Hello Gless fans!
I am the Mental Health Blogger and I am on a mission to raise awareness. Mental health is
something that everyone has, yet we only ever hear about it when someone’s
mental health isn’t good. Everyone feels down and anxious at some points in
their lives and so whilst you may not suffer with a mental illness, I thought I
would share with you some ways to deal with these emotions.
Emotions are all to
do with chemical balances in the brain, when we feel down there is a lack of
serotonin and when we are anxious there are raised levels of cortisol. So when
you feel down or anxious it’s important to do things which can increase or
decrease, as needed, the levels of these chemicals. For depression and low mood
I am going to describe things that can be done to raise serotonin levels and
for anxiety I am going to describe things that can help you to relax.
To raise levels of
serotonin you could:
- Go for a walk, even if it is just a small walk it really does help. That is because the change in eye movement compared to being inside makes the brain release serotonin. More vigorous exercise also releases endorphins which can make you feel happier.
- Change your diet. When we feel low our body craves sugary food and that is because our brain takes 70% of the sugar we consume. However, we need a balanced diet so that we have the sufficient levels of chemicals in our body to function. The chemicals that you may find you are lacking could be vitamins B3, B6, C, folic acid, magnesium, omega 3 fatty acids or tryptophan. There are all sorts of information on the internet where you can find out which foods contain these.
- Whilst this next point does not raise serotonin levels it is a great way to make you feel better when you feel low. Get some sunlight! Sunlight gives us vitamin D and a lack of this vitamin can make you feel lethargic and tired which in turn can make you feel low.
To relax:
- Try breathing techniques. When we are anxious we take in more oxygen but don’t release an equal amount of carbon dioxide which leads to us breathing more heavily and in turn getting heart palpitations and all the other unwanted signs of being nervous. Breathe in to the count of 4, hold for 4, breathe out for 4, then hold for 4 and repeat. This will calm your breathing down to a normal pace.
- Try meditation and mindfulness. Do deep muscle tensing and relaxing. Tense your muscles and relax them starting from your head and working down to your feet. This is a great exercise to do when you are in bed and can’t sleep.
- Try the adult colouring books. It is the new craze and really does work as it encourages mindfulness. You will become so engrossed in colouring in and picking which colours to use etc that you will be relaxing your brain from thinking about other things.
I hope you find this
things useful and that you can incorporate them into your daily lives. If you
would like to know more about mental health and would like to check out my blog
then please do so here: http://www.thementalhealthblogger.com/
Thank you!
The Mental Health
Blogger
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Mental health is an important issue to be aware about, not just for ourselves but for others around us, so please do take the time to look through her website.
Thank you Angie for taking the time to write this guest post!
~ glessabella
xo.
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