I remember our honeymoon so well. It was such a perfect opportunity to relax and recover from the hectic moments leading up to the wedding. Despite my intention to have a small and simple wedding, there was so much involved, not just in organising the wedding, which happened alongside having to manage a business. Managing the social aspects of dealing with so many people and their queries, requests, advice, complaints and cancellations on top of dealing with my own emotions, was all quite taxing. If it wasn’t for that honeymoon and the retreat space that we had to fall more deeply in love with each other and ourselves, we would have had some very shaky foundations to go back out into the world with. And that would have been rather ugly!
Mental health is such a vital foundation for dealing with everyday events as well as for functioning in relationships. People whose mental health is depleted can tend to isolate themselves from others as a survival strategy to avoid any further stress. Yet this can spiral mental health problems into feeling even more unsupported and alone in the process. It is much easier to recover mentally when we can identify mental health imbalances early. Just as we had the “Are you Ok” movement to encourage people to check in with loved ones about their mental health, we can also apply this movement to ourselves so that we can support both ourselves and others in coming out of dark times with a greater sense of awareness and empowerment. Hence my passion to share these support tips with you.
MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT TIPS
❖ Honor yourself, your passions and your unique expression in this world.
❖ Take some quality time out for rest and replenishing so you don’t end up in burn-out or break-down
❖ Be sure to treat yourself to doing the things you love on a daily basis.
❖ Listen to your feelings and emotions to be guided to resolve underlying issues that need to be dealt with. The longer they go unresolved, the more they will persist, undermining your sense of mental wellbeing.
❖ Make sure you are getting enough quality sleep. An average of 8 hours a day is usually enough. However everybody is different with their needs and sometimes in our life we need more sleep than others. Sleep is essential for your body to replenish neurotransmitters for sense of wellbeing.
❖ Ensure you have a diet that addresses your foundational nutritional needs for a happy healthy brain and body. Taken from the book ‘Eat Complete’ by Drew Ramsey MD,
1. Omega 3 fats – building blocks for cellular membranes, hormones, neurotransmitters... every aspect of body function really.
Food sources: fish, shellfish, grass fed beef, linseed, chia seeds, kale
2. Zinc - key factor in many of the bodies cellular functions and essential for immunity, healing and brain development
Food sources: oysters, grass fed beef, turkey, sesame and pumpkin seeds
3. Vit B12 – very important, your brain degenerates without it.
Food sources: mussels, trout, salmon
4. Magnesium – a key nutrient for the majority of cellular functions in the body – think healing, growth, repair, energy production, releasing waste and more
Food sources: almonds, spinach, cashews, black beans, parsnips, eggs, seeds
5. Vit B9 – folate – required for neural protection and to make many neurotransmitters – chemicals responsible for clear thinking, regulating mood
Food sources: chicken, lentils, chickpeas, black-eye peas, brussel sprouts, asparagus, spinach
6. Prebiotics and probiotics – health of the nervous system and immune system is highly dependent on the health of the gut
Food sources: high fibre food such as navy beans, lentils, raspberries, fermented foods such as saukraut, miso, sourdough bread, kim chi, tempeh, tofu
7. Complete proteins – essential for healing, growth and repair - building blocks for thousands of body parts – cell receptors, muscles, enzymes, neurotransmitters etc.
Food sources: grass fed beef, chicken, turkey, salmon, lamb, Vego combinations: a)corn combined with beans eg. Corn chips and beans; b)nuts/lentils/legumes combined with grains, eg. dahl & rice, hommos on bread c)seeds combined with legumes – eg sesame and tofu
So what about the honeymoon? Take yourself out from the everyday and cultivate those loving feelings for yourself and the things that matter. You may find yourself a happy place in nature, walking your favourite route, treating yourself at a coffee shop, or hanging out with someone very special to you. Whatever feels like delicious time out and a loving space, take yourself there. We also have on offer a vision quest nature retreat which is a dedication to having time out to have a mental and emotional purge and rest in the stillness of connection with your heart and soul. phone Michael on 0417 534 647 or email us for more info... info@soulnurturing.com.au