest.
Sleep
This is another loaded subject. You’ve been told all your life to get 8 hours per night. This again is a guide. For some people that is too much and for others it’s not enough. We all have different sleep patterns, but the idea is to get the right amount for you- not too much, not too little. Some people are morning people (not me!! I wish I was), and some are night hawks. We’ve been told no screens for an hour or more before bedtime. Recently I attended a seminar by a well-respected researcher who debunked this. WOW! So, I leave it up to you if what you’re doing works for you and you are getting enough sleep to feel rested when you get up. Don’t skimp or overdo. If you do, it contributes to depression, anxiety, and stress.
Exercising
UGH!! There’s that word. For some it seems so easy to fit into the day. For many it’s hard to find the time or the energy. The thing is when you exercise you have more energy overall. You can think more clearly and it really (I mean really!!!) contributes to having a better mood. There are just so many benefits. How to get started? I often say start with 10 minutes of whatever type of exercise you want to do. Once the 10 minutes are up if you have more in you go for it, if not at least you’ve done 10 minutes. 10 minutes of something is better than zero minutes of nothing. It also contributes to better sleep. This in turn contributes to a better mood- you see where I’m going with this.
Social Interactions
This has been so incredibly difficult these past 14 months!!! We have had to self isolate, stay indoors, stay in our bubble, and be so careful about who we are around in case they have the virus or in case we give some who is at a greater health risk if they get the virus. Technology has helped fill the void, but we all know it just isn’t the same as seeing people in person. The nice weather is here though, and we can get back to socially distanced outdoor visits. Everyday more and more people are getting vaccinated, and “they” say this is the answer to being able to be closer to people, taking off the masks, and even having HUGS!! We have sure learned through this how important human connection and physical contact is to our mental health.
Resting/Relaxing
Often when feeling overwhelmed we think working hard to tackle everything is the answer but that isn’t always the case. To stay emotionally healthy, it is especially important to strike a balance and pace ourselves. It can feel like we are being lazy or not doing everything we can if we take a break, but this is truly part of what helps us to be more productive in the long run. The tasks aren’t going anywhere. They will be waiting right where you left them. Physically and mentally resting and taking breaks gives our bodies and minds a chance to recover and get back to doing what we want by clearing our head, and physically recuperating. It doesn’t have to be a long break, sometimes 10-15 minutes can make a huge difference. Give yourself time to have a glass of water, sit for a few minutes, go to the washroom etc. Listen to your body it’s trying to tell you something.
Time Outdoors
Finally, the good weather has arrived!!! Get outside. Get some sunshine. Do I sound like your mother when you were a child? Lol. The sun gives us a good dose of vitamin D which gives us energy and helps our mood so much. Usually when outside, we are moving as well, and this contributes to mood and energy however, even without moving the sun is great for our physical and mental health. Don’t forget to apply sunscreen, even on a cloudy day.
Breathe
Don’t forget to breathe. I know, you’ve been doing it all your life you know how to breathe. It’s so easy though for us to be breathing ineffectively by breathing too quickly or to shallowly. Sometimes we hold our breath, and we aren’t even aware of it until our body gasps for a breath. Thankfully, our brain kicks in when we need it! Take 3 nice slow deep breaths every now and then. Or find a nice three-minute breathing exercise on YouTube. It is so important to get the oxygen we need into our blood and to our organs. It’s a very quick way to slow your mind and body down just to give it a quick break so you can refocus and keep going without being in a constant state of stress.
Take care of yourself. You are the only you that you have, and ultimately only you can make yourself the best version of you.
Some great videos to watch by Dr. Mike Evans are
“23 and ½ hours”
“90:10 the single most important thing you can do for your stress”
“What’s the best diet? Healthy Eating 101”
These are interesting and entertaining to watch and full of extremely helpful information.
If you are struggling to implement all these things into your life or you have but you are still depressed, anxious, grieving, or living with stress that just feels too much to cope with please give me a call.