Time to Slow Down & Talk about Mental Health

THE MARK DIVINE SHOW

How Can We Take Care of Our Mental Health?

Episode 365: Mark and Melanie Talk about Mental Health

This week on the podcast, I sit down with Melanie Sliwka, Certified Unbeatable Mind Coach. For the past 12 years, Melanie has trained and worked with Navy SEALs, thought leaders, and top-performing executives. Join us for an important, candid conversation about mental health, suicide, the unique mental health challenges of veterans, and how we can take our well-being into our own hands.

Key Takeaways:

• Always remember to PBTA.?Due to childhood trauma and other traumatic life events, most of us are operating in a constant hyper aroused state. (And for veterans, combat stress can exacerbate underlying trauma that already existed.) The acronym?Pause,?Breathe,?Think and?Act can be a literal life-saver to bring the body out of “fight or flight” and back into “rest and digest” mode.?
• Who’s your swim buddy??If you’re having trouble managing your own internal dialogue and thinking processes, it’s important to reach out to a positive person you can trust. Think about it right now: who is your go-to swim buddy when shit gets really bad? And how can?you?be someone else’s swim buddy?
• Pharmaceutical drugs are a short-term solution.?The rate of suicide among those who are taking SSRIs vs interventions through other nonpharmaceutical means is 2:1. While antidepressants can be great for short-term mental health interventions, it’s important to include nonpharmaceutical interventions for long-term well-being.
• Get re-balanced with the basics.?The big four practices for physiological rebalancing are: breath training, proper nutrition, exercise, and sleep. For 20 minutes every morning, try box breathing: inhale for five counts, hold your breath for five counts, exhale for five counts, and hold your exhaled breath for five counts. This is a completely free anti-stress medicine that you can do anytime, anywhere. Balancing the physiological system then leads to psychological space, which enables you to make better decisions across all areas of your life.

LISTEN NOW

WHAT I'M READING

How to Change Your Mind,?Michael Pollan

If you’re still not sold on psychedelic therapy (and even if you are), I’d highly recommend this book. I find it to be an engaging and compelling call for further research of this potentially world-changing healing modality.

WHAT I'M WRITING ABOUT?THIS WEEK

Slow Down, You’re Moving Too Fast

While it might seem like humanity is choosing fear and violence at this point in history, it’s really only a small group of extremely powerful individuals who are currently perpetuating - and profiting from - this damaging cycle. Fortunately, I believe strongly that this will change as we scale positive consciousness globally and begin to phase out these negative forces.?In this piece, I discuss what you can do right now to change the world, starting with yourself.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

“It is impossible to get better and look good at the same time.”

— Julia Cameron

PRACTICE OR HABIT TO TRY

Which of the “big four” health practices could you stand to focus on a bit more? Between breath training, proper nutrition, exercise, and sleep, pick ONE this week to zoom in on and refine.

That’s all for now! See you next week.?

Hooyah!

Mark

P.S.?The “new normal” continues