Mental Health Blog, Day 3: Lifestyle choices

Often, it’s not possible to simply think your way out of a bad mental health situation, making actual physical changes to your lifestyle can be far more effective. The little habits can add up to having a big impact, and so tweaking the small stuff can be very useful. For me that has consisted of giving up bad habits and embracing new positive habits. Again, these are just tips that have helped me. I don’t want to tell people how to live their lives, but these have certainly helped me, and at one point I was at rock bottom, and now I’m much happier.

Photos will make it look like I'm a really happy guy, having a great time, I was in that moment, and that's what photos are for, but it's been a very rocky road the last 2 years. I felt like my life was coming off the rails during grief, and these lifestyle choices gave me structure and stability to get back on track.

Diet: Having a healthy(ish) diet is a great idea; you’ll probably live longer, have more energy, look better, and feel better. I say ‘ish’ because chocolate is amazing. There are 1000s of diets online and so many opinions, but lots of veg, some fruit and nuts, brown carbs like rice and porridge, plenty of water, less sugar, less processed, and less meat seem to have become some universal good rules. Cacao, chia seeds and bananas are some go-to foods that help me feel good.

Sleep: Having good quality sleep is so vital to good mental health. Keeping bedtime and waking times regular boosts energy. Blackout blinds are also great, and just putting quite a lot of value on getting your sleep. Kids and careers can make us devalue sleep but it’s so vital to our energy and well-being. Some people need 7 hours, some need 9.

Exercise: Whether it’s going to the gym, cycling, sports, or dancing; regular exercise is great for mental health, but make sure you also get plenty of rest and good carbs to provide the energy needed.

Sunlight: Low mood can be due to a Vitamin D deficiency. My GP gave me a blood test and found I had a deficiency. I now buy Vitamin D pills from the local pharmacist and this helps over the winter months, but walking in the sunlight is even better.

Time with friends and/or family: Having people who care about you is a privilege, and by appreciating them, speaking to them, letting out your emotions, and loving and supporting each other, we can all make each other feel better. Being open with your emotions and supporting your friends; it can all help vent those feelings, and give some support to help you. Also helping friends is great for your self esteem.

Staying active: Just do something, you’re alive, you might as well live. By being active, you create experiences and change. Whether it’s a walk, a hobby, volunteering, your job, hanging with friends, learning, or watching a movie. Keeping busy stops you from ‘dwelling’, or ‘giving up’ feelings that come with being sedentary for too long.

Daily goals: Small goals for each day. Whether it’s a ‘To do’ list, or just going with the flow, if you feel you’ve achieved something, it can help to boost yourself back up.

Helping: Give of yourself. Volunteer, help, be good to people. If there was more of this the world would be a better place – be a part of that change. It can boost self-esteem too.

Time to chill: It can really help to put aside 10 minutes, or even 5, to just be. To chill if you can, find a comfy chair, or bed, and just relax for a few minutes. For the sake of 5 minutes the benefits are great. Meditation and mindfulness are of course great for learning ‘how to chill’. The headspace app for your phone is a good place to start.

Do things that make you happy, and remove unhappiness: Question whether your current lifestyle is giving you happiness - If not, why not, what is it you want to change?

I think especially with work and careers, we sometimes suffer greatly and needlessly. I was studying my MSc and realised I hated it and found it extremely boring. I felt I ‘needed it’ to get on in life and achieve, but I’ve realised that life is too short to force yourself to do stuff you hate. It's good to question what we actually 'need' if it's making us miserable. If you have the freedom to leave something you hate then take that chance, you might find something you really enjoy.

Identify what makes you feel bad, and remove it if you can: Sometimes it’s not about adding something to your life, it’s about taking away something negative. Whether that's junk food, social media, an abusive relationship, binge-drinking, drugs, smoking, gambling: I’ve found these things to be negative, and draining on many people's lives and happiness. Sometimes it’s the little things that build up and sap on our energy and happiness – kick them out of your life, you’re better off without, and deserve to be healthier and happier.

Norway Quest Travel Blog, Day 3:

Started the day enjoying a view from the balcony. It was raining again but we marched on and booked our ‘Norway in a nutshell’ tour which will take us on a train, coach, and boat journey to see some of the sights. I took a travel sickness pill ready for boat, but then we realised we’d missed it, and so had to go in a couple of days’ time…

We went to a café and I had a beer, not realising that the travel pill interacts with alcohol and made me really drowsy and tired. I was near enough passed out which worried Amy, but I soon came back around with some carby foods. Not the best experience of the holiday but I was lucky to have been with Amy who looked after me well and gave me food! Didn't feel 100% for the rest of the day so we took it easy. We briefly saw an outdoor classical concert in Bergen city centre and then headed to an ‘Ice bar’🥶

...(Extra info) I thought this might be boring/irrelevant for most, but it's here just in case it's useful to some. I thought these 2 nasty problems would be life-long but managed to find ways out and thought I'd share.

Quitting smoking advice: It took me about 7 attempts, I smoked for 6 years, and have now quit for 5 years. Nicotine therapy, replacements, vaping etc all kept the addiction going with more nicotine. I couldn't find help to quit, had to find my own way. To quit, I created a low stress environment for 2 weeks, as I realised it was stress that was 'forcing the hand' each time I bailed. I quit in between uni terms when I was living at home and didn't work, and I was single. Played computer games, watched movies and went for walks for 2 weeks straight, and it was enough time to beat the addiction. Nothing was stressful so there was no excuse.

Quitting back pain advice: I used to have chronic back and shoulder pain for two years; I saw 5 physios, 3 masseurs, and 1 acupuncturist. It wasn’t until Physio #5 that I got a diagnosis. I had keyhole surgery on my shoulder and thanks to my amazing surgeon I now live a far better quality of life without that pain. My point is, it took serious effort over years, just like quitting smoking, but it eventually improved, I could’ve given up earlier and lived with the pain. Someone told it me it could be chronic. I had to return to the doctors like 4 times. Sometimes you have to be very assertive with improving your life. You have to put your foot down and decide you are worth it, you are worthy of being happy and feeling well, and you’ll fight to get there.