A Thriving Mind, it's easier than you think...

A healthy, happy, resilient mind is something that can be strengthened through strategy...

Excessive stress, burnout and worsening mental health, it's time to take a stand for a healthier mindset and it's so much easier than you think....

In this article I share with you evidence based feasible strategies to stress less, regain clarity of thought, strengthen mindset and resilience to simply feel better and have a healthier, thriving mind.

There are three sections:

• The Simple - The simplest, foundational steps of optimal mental health.
• The Significant: The science of why exercise, eating well and sleep are the pillars of enhancing mental health.
• Soothe the struggle - How to deal with life's tough times to build resilience and cope better.

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The Simple

First, we start with the simplest things that form the foundation of optimal mental health. They don’t take much time or effort, simply requiring more conscious awareness.

Change how you breathe, change how you feel and perform

How you breathe influences your nervous system.

Take slower, deeper abdominal breathes to influence the parasympathetic nervous system for a calm and centring effect (which is why it is the foundation of meditation and yoga) conversely short, shallow chest breathing influences the sympathetic nervous system to feel more activated and agitated.

Essentially: Deep breathing is a nervous system brake and fast, shallow breathing is an accelerator.

“Becoming aware of our breathing and taking control of it is one of the most powerful ways to take control of ourselves: how we think, feel and perform”

Eric Greitens Navy SEAL

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Drink water to keep your cognitive function fluid

?Did you know your brain is made of 75% water and only a small 1-2% drop in hydration will affect cognitive function and mood.

A study?published by Deakin University School of Medicine found people who drink five cups or more of water per day were at lower risk of depression and anxiety. In comparison, drinking less than two cups per day doubles the risk.

Mild dehydration increases the stress hormone cortisol, reduces cognitive function, increase negative emotions and reduces serotonin production, so drinking plenty of water is important for mental health and optimal brain function.

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Stand up from your chair to dissipate stress

Simple incremental movements throughout the day help to dissipate stress.

We all know we need to exercise but sitting all day is not only bad for health stress levels rise which is why standing up from your chair regularly is so important. In her book Sitting Kills, Moving Heals NASA life scientist Joan Vernikos states the simple act of standing up once has a physiological stimulus to the body as remaining standing for 30 minutes.

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Take 5 to thrive

?Research conducted by Microsoft Labs in 2021 proved your brain needs a break.

Two groups conducted four 30 minute meetings and had brain activity measured by ecg. One group took a 10 minute break between each meeting, the other back to back meetings with no break. Unsurprisingly, the brain beta activity and stress levels remained much lower in the group taking breaks proving the importance of taking breaks for brain health, managing stress levels and function.

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WELLBEING BOOSTER: The instant energy action plan

You can combine all of these simple techniques into a wellbeing boosting action plan.

Every 60-90 minutes:

·????? Get up from your chair

·????? Stretch and rotate your torso side to side

·????? Take some deep breathes

·????? Drink a glass of water

Total investment time 60-90 seconds to ignite energy, reduce stress and prevent burnout by working with your wellbeing rather than against it.

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The Significant

?Next, we look at the three pillars of a healthy mind: exercise, a healthy diet and sleep with the science to prove why they really are so important.

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Exercise, the number one drug for mental health

The University of South Australia concluded in a meta-analysis of 97 studies involving 128,000 people, published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, concluded that exercise is 1.5 times more effective for improving mental health than medication and counselling.

Whilst all exercise if beneficial they also found lifting weights is most effective for depression and mind-body based exercise is better for anxiety.

How to exercise when you are busy:

·????? Do it in the morning, you can get up a bit early to find the time and it sets you up for a more positive, productive day.

·????? You don’t need one hour, 15-20 minutes is enough, save time by taking less rest breaks, doing circuits or interval sprints.

·????? Lacking in motivation? Join a structured program such as a group or get a trainer for accountability or do it with a friend.

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Food improves mood by 32%

In 2015, Deakin University conducted a world first study to look at the relationship between food and mental health. In a 12 week program, 32% of people with clinically diagnosed major depression by following a healthy (predominantly mediterranean style) diet went into remission. One of the other key findings of the study was the more people improved their diet, the better their mental health.

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How to eat well when you are busy:

·????? First and foremost, do grocery shopping to have the right food available to be able to cook healthy meals.

·????? Better still, prepare a menu or meals in advance by cooking up a big pot of food to have in the fridge or freezer for when you get home after a long day.

·????? Find healthier ‘snacks’ for times when you don’t have time to eat or when you fancy a snack ?- such as nuts, fruit or protein bars.

·????? A reminder to drink plenty of water as it helps to keep you energised and manage your appetite – you could be thirsty not hungry.

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Sleep the bridge between despair and hope

According to sleep expert and neuroscientist Professor Matthew Walker, author of the book ‘Why we sleep’ sleep is the single most important thing we can do to reset our brains. His research proves you really do need 7-8 hours per night to be physically and mentally healthy and getting less than 6 hours per night is detrimental to health and performance.

In his research people who got under 6 hours of sleep consistently underperformed in tests compared to people how got sufficient sleep, even though they felt fine.

“When sleep is abundant minds flourish, when it is deficient they don’t”

Professor Matthew Walker

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How to sleep well

Going to bed does not equal going to sleep.Optimal sleep occurs like a plane descending to land, a routine of procedures to gradually descend into gracefully sleep.

·????? Start to mentally unwind one hour before bed by getting off digital devices and stopping work.

·????? Dim lights or use candles to recreate the yellow tones of sunset which use to be the signal for people in the preindustrial world it was time to sleep soon.

·????? Do things to relax such as have a bath or shower, read, listen to relaxing music, do some mediation, journal or write out busy thoughts.

·????? Sleep in cool, completely dark room.

·????? Do some deep breathing and instead of worrying about what you have to do tomorrow do gratitude to reflect on what went well today.

And don’t drink too much, if any, alcohol before bed. Whilst it may seem to relax you alcohol actually disrupts sleep cycles so you get less restful sleep and will feel less energised the next day – without feeling hungover.

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And if you can’t sleep, don’t lay there tossing and turning:

·????? Get out of bed and go to another room to do something relaxing like read a magazine or watch some TV, better still do some deep breathing and return to bed in 10-15 minutes.

·????? Don’t check emails or social media!

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Soothe the Struggle

Sometimes life can be tough.

You can be better prepared to deal with those tough times if you have strategies ready to deploy.

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Grounding

When life seems to be spiralling out of control, the very first thing to do is try to bring ourselves back into the moment, a technique called ‘grounding’. Our minds can ruminate and run away with problems, so by pulling back to the present moment we can regain some sort of calmness and control. Sure, the problem is still there but our ability to perceive and deal with it will be clearer.

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Ground yourself by:

·????? Take some deep, slow breathes, such as doing some box breathing

·????? Wiggle your toes in your shoes, trying to grip the floor.

·????? Move your body by doing some shoulder rolls and pay attention to how it feels.

·????? Observe 5 things happening around you, without mentally labelling them.

·????? Repeat this whole process until you feel more centred and relaxed.

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?Simplify and Scale back

Once we feel more present and in control we can take action. First, prioritise by simplifying what we need to attend to and scale back on our commitments. Interestingly, this is exactly what your body does when faced with a threat. Non-essential functions like digestion, immunity and reproduction were not essential when trying to flee a sabre tooth tiger so they are put on slow mode - which is why digestive issues, poor ongoing health and low sex drive is a symptom of chronic stress. Whereas essential functions are heightened to prepare for ‘fight or flight’ – elevated heart, respiratory rate, blood pressure, blood sugar and adrenalin – to mobilise resources to deal with the threat (whether that is mental or physical).

In our world our threats are mostly mental but we still have this physiological response which is why when stress or rather stressors – the things causing stress and constant - we get physical and mental health issues arising.

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Focus on facts

Keep the brain in a cognitive state by focussing on facts rather than exaggerated emotional perception. Writing things down helps to externalise and factualise the situation to get better clarity and a broader perspective. Focus on your strengths and attributes by considering similar situations that you have encounter like this before, to use them as evidence you can deal with this situation. Try to reframe negative self-talk like ‘I’m a failure, I’m useless’ to more empowering, self-supporting statements such as ‘I’ve got this’.

Did you know playing computer games can be beneficial to stressful times as it keeps the mind in the cognitive zone and away from emotionally ruminating (but don’t play them for hours!).

Make a plan and start with the easiest thing first

Brainstorm solutions: Make a list of all the ways to can solve the problem. Rank the strategies in order of the most achievable and effective. Start with the easiest thing first to take your first positive action to making things better. Also consider: Do you need to get help or find resources to assist you?

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Acceptance

?Focus on what you can control and accept what you can’t. Work within your influence and don’t worry about what you can’t control. For example, there is no real point getting upset about the weather or traffic as you can’t do anything about them. You can dress appropriately to the weather or take a different route to avoid traffic jams as examples of how to respond to things out of your control.

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Celebrate your wins

It’s important to check in regularly and see how actions are progressing towards solving your problems. It is also important to acknowledge all your wins and success as this helps to build a sense of achievement and self-efficacy to counter feelings of hopelessness. Set a regular day and time to reflect on your progress, celebrate wins simply by acknowledging them and consider what you might need to refine and do slightly better.

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One day at a time

When life is tough, it’s important not to look too far into the future or make big decisions or changes. Some good advice I took from a life coach when I was lonely, sad and missing my children whilst going through a marriage breakdown was: Just take it one day a time. And before you know it, those seemingly tough times, you thought would never end, have long since passed.

You just may not see it right now.

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Connect

Humans are social creatures and connection and community are paramount to our basic needs as food, water and shelter. Reaching out to talk to someone is extremely important, particularly when dealing with life’s tough times. Talk to your partner, family member, friend or colleague. In alignment with the RUOK Day message ‘a conversation can change a life’.

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And don’t forget your self-care

During tough times it is important to double down on self-care strategies like exercise, eating well and getting plenty of sleep as these are the backbone of clearing your head and building resilience.

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Avoid maladaptive coping

Whilst we can all turn to a bottle of red and a block of chocolate after a tough day, it’s important not to make these your go-to stress solving strategies. Self-soothing food, alcohol, drugs, cigarettes, doom scrolling or shopping is what is known as maladaptive coping. It might feel good at the time but these behaviours often lead to more problems.

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Ask for help

?If you are really struggling, you may need to reach out for professional help.

Never suffer in silence.

Go to see your doctor, book a counselling or session with a psychologist, call a helpline, there are plenty of professional resources out there to help.

Suicide: a permanent solution to a temporary problem.

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More stress soothing techniques

Other proven ways to stress less and feel mentally healthier are:

·????? Watch your favourite comedies, laughter is the best tonic for stress.

·????? Get out into the sunshine and nature.

·????? Set boundaries between work, personal time, self-care and people.

·????? Schedule time for ‘you’ in your schedule not just work commitments.

·????? Get off the phone and social media and have digital downtime.

·????? Be creative, draw, paint, play musical instruments

·????? Listen to music.

·????? Read, listen or watch inspiring stories.

·????? Volunteer to help others.

·????? Perform random acts of kindness.

·????? Do things differently from time to time, drive a different way to work, eat a different lunch, try a new café.

·????? Learn new skills.

·????? Play games.

·????? Meditate.

·????? Dance

And finally, ‘be thankful’

?One of my favorite ways to nurture a more optimistic mindset is the practise of gratitude. For me, it’s like fertiliser for the mind and it’s proven by science to release positive feel good neurotransmitters serotonin and dopamine to feel more optimistic.

Our minds have a natural tendency to have a negative default bias which stems from ancestral survival mindset to keep us alive by being cautious and some what pessimistic. We can however consciously choose what we focus on and by thinking about the positive things in our life, we can nurture a more optimistic mindset. Even when things are really bad and life is tough, we can still choose to grasp onto the positives:

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“At least it isn’t raining today”

Viktor Frankl Holocaust survivor, scientist and author of Mans search for meaning

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Final Thoughts

?Mental health is exactly like physical health. To be fit, we need to working out, it doesn’t just happen. Mental health is the same. To have a healthy, resilient and strong mindset you need to work on it by using the proven strategies discussed. The more things you do and the more consistent you are the better your mindset and mental health will be.

?Regular not reactive

It’s important to be regular and consistent with the strategies rather than being reactive to when life takes a turn for the worse. By being consistent and regular, you can build resilience so when things do get tough, they won’t have such a big impact and you can navigate them more successfully, without falling into a heap.

Most people would consider me a positive person but it is not a natural state of affairs, it’s something I have worked on for years through learning, practise and refinement. It’s something you can strengthen too, so life can be more vibrant, enjoyable and be better equipped to deal with the inevitable tough times that are part of making life a rich adventure. Whilst you may not see at the time, those tough times help us to become stronger and wiser and take us on new paths we may never have seen before.

Thank you for reading.