Until very recently, depression, panic attacks, or emotional burnout were perceived by many as something imaginary, not serious, and visiting a psychologist was considered a sign of weakness and even stupidity. However, now taking care of your mental health has become a positive trend for people of different ages. Why is it so important to protect not only your body, but also your psyche from getting sick?
“The World Health Organization defines mental health as a state of well-being when an individual is able to realize their potential, cope with daily stress, work productively and contribute to society. A mentally healthy person can fully enjoy life, feel the meaning of his life, adapt to stressful situations faster, cope with professional and other tasks, love, work, take care of his children and build relationships with others. It is so important!” says Ekaterina Winter, a clinical and health psychologist at the Association of Health Centers.
Mental health = physical health
Many have heard the catch phrase “all diseases are from the nerves”, and there is some truth in it. The psychologist explains: “The main reason why it is important to protect your mental health is the inextricable connection between mental and physical condition. It is well known that long-term stress and excessive anxiety can provoke the development of serious diseases of the digestive, cardiovascular and endocrine systems, weaken immunity, and can increase the symptoms of other diseases.”
How to understand that mental health problems have arisen?
Mental health does not necessarily mean complete freedom from anxiety, depression and other negative emotions. What is important is the ability to overcome it all. “Yes, the presence of these problems is not yet a sign of illness. However, if a person’s ability to cope with daily responsibilities in various areas of life (at work, in the family, etc.) deteriorates, and he experiences strong, long-lasting emotional suffering, then we can safely talk about problems with mental health,” says Ekaterina Winter.
What are the symptoms of mental health problems?
Sleep disorders. The duration of sleep is longer or shorter than usual, there is difficulty falling asleep, it is typical to wake up after a few hours of sleep and the inability to fall asleep again.
Rapid fluctuations in body weight or sudden changes in eating habits. Significant weight gain or weight loss without any diet or exercise changes. Also lack of appetite.
Unexplained physical health problems where medical tests fail to explain, for example, the causes of headaches, abdominal cramps, diarrhea, constipation, or chronic pain.
Difficulty overcoming anger and controlling mood when a person, for example, suddenly starts crying or “explodes” and loses control, shouts at others, shows aggression, quarrels with family members, friends.
Chronic fatigue and lack of energy. Inability to concentrate on everyday and enjoyable activities. Inability to perform daily duties.
Feeling that nothing matters, a sense of helplessness.
Memory problems. Short-term memory loss can be caused by stress, a reaction to an emotional injury, some illness, lack of sleep, or, for example, Alzheimer’s disease.
Avoidance of social activities. A significant, long-lasting change in social behavior – not wanting to meet friends, avoiding going to public places, wanting to withdraw into oneself – can indicate stress overload or emotional problems.
Uncontrolled alcohol or drug use.
Intrusive thoughts characterized by anxiety, worry.
Thoughts (or actions) aimed at harming oneself or others.
The psychologist emphasizes: “These symptoms should not be ignored. If you think that any of them apply to you, be sure to consult your family doctor and ask for the help of a specialist – a neurologist, a psychiatrist or a clinical psychologist.”
Pharmacist of “Mēnes Aptiekas” Linda Fevraleva has observed on a daily basis that people often come to the pharmacy asking for a remedy to improve the quality of sleep or reduce stress, and these symptoms, as psychologist Ekaterina Vinter explains, indicate a possible mental health problem and require immediate action so that the condition would not deteriorate.
A garden of your emotions and feelings!
Paying attention to your feelings and emotions is extremely important for overall mental health. How does such concern manifest itself? The psychologist explains: “To start taking care of your emotions, you must first identify your emotional needs. This process can look like an assessment of what I need to feel happy and what actions I can take to satisfy my emotional needs. Once you have a fuller picture of your emotional needs, you need to make a conscious decision to work to meet them. It’s easy to get emotional or make excuses, but really taking care of your emotions requires consistent action and behavior change.
Ignoring your feelings and emotions can have serious consequences – depression, lack of motivation, apathy, loss of meaning, etc. The situation can also worsen and lead to physical health pr
problems.”
9 tips for mental health prevention
There are techniques that can help reduce stress, depression, anxiety, thereby reducing mental strain. Just a few minutes of taking care of your mental health will help you feel better throughout the day. Here’s what you can try!
Listen to the signals of the body and psyche. The human body is a unique self-healing system and has many “sensors” that register for unwanted, harmful effects and several ways to give an alarm signal that something needs to change. The body is really smart – many times a day it tries to warn and protect you.
Allow yourself to feel, experience emotions. Many have been born to control and suppress emotions, and our culture and mentality is prohibitive to many “unwanted” feelings, which only makes the situation worse. It is harmful to health! Therefore, it is recommended to learn to recognize, name and feel your emotions. It can also be a good prevention of psychosomatic symptoms.
Write down your thoughts and experiences. If during the day you notice that your thoughts change faster than usual, or it is difficult to keep your attention, take a notepad (or mobile phone) and write down exactly what worries you. These can be urgent work tasks, constant, intrusive experiences about loved ones, or simply sad thoughts. Continue until you have described everything that is going through your head. This practice can give your brain a chance to get rid of worry and unproductive worries, and these notes can be used to work on yourself.
Be clear about your needs. At least twice a day, try to take a few minutes to stop and ask yourself what you need right now. Do you feel lonely? Cancel a walk alone, write to a friend! Feeling tired at work? Switch your attention – spend 10 minutes on something else and then go back to work. This regular “connecting” to yourself and your needs will help you maintain a positive attitude.
Find small joys every day. The more happy and pleasant experiences you have every day, the better your mental state will be. It is important that your weekly routine has enough reasons for feeling happy – they, like an emergency kit, increase resilience against stress and vicissitudes of life. The specific list will be different for everyone, and it doesn’t matter exactly what is on yours.
Hug more often. Tactile contacts are one of the first ways a person begins to communicate with the world. Touches and hugs reduce anxiety and stress by stimulating the production of oxytocin, improve heart function, help send and receive emotional signals, balance the climate in relationships and much more. Hugs are necessary and somehow healing at any age.
Find time to be alone. It has been proven that most people feel better after 20-30 minutes alone. It is very important to give yourself a chance to shut up a little and be alone without feeling abandoned, but just relaxing.
Come up with a ritual for the end of the working day and the working week. Not everyone is able to draw a clear line between work and private life, especially when working from home. Invent a special ritual that will help you get out of the work mode at the end of the day – it will be a signal to the brain that the working day is over, and therefore – it’s time to think about something else.
Breathing and mindfulness practices are used. Set aside a special time and place to calm your mind. Simple breathing techniques will help you calm down and reduce stress. Mobile applications can be used to practice mindfulness.
Build and maintain relationships. Social connections with family, friends and other people in the community can make you happier, improve physical health and reduce the likelihood of mental health problems.
You can also discuss the first few symptoms with your pharmacist
“When observing the first symptoms, in addition to the practical advice provided by the psychologist, you can also tak a nutritional supplement to normalize the functioning of the nervous system. These preparations usually contain extracts of plants such as valerian, lemon balm, mint, hawthorn, hops, St. John’s wort. An important component is the mineral magnesium, as well as B vitamins. If the body lacks the necessary microelements and vitamins, it is more difficult for it to cope with the daily workload, stress, and unpleasant events. When the first sleep disorders appear, such as difficulty falling asleep, you should first review your daily routine, habits, and organize your sleeping environment. If necessary, a medicine containing melatonin can be used temporarily. Consult with a pharmacist, he can also notice in the conversation that you need help and recommend going to a psychologist or other specialist,” adds Linda Fevraleva, pharmacist of “Mēnes Aptiekas”.
“Try just a few of these suggestions, or think of something else you can do regularly that will help you regain your energy and take care of yourself. If, however, you do not manage to cope on your own, it would be important to seek help and not let the problem go,” recommends Ekaterina Winter, a clinical and health psychologist at the Association of Health Centers.
