So it is two months to Christmas, and you try on your 'go- to' Christmas Party dress. It is a struggle to close the silver zip on the back, you insist it is just that your bra is too bulky when really it is due to a few too many chocolate treats over Halloween. You decide to start a healthy eating plan (a strict diet) in the morning and put your dress on the back of your bedroom door for inspiration and motivation. You head into Dunnes and pick up the cheapest pair of jogging leggings, an over sized t-shirt and new runners to get your bum into gear and do some exercise all so you can fit into this sparkly dress! Why is it that if we are not happy with our physical appearance that we decide to jump on the healthy band wagon and walk the legs off ourselves however we wouldn't think to do it for our mental health? Believe it or not, cutting down on that extra bar of chocolate after dinner and swapping it with some walnuts is not only good for your waist! According to IrishPsychiatry.ie, recent studies have suggested that good nutrition is just as important for our Mental Health and our diet may also influence certain conditions such as depresison. Before I discovered what my diagnosis was, I was fed up of trying meditation, counselling etc. and not finding an immediate effect in my depression. My mam saw how fed up I was and decided to do some research of her own. There is constant research being done on a daily basis to discover how our diet may influence and protect our mental health. Lets become Science nerds: According to recent research, food effect's our mood, some for the better and some for the worst. This is due to the changes in our brain structure, altering/ producing the hormones responsible for controlling our mood and may alter our behavior. This does not mean that food can change our mood immediately and relieve mental health issues like depression and anxiety straight away. However a regular healthy diet including certain foods that are known to boost our moods will help to improve your mental health and to help prevent mental health issues from arising. It is all about finding the perfect balanced diet while including at least 30 minutes of exercise daily while will help to release our 'feel good' hormones. Recent studies have shown that certain foods and factors determine how you feel. Below are five 'feel good foods' so you can eat your way to happiness!! 1. Oily Fish: Omega - 3 fatty acids are required in our diet as they help in the production of the brain chemicals responsible for our moods. Our brains can not produce omega 3- fatty acids. As a result, we rely on foods such as oily fish, i.e. salmon, sardines and mackerel to as they are high in omega- 3 fatty acids. These foods help our brain to interpret moods and boosts concentration levels therefore reducing the possibility of depression. 2. Walnuts: Walnuts are definitely a super food! Although I originally hated the taste of them, after researching the benefits of them in my diet I shortly found a new found love for them! Walnuts are rich in omega 3 oils, which contribute to increasing our serotonin levels (our happy hormone). Walnuts also help fight against stress as they contain folic acid and zinc which according to research studies help fight away stress. incorporating walnuts into your daily diet will help you on your journey to a healthier you. If you are like me and aren't a big fan of them, I recommend buying chopped walnuts, chopping them again into little pieces and adding them to either your porridge with a teaspoon of honey for breakfast or in your salad at lunch time. 3. Avocados: Although we avoid avocados as they are quite high in fat, avocados are extremely good for our overall health especially our mental health. The fat is monounsaturated fat which helps with the blood flow in our bodies and brains. Avocados are also full of folate, tryptophan and stress relieving vitamin B6 which all help fight depression and improve our mental health! Add an avocado into your salad or on a slice of toast, its fab and good brain fuel! 4. Eggs: Whether it is part of your fry, scrambled on toast or as an omelette, eggs are extremely important for our mental health as they are a great source of zinc. Zinc helps us to feel more alert and energized therefore helping us when we are feeling low and down. 5. Spinach: This was the one that shocked me the most as it tackles a lot of mental health issues for us! Spinach is the perfect brain food and provides vital nutrients and enzymes that we need to produce healthy levels of neurotransmitters (happy hormones). Spinach is also rich in iron which helps give us an energy boost and helps fight fatigue which many experience when suffering from depression, It is not about following a certain diet/ plan or cutting out any goodies, it is about having certain food( those high in sugar, alcohol, caffeine etc.) in moderation while including certain foods into our daily diet to help give our brains a fighting chance to prevent/ help reduce stress, anxiety ad depression! Don't wait for your stomach to bulge over your jeans to do something different with your diet, you will be amazed at the results of following a health eating plan including the above foods to both your mind and waist! It is a way of living which will help us live a healthier and happier life!! Love, Em X
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Hi guys and happy Tuesday! I am sorry I have been on the missing list lately, my life has been a little hectic at the minute! But I promise I am working on blog posts now and things will be back to normal from now on! I wasn't at yoga last night as I wasn't feeling well however I went last week so here is my update!! The class each week is getting bigger and bigger, it must be something in the wind! I loved the second class as much as I did the first however for some reason I found the poses more difficult the second time around! For the most part they were the same as the previous class, however my body was aching all over and I couldn't get my head around the poses! However I tried to do as much as I could and I enjoyed every single bit of it. I am still unsure of half of the names for the poses however my favourite is the crocodile (which is just lying on your stomach, which I can do!!) The main thing at the minute for me is working on my breathing and finding (as cheesy as it sounds) a happy and peaceful place within myself. As I have mentioned in previous posts, I hate spending time with myself and being alone. Although you are in a class full of people, you are blind folded so you feel like you are the only one in the room. You have no choice but to focus on yourself and to trust yourself. Last week I had a bit of a down week. Thoughts of self doubt and self loath were creeping back in. It sounds crazy but it showed in the class because although I knew no one was looking at me I was so self conscious and I doubted everything I was doing. I kept on peeping through the mask to make sure I was doing the right moves, the poor instructor was probably fed up of telling me to stop looking! I just couldn't find peace within myself, but that was not the instructor's fault, that was mine. I just could not switch off! Towards the end of the class, the instructor started talking about self believe and self confidence within yourself and the poses. She spoke about believing in yourself and feeling your way through the poses. Listening to your body to find what suits you and what feels right for you. It was extremely weird, as if she knew how I was feeling. It was then that I had a silent chat within myself and told myself to not let those thoughts ruin my time in yoga. I find it hard to switch off but in that class you are in a safe space where it is ok and acceptable to think about nothing just about your breathing and yourself. After my little pep talk to myself, the moves started to happen a lot easier. For the first time in that class I was able to flow into the moves and it felt amazing. It doesn't matter if I half do the poses at the minute, all that matters right now is that I believe in myself and learn how to trust myself. By the end of the class I was starting to do just that. Everyone goes to yoga for different reasons, mine happens to be to build self confidence and find an inner peace within myself. I may not be able to roll back on my shoulders just yet, but I certainly have a little bit more self belief each time I leave that class!! I will keep you all updated after next week's class! Love Em X Hi guys and happy Friday. Why is it that we are more likely to go and look for help if we have a physical injury yet we are reluctant to seek for help if we are feeling low or anxious? Maybe it is the fact that we can see an injury like a broken leg or symptoms of the flu , but that we can't see our feelings of low self esteem and emptiness? We have to start treating mental health issues like physical injuries. Say you fell off a wall while hanging up Christmas decorations. You landed on your foot and after icing it and resting it, your foot is still causing you agony. Most of us would head straight to our GP or the hospital for a professional opinion and to learn what it actually is, is it broken or a fracture? From there you know how to treat it and how to get it back to full health. You might have to take tablets however most of the time after it is put in some sort of strap or a cast, it is up to you to rest it up and once it starts to get better you must strengthen it again by doing exercises etc. It is exactly the same with regards to your mental health. Imagine you felt low all of the time for about a month. Instead if trying to think of what it could be you keep pushing these feelings to the back of your head where they keep building up and eventually they get too much for you, that everything will seem ten times worse than if you had of looked for help at the start. Although for some people talking to a professional and taking medication may not suit us or might just scare us, this does not mean that you should just ignore your feelings. Below I have seven tips that everyone can do, not just does who suffer from mental health illnesses, we should all be taking care of our mental health just like our physical health. These are easy to do tips and they will definitely help to improve your general Mental health! Step 1: Talk about your feelings Whether it is with a friend, a family member, a colleague or you decide to go to counselling, do not bottle up your feelings. Whether someone said something small that bothered you or whether something is on your mind from years ago or you are stressed about something in the future, talk about things. Most of us never have an empty mind, we always have a list of things that we have to do from the minute we get up to the minute we go to bed. On top of that we have emotions and feelings that are an extra thing that takes over our mind. No matter how small or big you think your feelings/ problems are you will be surprised how talking to someone you trust will lift a weight off your shoulders. Sometimes all we need is a cup of tea and an hour to chat away with someone, a problem shared is a problem halved! Step 2: Exercise I know what you are thinking, "when will I have the time to exercise!" however just like drinking 8 glasses of water and eating three meals a day, 30 minutes of exercise a day will improve our well being in more way than one! Whether it is a small walk with friends, an aerobics class, a yoga class, an exercise DVD etc., all will help help as your mind and body are linked. According to mentalhealth.org.uk, experts believe that exercise releases chemicals in your brain that makes you feel good. These chemical help to lift our mood and gives us some energy which a lot of people who are feelings down lack sometimes. This in turn boosts your self- esteem, helps you sleep better and keeps your brain healthy. Step 3: Rest, sleep and me time! Sleep: This is something I know I could personally work on. Remember when we were kids and you mam and dad used to insist that it was important for you to go to bed early and at the same time every night and you would kick up a fuss? Well they weren't doing it to just get rid of you, as studies have shown by going to bed at a regular time and having good habits of getting a better night's sleep, that your mind benefits hugely! As I mentioned earlier, our mind is constantly full of a list of things to do and emotions running around that we never have time during the day to restore our minds. If we have a good night's sleep( eight hours if possible) then our mind has time to restore and will feel less hectic the next day! Rest: It is also a good practice to give yourself 10 to fifteen minutes of doing nothing away from everyone. Whether you are on your break in work, you have just parked the car or you go to your room, close your eyes and let yourself think of absolutely nothing. What I do with this time is I practice a basic mindfulness technique or I focus on just my breathing. Practice this break of doing absolutely nothing everyday and you will find that your mind is not racing half as much as it was before. Me time: As you all know I love some me time, especially in the form of a lush bath!! However I don't give myself as much me time as I should and I think we are all the same. Instead of focusing on ourselves we are busy running around that if we sit down for a half hour and watch a film we feel guilty for not cleaning house, visiting a relative or calling a friend! Whether that me time is a long walk with some music, make sure you try to have some me time everyday for at least 10 to 30 minutes. Even if it is at the end of the day watching TV, it is 30 minutes were you have your own space and do not have to worry about anything just on yourself and relaxing! Step 4: Eat Well According to Mentalhealth.org.uk, there is recent evidence to suggest that good nutrition is essential for our mental health. A healthy and balanced diet benefits not only our physical health but our mental health also. It sounds easy however many of us ignore it as we have a hectic diet to suit our hectic lives. If we eat well, we are more likely to feel happier and better in ourselves. By having a healthy diet we have more energy to carry on throughout the day. Although food with a high sugar content gives you a sugar rush immediately, it does not last long and you suddenly crash which ends in you feeling tired, low and worse than before. Instead try to have a diet with a mix of all the nutrients and instead of having a bar of chocolate so some coffee for a boost of energy, half a cup of green tea and a bowl of mixed fruit. Not only will your mind be healthier but you may drop a dress size, its a win win situation!! Step 5: Drink sensibly Although I don't drink every day, just once at the weekends, this is one tip that I have to work on myself. You don't have to be drinking everyday for alcohol to affect you negatively. Alcohol is a depressant in it's self. Although we may have had a good night with friends having a few drinks and got home safe and sound with no dramas or fights, it is the next few days that follow that we feel the effects. Ever feel the day after a night out that you are in a grouchy mood and any little thing will set you off? Yes this is due to a lack of a good night's sleep but it is also due to the drink the night before. This is not good for anyone especially people who are feeling down or are suffering from a mental health illness. I know for me, that if things are getting too much and I feel like I am getting to breaking point that on a night out I will drink way too much and I will try my best to get drunk in order to try to forget everything that is going on in my life. To try to hide the emotions and to try to have just one good night. These are the nights that end in tears. I mean I know we all have one night were we have one too many but when I feel really anxious and depressed I drink shot after shot and I mix my drinks on purpose, but the thing is drink magnifies everything and hides nothing. When I drink I find that the next day my anxiety and paranoia hits the roof and I worry about everything!! I text friends every Sunday morning asking if I have done or said anything wrong, this then sets the next week off with constant worry. Of course you are not mean't to mix alcohol with medication and I can hear all of you screaming at the screen asking then why are you!!!!! However I have learned which drinks to completely avoid while on my medication and my limits. I know if I have a drink to expect more lows than highs the days following but that is a choice that I make. I am certainly drinking a lot less on nights out and I am having more sober nights then I previously did as I hate the effect a lot of drink has on me, I have felt my lowest after a night out. Unfortunately my anxiety has painted a picture in my head that i need a drink on a night out to relax but we don't need drink to have a good time, we just need a healthy and positive us! Step 6: Set small goals I don't know about you but I am a bit of a perfectionist. When I get an idea in my head there is no shifting it and I want it done exactly to how I imagine it. Although aiming high can lead to success and achievement, the pressure of reaching the goals we set for ourselves and the 'what if' worries if we don't achieve these goals, can cause major stress and may lead to depression. I am also very impatient so when I get an idea in my head I want it to happen now. I think too far ahead, I always have which always causes stress and anxiety. I can make myself physically sick for weeks due to stress on things that may not be happening for months. I worry about how I will afford next year's holiday while I am still on holidays. However if we don't plan anything in life, being unprepared can cause stress too. It is good to be focused and organised so that you feel that you are on top of things and that you are aware of what is going on, nothing takes you by surprise for example like a birthday that you forgot about and you are sent into panic about how you are going to afford a present, that is not good for anyone! In order to avoid this, set yourself small goals daily. Goals that you know you will achieve, like having a healthy breakfast. I know it sounds silly but start off small and then build on each week. Sometimes it is more the fear if we don't fulfill our goals that causes us distress, however the key is to set yourself small goals and be proud of your self for achieving them. If it was a case that you didn't complete one of your goals, don't dwell on it. Look at why you didn't complete it and learn from that. Soon your goals will go from daily to weekly, to monthly etc. and will help you get stronger and help you to manage your stress easier. Step 7: Meditation and Mindfulness As of recently, I am a big believer in Meditation and Mindfulness in helping our mental health. Meditation and Mindfulness both help train the mind to think and feel in the present, to become more aware of your thoughts, feelings and body sensations instead of being afraid and feeling overwhelmed by them. Anyone can practice meditating or mindfulness as there are different practices to suit different people of different ages. You don't have to spend money on class or courses, there are loads of videos and books on line available to help you practice these and to help clear your find and understand your mental health better! So these are my seven tips on how to help improve your mental health. These are things that although they seem so simple we don't practice enough but it is better late than never. Let me know how you get on!! Love Em X Hi Guys,
As you all know I have been thinking about starting a yoga class for ages now. When I came home from holidays my mam found a class in Knockmitten Community Centre, right around the corner from me. I went to my first class on Monday and it was definitely the best thing I have ever done, I am so glad I finally started it. The class last is from 8 p.m to 9:30 p.m and it was the most relaxing hour and a half I have ever spent. At first I felt so anxious heading into the room as I really didn't know what to expect however, the instructor was so nice and knew by my face that I was new to the whole thing!! For as long as I can remember I was always anxious starting something new. I know everyone feels nervous starting a new job, starting a new hobbies, meeting new people etc., but since I was little I would often make myself sick worrying what strangers thought about me. Especially in a dance class or swimming lesson, I would often wonder 'what do they think of me? What do I look like, am I doing it right? Are they staring at me because I am that bad?' However in this class we all wear eye masks throughout the entire class!! The reason behind this is so that we are relaxed and our natural competitive streak isn't at work, comparing ourselves to others around us, we are not pushing ourselves too far. By not being able to see others we are not pushing our bodies past what our body is comfortable with, we are not trying to outdo that person next to us who can do everything perfectly! I thought this was a genius idea! We are all competitive in some way, although many people would not admit it, we are constantly comparing ourselves to others around us. Whether it is someone we don't know on Instagram, a friend, a family member etc. we are our worse enemies. So how could we possibly relax and find inner peace if we are too focused on getting the pose better then the person beside us?!? My idea of what Yoga is mean't to do for you is to help you feel more at peace and to help give you a more positive outlook on life, as well as toning up my stomach muscles(they are hiding under my 6 pack of wine!!).If we are not aware of what others are doing and how far they can stretch their foot behind their head then we won't over do it and over stretch. It all takes time and building up, although I can't even touch my toes at the minute! The fact you can't see what is going on around you means that you have to trust yourself and go at your own pace. It is so relaxing, you feel like you are the only one in the room. The instructor, Sandra, has the most calming voice in the world. There is no pressure, no competition, it is just about you and how you feel. That night I had the best sleep I have had in months and the next day in counselling I felt so grounded, it was unbelievable the change in me. It is safe to say I will definitely be going back on Monday, I'm already looking forward to it. I may not be able to touch my toes yet but I will get there! I would definitely recommend it to anyone, especially those who suffer from mental health illness, trust me you will be able to forget those horrible feelings for that hour and a half! I will keep you all updated weekly on how I get on, so if you think yoga could be something for you, follow my updates and feel free to ask me any questions you have! Love Em X |
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This is where I share parts of lifestyle which I feel help or hinder my mental health. Archives
January 2018
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