M E N T A L H E A L T H T O O L K I T
E X E R C I S E
There are many ways that exercise positively influences your mental health:
Promotes the release of feel-good chemicals in your brain, like endorphins and serotonin.
It helps you sleep better so you rest fully at night and feel more energised during the day.
Gives you a sense of accomplishment as your fitness improves and you start achieving your goals.
Exercise is usually a shared activity with others so you get the added benefits of social connection
To reap these benefits, it’s generally recommended you do 30 minutes of ‘vigorous’ exercise at least five times a week. Vigorous just means you’re putting in enough effort that it’s hard to have a conversation while you’re exercising.
Don’t get disheartened if these guidelines feel un-achievable, especially in the current climate.. It’s important to remember that while more exercise is better than less – any exercise is better than no exercise. Which is where #15Outside comes in. Just getting outside for 15 minutes a day is scientifically proven to aid mental health, so start there. Baby steps!
Of course, the hardest part is getting started. Especially if you’re experiencing a mental health condition like depression, where the idea of just getting out of bed can seem hard enough. Exercise can play a major part in and should be in your treatment or management plan.
If you’re waiting for motivation to arrive at your doorstep before you start exercising, you might be waiting a long time. The secret truth of motivation is that it actually comes after you take action – not before. By starting small and experiencing some benefits, you give motivation a chance to turn up and it loves riding on the momentum you’re building.
If you’re feeling stuck, here are six tips for starting an exercise routine from scratch.
Find your reason – you’re more likely to stick with a new behaviour if it’s linked to something you really value in life. Ask yourself, “why will exercise make my life better in a meaningful way?” It might be to help you overcome depression and get your life back on track, to gain more energy for your kids or to improve your general health for a longer life.
Start small – and we mean really small. Just add five per cent to what you’re currently doing. If you’re stuck on the couch, just walking in your street each day is a great start.
Make it part of your routine – the more decisions you have to make about when to exercise, the closer you’ll come to deciding not to. Timetable your exercise into your weekly schedule so you aren’t relying as much on willpower.
Do something you enjoy – exercise doesn’t have to be serious. If you hate running or going to the gym, you’re unlikely to keep it up. Find an activity you enjoy (or at least don’t dislike) and you’re more likely to keep doing it.
Set goals and monitor progress – it’s very rewarding to track your progress towards a specific goal. It makes every exercise session feel purposeful.
Make a commitment to others – you’re less likely to opt out if you have a friend or team relying on you to be there.
Most importantly, be kind to yourself if you haven’t exercised for a while. For many, this can trigger self-critical thoughts that lead to giving up the exercise routine entirely. Treat each day as a fresh start, and remind yourself that it’s human to drop the ball occasionally.
S T R E S S
Stress can be stressful. It can make you have no clue which direction to go in, it can make you flustered, indecisive, anxious and physically unwell. Especially in the current climate. So what IS stress, and what are some simple ways to manage it?
'Stress isn’t always bad. In small doses, it can help you perform under pressure and motivate you to do your best. But when you’re constantly running in emergency mode, your mind and body pay the price. If you frequently find yourself feeling frazzled and overwhelmed, it’s time to take action to bring your nervous system back into balance. You can protect yourself—and improve how you think and feel—by learning how to recognize the signs and symptoms of chronic stress and taking steps to reduce its harmful effects.
Stress is your body’s way of responding to any kind of demand or threat. When you sense danger—whether it’s real or imagined—the body’s defenses kick into high gear in a rapid, automatic process known as the “fight-or-flight” reaction or the “stress response.”
The stress response is the body’s way of protecting you. When working properly, it helps you stay focused, energetic, and alert. In emergency situations, stress can save your life—giving you extra strength to defend yourself, for example, or spurring you to slam on the brakes to avoid a car accident.
Stress can also help you rise to meet challenges. It’s what keeps you on your toes during a presentation at work, sharpens your concentration when you’re attempting the game-winning free throw, or drives you to study for an exam when you’d rather be watching TV. But beyond a certain point, stress stops being helpful and starts causing major damage to your health, mood, productivity, relationships, and your quality of life.'
So, now we know what stress IS how can we start to manage it? Well, this can take a little while but there are simple steps we can all take now to reduce it and over time we can start to utilise techniques to assist us in keeping it in check..
So, what are MY tips for managing stress? Ummm, that's a tricky one as if I am honest I am still working on this. But the main things I do are...
1. Breathe
2. Get Outside, every day for at least 15 minutes
3. Do all the little tasks that only take a couple of minutes straight away e.g dishwasher, washing, call my Mum, answer those emails...
4. Keep my home tidy - it is true, tidy home, tidy mind. This really helps me feel better if my environment is tidy
5. Listen to music
6. Find an animal and engage with it! Be it forcing one of my cats to cuddle, or trying to chat to a Robin...
7. Learn to say NO - this is a biggie for me, and one I am still working on as I want to do everything and please everyone!
8. Remind myself that the only adult I am responsible for is ME
9. Ask myself on a scale of 1-10 with 10 being death, how important is this 'thing' that is stressing me out?
10. Find someone to laugh with, laughter is A-Mazing!
The list of things I do is endless, but these are the ones I use every, single day. You can develop your own hit list of techniques, but first you need to recognise what is good stress and what is bad stress. You need to work out at what point have you gone past that happy equilibrium from good stress to bad stress. That is the key. So, when your shoulders are aching, you have unexplained headaches, can't sleep, stop for a moment and analyse your life and consider what small changes you can make. And remember, you can say no, and that self care is NOT selfish.
B R E A T H I N G
Breathing. We all do it, we were born doing it, but the benefits of breathing properly and using it as a technique to manage anxiety and stress is incredibly powerful. You do it more than 23,000 times a day, but are you breathing properly?
Breath focus
When deep breathing is focused and slow, it can help reduce anxiety. You can do this technique by sitting or lying down in a quiet, comfortable location. Then:
Notice how it feels when you inhale and exhale normally. Mentally scan your body. You might feel tension in your body that you never noticed.
Take a slow, deep breath through your nose.
Notice your belly and upper body expanding.
Exhale in whatever way is most comfortable for you, sighing if you wish.
Do this for several minutes, paying attention to the rise and fall of your belly.
Choose a word to focus on and vocalize during your exhale. Words like “safe” and “calm” can be effective.
Imagine your inhale washing over you like a gentle wave.
Imagine your exhale carrying negative and upsetting thoughts and energy away from you.
When you get distracted, gently bring your attention back to your breath and your words.
Resonant breathing
Resonant breathing, also called coherent breathing, can help you calm anxiety and get into a relaxed state. To try it yourself:
Lie down and close your eyes.
Gently breathe in through your nose, mouth closed, for a count of six seconds.
Don’t fill your lungs too full of air.
Exhale for six seconds, allowing your breath to leave your body slowly and gently. Don’t force it.
Continue for up to 10 minutes.
Take a few additional minutes to be still and focus on how your body feels.
The Takeaway
If you’re experiencing anxiety or panic attacks, try using one or more of these breathing techniques to see if they can alleviate your symptoms.
If your anxiety persists or gets worse, make an appointment with your doctor to discuss your symptoms and possible treatments. With the right approach, you can regain your quality of life and control over your anxiety.
Q U E S T I O N I N G
You know the feeling when everything is coming at you at a hundred miles an hour? Its overwhelming, confusing, scary and the panic starts to rise. You get that feeling in your stomach like someone has reached in and is slowly, slowly turning your insides anti-clockwise (has to be anti-clockwise as that really messes with those of who have OCD!). So, what do I do? What can you do? Well after a couple of really deep breaths you can ask yourself a couple of questions...
I have a couple of questions I always ask myself when I am starting to feel anxious or getting wound up by life.
1. On a scale of 1-10 with 10 being death, how important is this situation?
2. What advice would I give someone else in this situation?
Usually after asking myself these I am able to calm myself and put things in perspective, they work for me but they may not work for you. So, you need to find out which questions you can use that work. Once you have them, use them, all the time! It is simply a case of looking at the reality of the situation and then taking a step back and looking at it as an outsider. We are brilliant at making things become more than they really are. Also, if the situation stems from someones response to you, or even their lack of response we need to remind ourselves that everyone is dealing with things we know nothing about so be kind, always.
But then I am a BIG believer in treating others as you would like to be treated, and that sometime means taking a step back and asking yourself if there is something going on in that persons life that is making them behave that way. And then, being the stronger person and treating them with kindness and compassion. It is after all true what they say, you can't kill with kindness but anger and bitterness can eat you up inside. Also, we use far more muscles smiling that we do frowning so win win huh!?
E A T & D R I N K
We all know that we should eat healthily and drink lots of water, but lets be honest, we don't always do what we are told. I know I don't, just ask about the Peanut M&M's one day....
So, how does healthy eating and drinking plenty of water actually help mental health, as opposed to just our overall health? Is it really that specific? Are there actually scientific links between eating well and feeling mentally stronger?
Well apparently the answer is a resounding YES. But please don't run for the hills panicking, wildly lobbing your chocolate and blueberry muffins in the nearest bin (don't litter people remember!), I am not going to bang on at you about becoming Vegan, or never touching a bar of chocolate again. It is about balance, its all about balance isn't it. But if you, we, are serious about using strategies to manage our mental health then eating well and drinking water has to be a part of it.
Now, back to those Wotsits. My daughter had a party here the other week, never fear, my son and I escaped and left the crazy teenagers too it. When I returned the following morning (the house was spotless and they had only drunk half the cider - really? What's that about?) there was a multipack bag of Wotsits. Now I am a mahoooosive sucker for crisps, preferably in a sandwich of crap white bread and sliced butter. I know, I know, seriously naughty. So, suffice to say my tea that evening was approximately 12 packets of Wotsits. A friend even asked if I had turned orange. I did point out that it was far cheaper than a spray tan....
But the key to that moment is that I didn't freak out, I didn't get angry with myself, I didn't think I was a failure. I thought that they were pretty lush and that it would probably be another 8 years until I eat a packet of Wotsits again. And this attitude is the key. We are human, there really, really is no point beating yourself up about these things.
My daughter turned vegetarian about 6 months ago and she bet me that I couldn't go a month without eating meat (me and bacon used to be like Starsky & Hutch, yep, really that connected) so she didn't think I could do it but I did. I am not a vegetarian, a pescitarian or any ‘Ian’ I just try to eat locally sourced, sustainable food that is in season. If I want to have meat then I make sure it is from my local organic butcher. After all, it is so rare I do that I can allow myself the cost.
So, my challenge is to make mindful choices with my eating, to eat lots more fresh fruit and vegetables and then drink lots of water. Let's see if I can stay away from the wotsits....and chocolate....and crisps....oh and ice lollies, this is my biggie at the moment, the shop near where I work does classic Cider lollies....oh....I feel myself going under here. Quick drink a pint of water to stave off the cravings!!
A F F I R M A T I O N S
When I had my breakdown I started yoga; it was a life changer for me in many ways but one moment in time has stuck with me. The class was run by an amazing yogi in her 70's and I was the youngest in the class by a good 30 years. It was a very slow, centered class and she used affirmations for all her yoga moves. In one class she got us all to randomly select an affirmation from the pack of cards she held and the one I chose has stayed with me to this day, it was perfect for the moment I was in....
At the time I felt that I was personally responsible for the students on my degree courses, I felt that I was personally responsible for my lecturers and technicians, I felt I was personally responsible for my then husband, I felt I was responsible for my friends and family. In a nutshell I was completely paralysed by the belief that I personally held the fate of these adults lives in my hands.
I remember when I read the card looking up at the yoga teacher and she later said it was like a light had turned on, that a dark part of me had suddenly opened up. I wouldn't call it an awakening or anything but those simple words 'The only adult I am responsible for is me' woke me up. And to this day it is an affirmation that I repeat over and over.
Of course, in my role as a Mountain Leader and Outdoor Guide there are many, many times that I am responsible for the safety of adults but it is within a context of work, it is not, as I believed back then my responsibility to change their life, or steer them in the 'right direction'. When I am on the mountains my responsibility is to keep them safe. My desire is of course also to keep them happy and engaged but my responsibility is purely safety. And for me being able to use this affirmation helps me to objectify situations that arise, daily, in my life when I can often be dragged back in to that space of feeling overwhelming culpability. So by repeating the affirmation I am then able to re-centre myself and focus. It has literally been a revelation for me.
I am wholly confident that there will be SO many people this week who will be saying 'uuughh all that hippy rubbish' and rolling their eyes in despair. I know many people who cannot abide quotes and to be fair there are times when I think the same! But using them mindfully, as affirmations is very different, and can be incredibly powerful.
S L E E P
When my mental health was at its worst, and pressures of work at their highest, I was getting on average 2-3 hours sleep a night. It reached a point when just going to bed filled me with anxiety as I knew that it would take me hours to get to sleep and then at 2am, without fail I would wake up. Bing wide awake and whatever I did I would not be able to get back in to the land of nod.
So instead my working day began at 2am, every day, 7 days a week. Subsequently my body began to just shut down and my brain function decreased dramatically. A mental breakdown was not only inevitable but the only way I would be able to break this vicious cycle and reset my body and mind.
When I had my breakdown the biggest change I made was yoga. I chose to do something positive that is proven to aid relaxation, wellness and sleep. It taught me how to do thorough 'body scans' and relax completely. It taught me breathing techniques to calm my racing heart and racing mind. I also started to take anti-depressants having poo pooed them for years. But I had reached a point where I needed something to assist my body to reset and get well. They helped with my sleep and boy did they work, but also I believe that the simple act for me of taking the medication gave me and my body permission to sleep and once I had that permission it was a revelation.
Don't get me wrong, I still have relapses and poor sleep is an indicator now that my mental health is dipping. But I have come to realise that sleep is not only essential but vital for living completely. Being rested is to me the most powerful, legal drug there is. Oh, and just in case you are interested, I am managing to do it all now without the tablets.
Sleep is central to good mental and physical health and it needs to be central to your own health and fitness programme. If you only focus your time and effort on eating well and exercising you will never achieve the results you seek. So focus for a bit on your sleep.
But what on earth can you do if a good 8 hours sleep is a complete fantasy for you?
Healthy sleep habits can make a big difference in your quality of life. Having healthy sleep habits is often referred to as having good sleep hygiene. Try to keep the following sleep practices on a consistent basis:
Stick to a sleep schedule of the same bedtime and wake up time, even on the weekends. This helps to regulate your body's clock and could help you fall asleep and stay asleep for the night.
Practice a relaxing bedtime ritual. A relaxing, routine activity right before bedtime conducted away from bright lights helps separate your sleep time from activities that can cause excitement, stress or anxiety which can make it more difficult to fall asleep, get sound and deep sleep or remain asleep.
If you have trouble sleeping, avoid naps, especially in the afternoon. Power napping may help you get through the day, but if you find that you can't fall asleep at bedtime, eliminating even short catnaps may help.
Exercise daily. Vigorous exercise is best, but even light exercise is better than no activity. Exercise at any time of day, but not at the expense of your sleep.
Evaluate your room. Design your sleep environment to establish the conditions you need for sleep. Your bedroom should be cool – between 60 and 67 degrees. Your bedroom should also be free from any noise that can disturb your sleep. Finally, your bedroom should be free from any light. Check your room for noises or other distractions. This includes a bed partner's sleep disruptions such as snoring. Consider using blackout curtains, eye shades, ear plugs, "white noise" machines, humidifiers, fans and other devices.
Sleep on a comfortable mattress and pillows. Make sure your mattress is comfortable and supportive. The one you have been using for years may have exceeded its life expectancy – about 9 or 10 years for most good quality mattresses. Have comfortable pillows and make the room attractive and inviting for sleep but also free of allergens that might affect you and objects that might cause you to slip or fall if you have to get up during the night.
Use bright light to help manage your circadian rhythms. Avoid bright light in the evening and expose yourself to sunlight in the morning. This will keep your circadian rhythms in check.
Avoid alcohol, cigarettes, and heavy meals in the evening. Alcohol, cigarettes and caffeine can disrupt sleep. Eating big or spicy meals can cause discomfort from indigestion that can make it hard to sleep. If you can, avoid eating large meals for two to three hours before bedtime. Try a light snack 45 minutes before bed if you’re still hungry.
Wind down. Your body needs time to shift into sleep mode, so spend the last hour before bed doing a calming activity such as reading. For some people, using an electronic device such as a laptop can make it hard to fall asleep, because the particular type of light emanating from the screens of these devices is activating to the brain. If you have trouble sleeping,avoid electronics before bed or in the middle of the night.
If you can't sleep, go into another room and do something relaxing until you feel tired. It is best to take work materials, computers and televisions out of the sleeping environment. Use your bed only for sleep and sex to strengthen the association between bed and sleep. If you associate a particular activity or item with anxiety about sleeping, omit it from your bedtime routine.
If you’re still having trouble sleeping, don’t hesitate to speak with your doctor or to find a sleep professional. You may also benefit from recording your sleep in a Sleep Diary to help you better evaluate common patterns or issues you may see with your sleep or sleeping habit.
F O R G I V E N E S S
'It would give us some comfort if we could only forget a past that we cannot change. If we could only choose to forget the cruelest moments, we could as time goes on, free ourselves from their pain. But the wrong sticks like a nettle in our memory. The only way to remove the nettle is with the surgical procedure called forgiveness.' Smedes, The Art of Forgiving
There are so many aspects of our lives that we cling on to, that we relive in our thoughts and allow to engulf us. Especially at the moment with all this extra time on our hands. But perhaps the act of forgiveness may give us some peace at this time and enable us to look after ourselves more.
We forget that the past is written and can't be changed, we also don't realise that the process of forgiveness and acceptance can give us a powerful sense of freedom.
When bad stuff happens it is so incredibly raw, and everyone always says that time heals. But it only heals completely if we are able to accept what has happened, forgive others and most importantly forgive ourselves. Sometimes we forget that we are only human, that we learn by our mistakes and we most certainly forget that our past does not define who are are right now.
Research has suggested that excusing people who have hurt us could boost our health, with experiments showing that those who let go of their anger are less likely to experience spikes in blood pressure.
Dr Saima Noreen of the University of St Andrews said: “The ability to forget upsetting memories may provide an effective coping strategy that enables people to move on with their lives.”
This I feel is the key. These memories can consume us, they can eat us up from the inside. There have been times when I have been so overcome with emotion about an incident that has happened in the past I have become withdrawn, snappy, rude and downright objectionable. I start to question my own worth and value and have even felt that my appalling behavior towards others, when in these self pitying spirals, are justified. They weren't. Not at all.
Now, slowly I am able to accept what has happened, I am able to forgive those who have done be wrong, and more importantly I am able to forgive myself. Although this is still a work in progress! What this in turn means is that I am healthier both physically and mentally.
According to a study by The Journal of Health Psychology, being a forgiving person can reduce your stress levels and boost your mental and physical health. It can improve sleep, lower cholesterol, reduce pain, anxiety and blood pressure.
The study, which looked into how stress affects your general wellbeing, found that people with a tendency to forgive were much less likely to experience bad mental health, and that forgiveness alone could greatly reduce stress levels.
The study's author, Loren Toussaint, an Associate Professor of Psychology says: 'Forgiveness takes that bad connection between stress and mental illness and makes it zero. If you don't have forgiving tendencies, you feel the raw effects of stress in an unmitigated way. You don't have a buffer against that stress.'
But if you're not naturally inclined to daily acts of forgiveness, then all is not lost. Toussaint maintains that forgiveness can be learned. So be the bigger person and forgive even your worst nemesis.
You'll feel better for it.
Y O G A
Following my breakdown I wanted to seek out ways in which I could manage my anxiety and depression and the one word that kept repeating itself to me was Yoga, now in these strange times I find myself returning to it...
Many studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of yoga in reducing stress, anxiety, and depression. Yoga eases symptoms of anxiety and stress through direct benefits to both the body and mind. On a physical level, yoga helps induce a relaxation response and reduce heart rate; on a psychological level, mindfulness promotes a focus on the present moment, guiding thoughts away from anxiety or worry about future events.
When an individual is experiencing anxiety, the amygdala, or “alarm center” located in the brain, has gone into a state of hyper vigilance or high-alert. The deep breathing practices associated with yoga speak directly to the amygdala to lower the state of anxiety.. It also activates the parasympathetic nervous system, which induces a relaxation response.
Yoga also helps to:
Lower blood pressure
Reduce heart rate
Release muscle tension
Increase body awareness
Aid in relaxation
Stress and anxiety often include experiences of racing thoughts, overwhelming mental “checklists” and/or anticipation and worry about future events. Through mindful cuing from your instructor, yoga can help:
Promote compassionate observation of the dialogue in your head
Provide space for intentional thought patterns
Aid in present-moment awareness
Increase self-connection
For me personally it has been a revelation and I certainly notice the difference when I am not practicing regularly. I aim to visit my mat at least three times a week at home, but going to class really makes the difference for me. The immense feeling of calm that is achieved as you are guided through the poses and shavasana is just something else.
However finding a class, and more importantly a teacher, who suits you is a minefield. For me, an average size 14 with wobbly bits and terrible flexibility (from a life time of running and hard exercise) it was quite simply terrifying. Especially when you throw anxiety in to the mix and you spend the whole time in class looking at all the uber flexible young things in their teeny tiny leggings and crop tops. But when you do find that class, that teacher, all those things completely go away. You realise that Yoga is intensely personal, that you can achieve exactly the same feelings, strength and benefit from every single pose when you are active within it and don't push yourself beyond your limits.And more importantly stop comparing your beginning to somebody elses end....
There are some yoga poses that I can do with ease, but the simple act of just sitting cross legged is the hardest for me, swiftly followed by kneeling with my bum on my heels - both of these are a physical impossibility. And when I first started yoga 5 years ago I was incredibly conscious of it. However I have learnt that both of these things are just fine, with the help of a rolled up blanket and some blocks I can achieve the poses. I also cannot do the lotus pose. I couldn't even do it as a child, yet I can put my legs behind my head, touch my toes and my downward dog is pretty outstanding! So, please, don't let insecurities about your body, your flexibility stop you.
A good yoga teacher should offer you the first class for free and spend time with you to guide and support you. If they don't they are not the right teacher for you. A good yoga teacher will also always, always offer alternatives to poses so that every person in the class is achieving their best. Again, if they don't they are not the right teacher for you. A good yoga teacher will make you feel empowered. Again if they don't, they are not the right teacher for you.
And finally don't waste time thinking (like I used to) that everyone in the class is looking at you and judging your ability, trust me they aren't. They too are trying not to fall over or more to the point fart.
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