5 Keys To Mental Wellbeing

Achieving a good mental state doesn't have to involve expensive therapy and complicated techniques. Here are some easy strategies you can implement into your life, starting today.

1) Cut out caffeine

Having worked with hundreds of people suffering from anxiety, I have seen first hand, the dramatic results of simply cutting out caffeine. Often we feel as though we need that tea or coffee. However, what we actually need is a drink. Try switching to de-caff for a week and see what a difference it makes to your underlying level of stress and anxiety. Be aware that products such as diet coke and green tea often contain caffeine. This strategy is such an easy, quick win for mental strength.

2) Meditation

Meditation helps you to focus more and to feel confident that you can cope with situations. When you feel overwhelmed by your 'To Do' list, meditation is the perfect antidote. It doesn't have to involve incense, chanting and tie-dye! Headspace is a great app. It's very down to Earth and many of the sessions are only 10 minutes long, so you can easily fit them into day to day life.

3) Walking outside

Exercising outside is great for so many reasons. Obviously it's good for your physical health, which in turn can impact on your self-esteem. However, there are additional benefits to your mental wellbeing. Exercise is great for reducing stress (see my previous post on anxiety for the science behind this). Sunlight is also very beneficial for lifting mood. So get outside for a walk whenever you can.



4) Talking to yourself in a positive way

Sometimes we can be our own worst enemy. Do you find you can be very self-critical? Or label yourself in a very negative way? Often, we tell ourselves things that we wouldn't dream of saying to a friend or family member. Notice when you do this and change it. Imagine what you would say to someone you care very deeply about. You would encourage them in a positive and motivational way. So, do the same to yourself.

5) Surround yourself with positive people

We are social animals. We are naturally influenced by those around us.  Notice how the different people in your life make you feel. If there is someone who puts you down, or who is always moaning about how bad the world is, make a conscious effort to spend less time with that person and more time with those people who make you feel good.

Stress Heads

• Feeling that sense of dread in your stomach.
• Being snappy and irritable with your family, friends and colleagues.
• Your heart racing.
• Feeling completely stuck and that there is no way forward.

These are all classic symptoms of stress.

Stress is a very common issue and in my work, as a hypnotherapist, it is one of the most common issues I treat.

Stress is a huge problem in the UK. Did you know the total number of cases of stress as a work related illness in 2011/12 was 428 000 (40%) out of a total of 1 073 000 for all work-related illnesses in Great Britain?

So let’s find out a bit about the biology of stress. You may or may not have heard of the autonomic nervous system. This is the system of our body that looks after things like our heart rate, breathing, digestion etc. The systems of our bodies that are working all the time, without us being consciously aware. The autonomic nervous system is split into 2 parts, the sympathetic and the parasympathetic. The sympathetic nervous system is also known as the Fight or Flight response. The parasympathetic nervous system is known as the Rest and Recovery system. When we are under pressure the sympathetic nervous system is activated, leading to the fight or flight response. This means that when the fight or flight response kicks in our heart rate increases, our blood pressure increases, blood flows to our arms and legs and our breathing quickens, adrenaline is released, so that we can run or fight. At the same time the things like the digestive system and the immune system are suppressed because the body has more urgent things to deal with.

This system worked brilliantly when we evolved and were subjected to short term dangers. However, in modern life, the fight or flight response is stimulated in response to things like a report being due in or exam stress and it can be stimulated chronically, often all day every day if you have a stressful job.

If we are stressed for a long time it can lead to high blood pressure, depression, stomach ulcers, (because the digestive system is suppressed), illnesses, (because the immune system has been suppressed) and many other health issues. Stressed people often also suffer with insomnia.

So, we can see that chronic stress is very bad for our physical and mental health.

Luckily, there are several steps you can take to lower your stress.

One good way is to use exercise. Exercise uses your muscles, allowing the fight or flight response to be used as it was designed. Exercise also helps to keep you healthy which can help to protect against high blood pressure. Exercise also makes you feel good (afterwards!) and releases endorphins.

Sometimes, when we are under a lot of pressure, we have a tendency to catastophize. We imagine the worst case scenario.  It can really seem that the world will end if we make a mistake in an email. Sometimes it helps to take a step back and think realistically what would happen.

Another quite useful technique is to imagine things through to the end. When we feel stressed or anxious about something we will often think about it. The problem is that we often stop the imagination at the worst part. For example, someone who gets very stressed about flying on a plane, will often remember a turbulent flight and will only imagine the turbulence. If you find yourself doing this, one of the best ways to help yourself, is to continue imagining right through to the end, when you were once again feeling safe. Using the example of a flight, you can continue to imagine the plane landing and getting off the plane and enjoying a holiday.

In our busy modern lives, we often don’t take time to just relax. Even when we are “relaxing” we’re often reading, watching TV or surfing the internet at the same time. For some of us the only time we relax is when we are asleep. Taking time every day to really relax is very important. I know I certainly do this as often as I can. There are lots of relaxation CDs you can listen to. Or even practice techniques such as meditation and mindfulness. Having worked with a lot of people who suffer with stress and insomnia, I have found that incorporating simple relaxation techniques, very quickly improves people’s sleep patterns.

So, all these techniques help us to cope with the stress we are under. However, how can lower the actual stress that’s put upon us. Often stress comes from certain people in our lives, most commonly a boss, but our friends and family can also cause us to feel stressed.

A really good way to manage your workload or to manage a difficult relationship is an assertiveness technique called DESC

DESC

D – Describe. Describe with no emotion and no evaluation – exactly what is bothering you. Don’t exaggerate. Don’t say always when you mean twice. This bloodless step must come first.

E – Express. Express how this makes you feel. Don’t accuse, don’t evaluate the other person, just identify which emotion you feel.

S – Specify. Specify exactly what you want the other person to do.

C – Consequence. End by saying just what you will do if your target does not comply. Be accurate, don’t threaten, don’t menace, don’t bluff.

So, I have told you a little about the biology of stress and about some simple ways to decrease your stress levels. Stress is very common and can be detrimental to your health and well being, so it is certainly worth taking some action now. To download a wonderful hypnotic MP3 to alleviate stress in a natural way, click here.

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