Post written by guest blogger Emily Grugan; Postbac IRTA fellow, OITE Summer Program Staff Assistant
At some point in life, everyone experiences psychological distress – whether that be anxiety, depression, a persistent pattern of negative emotion or thought, a period of low drive/motivation, or any on a long list of others. Sometimes, it can be difficult to pull ourselves apart from these negative psychological states. They can cling to us, sticky in a way the more desirable ones never quite seem to be. However, we need not remain bound in servitude to our minds and their concoctions. With the tool of behavior, we can exert great influence over our minds and subsequent state of wellbeing.
It is sometimes an inclination when experiencing a troubling mental state to try and “think” our way through it, or even to suppress it altogether – pushing it down and ignoring its existence if we can. In other words, we want to resolve our internal problem internally. However, the solution often lies in the world external, in behaviors and habits we can do with our bodies or things we can expose ourselves to. For example, Dr. Andrew Huberman, a professor and scientist at Stanford University and host of The Huberman Lab podcast, outlined in an interview eight fundamental habits which can be utilized to optimize mental health[1]:
- Sleep
- Sunlight exposure
- Movement/exercise
- Nutrition
- Hydration
- Social connection
- Deliberate decompression (yoga, breathing practices, Non-Sleep Deep Rest)
- Gratitude
This is a good list, based on sound research…and I’m willing to bet that you’re already aware of most, if not all of it.
How many times have we heard the advice from friends, doctors, and others, “get good sleep”, “make sure to exercise”, “foster a supportive social network”, etc. However, in the peak of an anxious state, or a period of life particularly plagued by intrusive thought, it can be easy to brush these off. It might seem like such “small” or seemingly unrelated behaviors couldn’t possibly have a large enough impact to make them a worthwhile solution. The psychological issues which plague us can feel so large, so overwhelming at times – how could a gym session or a reasonable bedtime really make that much of a difference? Instead, it seems, it would be far more effective to change our way of thinking first, so that we can then feel more inclined to go to bed/wake up on time, to exercise, to engage with our friends, etc. Unfortunately, we have it backwards. And in having it so, we may be unknowingly holding ourselves in metaphorical mental health quicksand, slowing the progress we’re trying so hard to make. Now, this is not to say that there may not be a thing which you could in fact benefit from thinking through or resolving in an internal manner (through such means as psychoanalytic therapy or personal reflection). Rather, it is to say that you are only bettering your capacity to do so in a clearer, more effective manner by establishing these behavioral habits, and likely hindering your progress by not.
If you find yourself wanting to improve your mental health, you could try implementing a few of the behaviors listed above and see if they make a difference. Or, if you’re already feeling mentally strong and healthy, these can also be great habits to maintain as preventative measures, boosting your resilience in the face of an unknown future. Either way, consistency is key! Just as it is important to take medicine on a regular basis to ensure efficacy, it is also important to implement the above behaviors on daily (sleep, hydration, sunlight, etc.) and weekly (decompression, exercise, etc.) bases.
[1] https://getmadefor.com/blogs/perspective/andrew-hubermans-tools-for-mental-health-and-resilience
