MENTAL HEALTH BOOSTS
MENTAL HEALTH BOOSTS
Hard to wake up in the morning?
It’s dark in the morning this time of year. When your alarm goes off, snooze it. But instead of messing it all up by going back to sleep, engage your senses and prepare your mind for the day ahead.
How to get motivated, the easy way.
When I woke up this morning, it was like my brain was offline. There was no feeling. No thoughts. No motivation. So I used the only tool of mine that requires no brain power, I walked.
Your neck will thank you.
When you are stressed, pulsing with anxiety, or in the depth of depression, you can almost always feel it in your neck. You can change this with one stretch.
Your 40M brain cells need you to get this.
Serotonin is known to affect mood, but did you know it also helps with your sleep, digestion and even how well your immune system responds?
Whether or not you experience full depressive episodes, symptoms, or just down days, it’s important to recognize that serotonin might be playing a role. Serotonin deficiency is known to wreak havoc on you. It can show up as insomnia, digestive issues, low mood, anxiety and so much more.
Sometimes You Just Need a Mom Hug
Hugs are an age-old and universal way to communicate emotion, and help to regulate emotions by decreasing stress and increasing resilience. When you need a hug, and have a safe person to seek out, do it and ask for a hug.
Pixar’s Inside Out, IRL
When painful memories invade our thoughts, it’s natural that our brains want to protect us by repressing them. And while this served our ancient ancestors, it’s no longer a good strategy if you seek mental wellness in your life.
Earthing/Barefeet: Not Just for Kids and Hippies
Science says et outside with no shoes and walk in the grass, the sand, the dirt. Go barefoot whenever you can and it is safe to do so. Let your feet get dirty, you can always wash them before bed!
Intermittent Fasting for your Brain!? Yes Yes Yes!
I'm really into inflammation research and how it relates to depression and anxiety. This is how I stumbled upon data showing that fasting not only helps with weight loss and metabolic syndrome, but also helps fight the proinflammatory state associated with mental health disorders.
When Things Don’t Go as Planned
When all hell breaks loose, and it will, breathe in shoganai, acceptance. It’s impossible to control everything, and therefore impossible for things to always go as planned. So take a breath and instead of mourning what could have been, accept it for what it is and stay the course.
Mindful Rumination
Mindful Rumination: use it to understand, learn from and figure out your next steps. Once you do that, you can tell your mind it’s done, so you can move on from the endless replay.
Houseplants and Mood
There is an explosion of data on how nature decrease stress, anxiety and depression. But new research shows that it's not just outdoor green spaces that impact your feelings of wellness, but also your personal indoor space.
15-Min Wanderlust Challenge
When was the last time you went for a purposeless stroll? Or let your mind wander without feeling the least bit of guilt for not being productive? It’s counter intuitive, but there are HUGE benefits of letting your body and brain go where they please.
The Magic of the Meltdown
On came the ugly. Sobbing. Undone. Embarrassed. But then, something magical happened. I started feeling better.
Stop it with the “I’m FIne” BS
Isolation doesn't just happen when we are physically apart from our circle. You can be with your people, AND hiding in plain sight. This is the “I’m fine” story playing out, and it can lead to an even more devastating feeling of loneliness than actually being alone.
Feeling Guilty?
Guilt makes you want to confess, it’s an evolutionary thing, but so is avoiding admitting wrong.
The Frustration Intervention
Controlling your frustration can be, well, frustrating. Here's how to intervene and gain back your control before frustration completely takes over.
Your Unconscious D-Fense
With the Super Bowl on its way this weekend, it seems appropriate that we tackle defense, as in defense mechanisms.
Stick it to Your Next Blah Day
It’s not exactly a bad day, because nothing ”bad” has happened. And it’s not some full-on depressive episode. It just feels… blah.
Your Worth is NOT Dependent on your “Success”
Did you seek praise as a kid? If yes, fast forward and here we are: adults conditioned to think that our worth is ONLY related to our wins. Oof. Let’s unpack this.
Fight Seasonal Depression (SAD) with Science.
Welcome to January, the season of SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder), better known as seasonal depression. Here’s how to fight back, naturally.