Greetings, Estes Park.
For this Mental Health Minute, it seems fitting to acknowledge that World Mental Health Day is observed on October 10.
I love that we have grown in our awareness of the need to support those facing mental health challenges to the point of having an actual day of dedication.
Unlike Father’s Day or Valentine’s Day, however, I don’t recall seeing a card section dedicated to World Mental Health Day at the store. As one of my colleagues says, mental health and substance use problems aren’t usually thought of as “casserole” situations.
Think about it. If someone you care about broke their leg, had a death in the family, or lost their job, you’d likely bake them a meatloaf or tofurkey or something in support. Do we do that when we hear that someone has been having a hard time with their anxiety or post-traumatic stress? Hmm. Something to consider.
So, while we may be increasing our awareness of the need for additional support and access to services for those individuals and families who need it, we also need to continue to look at our own ideas about promoting positive mental health. For ourselves and each other.
Promoting positive mental health is really what I’d like to focus on for the rest of this column. My husband was reading something just the other day about a related topic and the benefits of good sleep, a healthy diet, and regular exercise for our mental health. Please do not minimize the impact of just those three things. His reaction, though, was basically, “Duh.”
Perhaps some more concrete suggestions would also be helpful.
Some tips for better sleep:
- Stick to a fairly regular wake/sleep cycle
- Limit caffeine after noon
- Limit nicotine and alcohol use
- Discontinue screen usage at least an hour before bed
- Keep your bedroom cool without harsh lighting or too much noise
- If you have things on your mind, write them down so you don’t go to bed worrying about not forgetting something
- When you get up, go outside and face the sun for a while to solidify in your system that it’s daytime
- Drink a big glass of water first thing
Many good resources are available to help with sleep. Harvard Health, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, and the Sleep Foundation are just a few.
Numerous resources are also available for eating healthily and making an exercise plan that is appropriate for you. The following suggestions are geared towards helping you succeed at whatever goal or plan you make for yourself. And these apply towards a whole range of mental health, physical health, or self-care goals.
- Set achievable mileposts towards your ultimate goal, versus only focusing on the end zone. If I want to run a marathon—which I DON’T want to do, this is just an illustration—I have to first be able to run one, then two, then 10 miles before I can run over 26 miles. If I just go out and immediately run until I drop, I likely won’t try again and will feel less motivated to try again in the future. Hopelessness and despair can easily set in.
- Buddy up with another individual or a group. Self-will, or internal motivation, will only go so far. If we have the accountability and support of our peers, we are much more likely to continue with our endeavors. This is another time when I get to reemphasize that we are better with others than by ourselves. Connection is protection.
- Internalize a long-term lifestyle change, versus a short-term achievement. If my goal is to lose 10 pounds before a class reunion, I may have enough external motivation to get there, but if my motivation is to become healthier in my diet and exercise for my own quality of life, then I’ll be much more likely to keep that 10 pounds off. It can be really helpful to recognize how your positive health can also improve your relationships, and model to others that change can happen. We can do hard things.
- Get professional guidance if, despite your best efforts, you continue to fall short of your goals.
I hope that some of these thoughts are useful. If your reaction to these ideas is, “I can’t do all that stuff,” then just choose one. Remember to build on small successes and go from there.
In closing, instead of wishing you a happy World Mental Health Day, I heartily wish you a very happy World of Mental Health.
Sarah Hills, LPC, CAS, CAI, has a master’s degree in community counseling and the certification required by the state of Colorado as a certified addictions specialist at the supervisory level. She is also a certified ARISE® Interventionist. She is office-based in Estes Park and can be reached by phone at 720-250-6610. Click here to review her website.