Using brain science to boost your mental health

Practical tips to boost your mental health

We all have pressures in our roles and these pressures can support our brains to perform at their best, in short we need stress to perform, without it we become demotivated and lack energy. However, we can only respond positively to that stress if we are prioritising our own brain health. Stress isn’t caused by just workload, but our reactions, our fears and our general health.

Movement

Movement is this year's MHAW theme. Multiple brain studies show that movement supports our mental health by triggering multiple brain chemicals. The two most important are endorphins (the ultimate “feel good” chemicals that improve our mood, sleep and self-esteem) and dopamine (the “motivation” and “reward” brain chemical). On a given day, if you feel motivated and ready to tackle the day’s list of projects after a workout, you can thank dopamine. It’s dopamine that gives us the motivation to achieve something of value or that makes us feel rewarded. Long-term physical activity also changes the brain function; the brain produces new brain cells to improve long term memory and improve mood, literally making our brains stronger and more resilient.

Get moving in your working day by:

• Scheduling walking meetings – take a Teams call or 1-2-1 while walking; this has been shown to promote concentration. Why not agree with your team to all walk on a certain day in the week and do this together (in-person or virtual).
• Getting up earlier - go for a walk and stretch for 10 minutes while making breakfast, even 10 minutes a day has an impact longer term on our brain health.

Recovery

In the hustle and bustle of life, it's easy to negate the significance of rest and recovery. Our bodies are not machines and require rest and recovery to perform at their best. In the same way the muscles in our brain are unable to function if we overload and don't allow sufficient recovery, it can lead quickly to adrenalin overload, brain fog, a slowing down of cognitive functioning and poor quality decision making.

To help your body recover:

• Keep your meetings to 25 or 50 minutes and use the time in between to stretch, switch tasks or rest.
• Respect your rest periods and those of your teams and colleagues, send delays on emails and put boundaries in place that help you to walk away from your work when you need a break.

Sleep

Sleep is the most important thing we have when it comes to repairing our bodies and our brains. Without quality rest, our bodies and our immune systems begin to break down. Sleep clears the brain of toxins that build up during the day, helps us manage our emotions and improves our memory. Our brains can retain 40% less information when we’re sleep-deprived!

To improve your sleep:

• Keep your sleeping environment free of as many distractions as possible (we sleep best in cool, dark, quiet rooms).
• Turn off blue light before sleep (blue light appears on our phones and laptops and tricks the body into thinking it’s daytime).
• Try to have a wind-down schedule of at least one hour where you are not working or concentrating or getting stressed. Anything from reading, taking a bath or talking to your family.
• Our bodies love routine; try going to bed and waking up at the same time every day.

Control

Research suggests that, when individuals believe they have more control over their lives, they exhibit better immune responses, decreased anxiety and depression symptoms. The feeling of being able to make positive changes in our lives gives us a sense of purpose and helps us feel empowered to lead happier and healthy lives.

To enhance the control you have in your life:

• Ensure that all meetings you schedule have a clear agenda and purpose
• Challenge ‘false’ deadlines
• Journal the things you are anxious about
• Take a break from social media
• Take short breaks between difficult tasks
• Check in with yourself daily. Ask yourself: How’s my mental health today? How do I feel today, both mentally and physically? How did I sleep last night? Am I eating a balanced diet and drinking enough water? How’s my thinking today? How are my thoughts making me feel? Am I having unhelpful thoughts? Create your own Mind Plan with Every Mind Matters to get tips to help deal with stress and anxiety and boost your mood.

Social connection

As human beings, we are wired to connect with other people. Having strong, stable and supportive connections or relationships can have a positive impact on our physical and mental health outcomes. There is significant evidence that social support and feeling connected can also impact our lives and the health choices we make thus making it possible to cope with challenging times, stress, anxiety, etc. Social connection with people we like releases oxytocin in the brain, building your bodies resilience to stress and calming down a stress response.

To improve your social connection:

• Have a one-minute wellbeing team check in (non-work related) at the start of a team meeting.
• Take time at the beginning of a meeting to highlight colleagues’ qualities or praise something that a colleague has done well that day.
• Have regular 1-2-1 wellbeing conversations with your team members – it’s never too late to start these.
• If you are comfortable and feel safe to do so, try and share more of yourself with your colleagues. Talk about lived experiences, hobbies, weekend plans etc.

Brain food

Our brains use up 20% of the food and energy we put into our bodies. The brain is made up of mainly fats, protein and amino acids, so the food we eat has a direct impact on our mood and brain functioning. Glucose coming from carbohydrates has the biggest impact on the pre-frontal cortex, which is why we have mood swings when we are hungry.

Here are some food recommendations that support brain health:

• Omega-3 fatty acids are considered the highest form of brain food, required for building nerve cells and necessary for keeping your eyes healthy and moist especially when looking at screens. Oily fish or fatty fish, like salmon and mackerel, are a rich source.
• Nuts and seeds are great for the brain and filling and nutritious. Pumpkins seeds, in particular, are a good source of zinc, magnesium, copper and iron; all crucial for the nervous system and general brain power.
• Whole grains are low in GI (glycemic index), which means they release glucose gradually into the bloodstream, keeping you consistently focused. Almonds are also full of vitamin E and essential fatty acids, which prevent cognitive decline.
• Blueberries and green tea are full of anthocyanins, a plant compound with powerful antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties. Both have de-stressing effects and deliver memory-boosting results for brain cells.
• Dark chocolate is a great alternative to other, sugar-filled chocolate snacks. Great for mood, memories and energy.

Breathing

Breathing does far more than just supply oxygen to the brain and body. You can change the way you think and feel with the way you breathe. It can change your heart rate, lower your blood pressure, reduce your stress levels and combat anxiety, reduce feelings of pain and even change your brain chemistry to make your mind sharper. When you’re stressed, the levels of a chemical called noradrenaline in your brain gets too high and your brain’s attention networks are disrupted which gives you a distracted type of thinking. Next time you’re feeling under pressure, remember you have the power to change your brain chemistry with a couple of deep breaths!

To improve your breathing:

• Breathe in for 4 seconds, hold for 3 seconds and breathe out for 4 seconds. Do this for 1 minute and notice the result on your brain. This can help you before a meeting or presentation to calm the stress response in your brain.
• Mediate for 10 minutes per day to gain better control of your brain and your breathing.

I hope these tips are helpful! Take some time for yourself during Mental Health Awareness Week to focus on better brain habits.