mental health tips

4 Ways to Improve Your Mental Wellbeing Today

It probably comes as no surprise that people are increasingly, unhappy. According to the CDC as of late June, 2020, over 40 percent of U.S. adults are suffering from increased mental health issues—with a big spike in young adults, essential workers, and caregivers. People are experiencing heightened anxiety, depression, increased substance use, and elevated suicidal ideation. The report found symptoms of anxiety disorder were approximately three times higher than the same time last year (June, 2019 vs. June, 2020)—25.5 percent versus 8.1 percent, and depressive disorder four times higher— 24 percent versus 6 percent. The pandemic is continuing to surge with numbers rising as the cold weather begins. Restrictions and curfews are being implemented. Daycares and schools are having to close again. Just as we were getting a glimpse of normalcy, we’re having to take a step back. It’s critical for all of us to recognize that taking care of our mental health is essential at this time. Many of us are looking for something, really anything to help us find some happiness—even if that is just for a moment. And, while we can’t control what is happening on a global scale, there are some things we can do for ourselves. Here are four science-backed ways to improve your mental wellbeing. Connect with a Friend In a recent interview, Dr. Corinna Keenmon, medical director of psychiatry at Houston Methodist Hospital said, “There are plenty of people in the same boat as you, suffering through the same challenges; and, while we can’t always be with someone in person right now, even just a phone call or video chat can help us connect.” Take a moment to call your friend or relative. You don’t have to talk about what’s bothering you. Just connecting with others, especially if you’ve been isolated for a long period of time can make a huge difference. Take a Social Media Break Social media can be great. It can help us connect with others (as mentioned above, so important right now!). It can be a way to share photos and updates about our lives with family far away, and it can also make us laugh and inspire us to get moving (hello, dance reels!). But, it can also make people feel more isolated, self-conscious, and even angry. A Pew Research study in 2018 found 71 percent of social media users reported finding content that made them angry. “Seeing others’ curated, polished images of only happy moments or attractive photos can set up an unrealistic expectation of ourselves, and the destructive experience of constantly comparing oneself with others,” Christine Moutier, M.D., practicing psychiatrist and chief medical officer at the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP), told SELF magazine in a recent interview. Take a social break. Turn off your alerts and put the phone in a drawer (even 30 minutes can make a difference). If you’re feeling bold, delete the app from your phone for a day (or a week…we dare you!). t’s proven to help. A 2018 study of over 100 undergrads at the University of Pennsylvania showed a reduction in loneliness and depression after 3 weeks of limiting their time on social platforms (Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat) to 10 minutes a day. Reframe the Negativity It’s easy to dwell on negativity. We can get caught up in all the “what-ifs.” But, having a positive outlook can work wonders as it relates to your health. A 2019 study revealed that people who focused on the positive in their lives had greater odds of living to over 85 years old. What’s more, they had a 35 percent less chance of suffering from a heart attack or stroke, and had a stronger immune system). The next time you find yourself going down a negative thought spiral, try these three steps: Become Aware of the Thought: Recognize the thought to understand what is happening. Some negative thoughts will pass by; but, if you start to really dwell… Ask Yourself Questions: Literally ask yourself about the thought. Is this true? How is it affecting you? What advice would you give someone if they came to you with it? Journaling is a great way to do this—it’s actually been proven to help reduce anxiety and even boost performance. Then… Come Up With New View: What can you do right now to help yourself overcome the negativity? Is there something else you can focus on that is more positive? Focus on Sleep Studies have shown that not getting proper sleep can lead to physical problems like weakened immune systems and mental health problems such as anxiety and depression. So, getting those seven to eight hours each night is imperative. Set up a sleep routine to help calm your busy brain at night. 5 ways to get you ready for sound sleep: Set a regular bedtime. Your body craves consistency, and you’re more likely to get enough sleep if you schedule rest like your other important tasks. At Nutritious Life, we call this practicing good sleep hygiene. Create a cutoff time for coffee (and wine): While a cup (or two) of coffee in the morning can help you feel more alert during the day, as you acclimate to an earlier wake-up time your caffeine consumption should stop around lunchtime. Otherwise, you risk not being able to fall asleep that night. The same goes for a nightly glass of wine or cocktail. If you have a glass of wine with dinner, make sure there’s a three-hour time frame between then and when you go to sleep. While alcohol might make you feel more drowsy and make it easier to fall asleep, it can take a toll on the quality of sleep you get throughout the night (which makes it harder to get up in the a.m.). Exercise. Working out can improve sleep in many ways, including relief of muscle tension. Don’t work out right before bed, though, since exercise may make you more alert. If you like, try gentle upper-body stretches to help transition into sleep.

5 Expert Tips to Manage Uncertainty During a Seriously Difficult Time

Remember when you used to have some idea of what your next few months would look like? Maybe you had a daily workout-work-home schedule that varied a little day-to-day but was mostly pretty consistent? Maybe you were looking forward to big things you had planned months or years in the future (vacations! weddings!) and also had financial and career goals that you felt like you could accurately chart over the next five years? And now, since the COVID-19 pandemic started, it’s become clear that the only thing any of us can be certain of is that we’re all going to be living with a lot of uncertainty for quite a while. We don’t know when cases will start to really decline, and when it seems like things are getting better, they get worse. We don’t know when a vaccine will be ready. Many people have been laid off and don’t know when—or even if—they’ll get their jobs back. Parents don’t know if their kids will be going back to school. Even the disease itself is unpredictable, which can make the fear of it even worse. And studies show that while more research is needed, the stress of uncertainty is associated with negative mental health outcomes. The good news is: While the amount of uncertainty we all have to deal with at the same time is new, the problem itself is embedded in the human condition. (Let’s be honest: We can’t ever really predict what’s going to happen minute to minute.) So, many psychologists and meditation and mindfulness experts have been thinking about the question of how to manage it for a very long time. To help you muddle through this stressful time, we pulled together some of their best advice on living with and managing uncertainty. And here’s something to look forward to: many experts believe that learning to do so will help you build resilience for a happier life long-term, no matter what in the world is happening. 5 Mindfulness Tips to Manage Uncertainty 1. “Say hello” to suffering Both COVID-19 and the movement for racial justice require constant interaction with suffering—whether you’re the one affected or are watching it all play out on CNN. And the uncertainty of when the suffering will ease or end is difficult to handle. Thich Nhat Hanh is one of the most legendary Buddhist monks and global spiritual teachers. In his book, No Mud, No Lotus, he says that while the urge to ignore or distract ourselves from suffering is strong (i.e. swap CNN for Netflix?), doing so will only make it worse. Happiness is not about avoiding suffering, he says, it’s learning “the art of suffering well,” and that means facing it without letting it consume you. “The first step in the art of transforming suffering is to come home to our suffering and recognize it,” he writes. Mindfulness practices can help you do that. When you’re focused on building awareness of the present moment, you can recognize suffering, “tenderly embrace” it, and then transform it. That could be as simple as stopping to recognize tension or pain in your body, where you’ve been holding onto suffering and uncertainty. 2. Embrace the beauty of imperfection Wabi-sabi is an ancient Japanese design aesthetic and spiritual philosophy centered around imperfection and impermanence; it embraces characteristics and lessons found in nature, like roughness, simplicity, and the fact that “nothing lasts, nothing is finished, and nothing is perfect.” In Mike Sturm’s new book, The Wabi-Sabi Way, he presents those principles as an antidote to the anxiety of modern life. “Living wabi-sabi means becoming okay with things. It’s about trusting that however life may unfold, you can live in harmony with it. You don’t have to micromanage it,” he writes. “What’s more, you have the inner and outer resources for the moment at hand.” Finding that sense of “okayness” is about releasing expectations and a desire to control things and focusing on how things are, not how you wish they were. (That sounds almost impossible to do during this time, we know!) One practice Sturm recommends is called “earthing,” which is basically meditating outside and is perfect for the era of social distancing, as long as you have access to a tiny square of green space. Sit in a place where your bare feet and legs can be in contact with the grass and alternate between focusing on your breathing and the points of contact between your body and the earth. Take the time to recognize sensations like the sun or a breeze on your shoulders and the sounds and smells around you. The idea is to cultivate contentment in the present moment. In the end, Sturm writes, “We hold tight and yearn for certainty about the future, but the best we can hope for is merely to contribute rather than to control.” 3. Ask yourself: What matters most? So many aspects of regular life have been disrupted with no return to normalcy in sight. And it can be hard not to feel consumed by the uncertainty of all kinds of things—from the super serious to the mundane. What if you get sick? When will you get to travel again? When will you be able to save money again? How long until you can get back to your favorite workout class? In 10% Happier, Nightline anchor Dan Harris tells the story of his journey from having an on-air panic attack to discovering meditation as a tool for living just a little bit happier. At the end of the book, he explains how one of his guides suggested he ask himself, in difficult moments “What matters most?” At first he thought it sounded too generic to be useful, but he came to think of it as a helpful gut-check. Use it when caught up in worries about things that maybe don’t deserve the attention your brain decides to give them. “When worrying about the future, I learned to ask myself: What do I really want?” Harris says.