How to Improve Mental Health Naturally
So we’re over halfway through 2021 and things just don’t seem to be getting any easier, do they?? Adulting is hard enough as it is, and then you add the Coronavirus pandemic and worldly stressors over the last 1-2 years, and DANG! How on earth are we supposed to keep ourselves sane?? If you are feeling the effects, you’re not alone.
With all that is happening around us, it is more important than ever to recognize the vital roles we have in supporting and maintaining our own mental health. While not all variables in life can be controlled, there are, in fact, lots of ways we can support our mental healthcare—and many of them are fairly easy! Let’s take some time today to review some of my favorite ways to support good mental health and emotional well-being.
Sunlight
Sunlight has a way of making things brighter (literally) and bringing joy into our lives. The sun helps us to maintain healthy vitamin D levels in our bodies, and thanks to the vitamin D receptors in our central nervous systems, leads to improved mood and mental health overall. Sunlight also strengthens our immune systems and stimulates our healing mechanisms which have impacts on our overall well being. In order to gain benefit from this natural resource, aim to get outside for a bit each day. When getting outside isn’t possible, sitting by a window through which you can catch some rays is an alternative option.
Fresh Air
Whether we’re at home or at work, most of us spend a great deal of our time indoors. As such, we’re constantly breathing dry, stagnant indoor air. Take a break from your normal daily grind, step outside and take in some fresh air. This helps to increase oxygen levels in our blood, which can also help to improve mental clarity and memory as well as help us feel energized. If you are struggling to get outside (because you’re too busy, it’s cold, etc.), consider sitting by an open window and taking some deep breaths as the air flows in. Being outside and/or sitting by an open window in the sun are great ways to get more bang for your buck with access to both sunshine and fresh air!
Movement
Getting our bodies up and moving not only benefits our physical health, but can have a great impact on our mental health as well. Simply put, movement increases blood flow to the brain, which allows us to better handle stress. Regular exercise—especially aerobic exercise—can reduce anxiety by making your brain’s “fight or flight” system less reactive. Even in the short term, physical activity has an impact on the way you think and feel. To get started, consider adding some gentle movement like a walk or some stretching or yoga to your day. This can get the blood flowing and support healing overall. Check out my blog on Getting Back into Exercise After Illness for more information.
Grounding
While outside, consider that connecting with Mother Nature can be of great benefit to our mental health. The purpose of grounding is to find balance as we connect to earth’s energy with our physical bodies and create a balance between our minds and our bodies. This can be done by walking barefoot in grass, dirt, or sand, or by digging with our hands into a garden. When given a chance, you can also do so in a body of water such as an ocean, river, etc. Take in the present moment and try to pay attention to what you see, hear, smell, and feel.
Hydration
Keeping our bodies hydrated has a positive impact on our physical and mental health. Adequate hydration helps to deliver nutrients to cells and keep our organs functioning properly—and this includes our brains. When you’re well-hydrated, you can also see improvements in sleep quality, cognition, and mood. Anthony William, Medical Medium, has shared, “If you suffer from any neurological problem or are under intense stress, hydration is critical and can really help you heal.” Drinking plenty of living water (water activated by the earth – create your own by adding lemon juice or honey to water), coconut water, and/or freshly squeezed juice are great ways to ensure you’re hydrated.
Frequent Eating
A fantastic way to support your nervous system is to provide it lots of adrenal support by eating light, balanced meals every 1.5–2 hours. This type of balanced diet helps keep your blood sugar steady throughout the day so that your adrenals don’t have to interfere, giving them a chance to rest and restore themselves.
As Anthony has shared, ideally your meals should contain a balance of potassium, sodium, and natural glucose (i.e., from fruits).
Examples of adrenal-supportive snacks include:
- A date (potassium), two celery sticks (sodium), an apple (glucose)
- Half an avocado (potassium), spinach (sodium), an orange (glucose)
- A sweet potato (potassium), parsley (sodium), lemon squeezed on kale (glucose)
These “snacks” are perfect for keeping your blood sugar steady between your larger meals of the day.
Meditations
Meditation can be a fantastic tool for emotional health and healing overall. You can do it anytime, anywhere. You can involve nature, a breathing exercise or other relaxation technique, or simply completing a relaxing task where your mind can be cleared. You can use a mantra such as “be here now” or “let it come, let it go, let it flow.” You can also try an intention such as “breathe in love, breathe out fear.” Some of my favorite meditations are discussed beginning on page 397 of Medical Medium (Revised and Expanded Edition) and include “Waves on the Beach,” “Surrounded by Trees,” “Free as a Bird” and so many more. Here you’ll find Anthony’s Moon Meditation. Truth be told, you can’t go wrong with any of them!
Removing Heavy Metals
As most Medical Medium fans and followers are aware, heavy metals can wreak havoc on us in many ways. This includes physically but also mentally and emotionally! Working to detox the heavy metals from our bodies can have a tremendous impact on our physical and mental health.
“Why is a heavy metal detox essential for health and vitality? Because our neurotransmitters are short circuiting, burning out, and being destroyed by the toxic heavy metals that bring about brain fog, confusion, lack of motivation and many other devastating symptoms.” – Anthony William
Consider Anthony’s Heavy Metal Detox Smoothie to support your body in eliminating harmful heavy metals and ultimately improve your mental health.
Processing Emotions
While they are never the sole reason for physical suffering, Anthony has shared many times that emotions can serve as a trigger for underlying susceptibilities. In addition to the current state of the world, this might also include the trauma of intensely stressful life events like break-ups/divorce, death of loved ones, big life changes, and many more. Being able to work through the emotions connected to these events can help to maintain mental stability and balance.
Also important is recognizing that you did not create your illness, you did not manifest your illness, nor bring your illness onto yourself. As Anthony shared during his interview with Kimberly for her docu-series Hope for Healing , “that’s happening where women who are getting sick, they’re being told… to better yourself emotionally and mentally, you need to think more positive.” He goes on to say, “don’t think you’re creating [illness] with your thoughts, or creating it with your mind… so just know that it’s not that, it’s [that] there really are issues that no ones talking about and no one’s looking for and no one understands, but the answers are there, and you can heal.”
A Note on Mental Illness
While self-care and supporting our mental well-being through the suggestions listed above can be extremely helpful for many, if you are are suffering from a mental illness, these steps may not be enough on their own, but there are many ways to get professional help.
If you are uncomfortable taking the first step of reaching out to a professional, talk to a family member or trusted friend who would be willing to support you. You are not alone.
I also provide 1:1 emotional support sessions. Book a consult or learn more here.
In Conclusion
In a world where so much can be challenging and unpredictable, we can only do our best to keep tabs on our mental health in order to promote our own mental, emotional, and physical healing. The suggestions above are a great place to start. For more information on mental health and much more, please check out my Empowered Women’s course.
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