With our living standards in general never being better I am often asked; why is it that mental health issues are now so common and on the increase?
I believe the answer is actually quite simple:
We are overloading our nervous systems to the point where the chemistry needed to help us feel happy, positive, content and relaxed is struggling to even be there even at the basic levels we need.
The quick summary of answers for those of you skimming this article is below
Feed the body the nutrition it needs to heal and help your ecosystem work properly.
Reduce or stop the substances which inflame, overload, disrupt and poison the nervous system such as caffeine, drugs, sugar, saturated fat and alcohol.
Reduce your mental load and get some decent and genuine chill time.
Reduce any self-created drama’s which serves as a distraction from your feelings.
Increase the quality of sleep.
Get more mindful.
Exercise regularly.
FACT: You cannot feel well, happy, confident and focused if your brain is struggling to maintain serotonin levels or any other level of chemistry vital for brain and body function.
Just the smallest of changes can be priceless in helping your mind not only heal but work more efficiently for the life you want to create.
For those that have a little more time, I have expanded on the info so you can choose from there what you need to do to help yourself.
Inflammation. Serotonin and Mental Health
Unhealthy 21st-century living can have a huge impact on our nervous system so it eventually becomes to become inflamed from being overstimulated and under too much pressure.
This has a massive impact on our serotonin levels which can be too low or have issues doing its job effectively. This is vital because serotonin is a neurotransmitter and helps relay messages vital for your brain function, this can include mood, bowel function, appetite, sexual desire, memory, learning, temperature regulation, and social behaviour.
Stop Messing With Your Serotonin!
As you can see, messing around with our serotonin levels really will have an impact on your physical and mental health. It really is no coincidence that many of my clients are doing just that and sadly suffering unnecessarily.
We did not evolve to live the way we are demanding of ourselves in the 21st Century, it really is too much for our nervous systems and chemistry to handle. Your gut instinct probably suspects this already but you might not want to change your habits just yet. It’s no secret that by simplifying life a little and giving yourself a good level of self-care that stress, anxiety and depression have more of a chance of healing and sorting itself out.
More importantly: You are reducing the risk of it occurring in the future.
Here are the top blunt and to the point ways to continue causing havoc with your nervous system:
Bad Nutrition – How is your body meant to work well and heal any damage if there’s very little nutrition to help sort out? Most food diaries I see are just full of cheap beige and brown salty and sugary foods which are toxic and overstimulates your nervous system.
Too Much Caffeine – Prolific use of this bad boy will just send your nervous system over the edge as it triggers the survival center of the brain to now think you are in danger which triggers the buzz which is actually your fight or flight response. Overuse makes the nervous system struggle to heal and just adds to poor sleep quality.
Recreational Drugs – “It was just some MDMA, some Coke etc at the weekend,” some clients say…and they wonder why they are having terrible mood swings and struggling with life!
Serotonin levels really get messed around here and can really struggle to replenish itself. Those comedowns just get worse and worse which is a sign no-one can and should ignore.
Increasing Mental Load – It can feel at times like there is way too much to think about and do. From being constantly harassed by social media and live interaction, work, family and personal goals the pressure to perform and do things the best is a horrible trap to get caught up in.
The pressure from an increasing mental load makes the brain feel like you are in danger and increases stress hormones to deal with this which is terrible for your nervous system over time. Feeling guilty for resting and recuperating? That needs a good therapy session to sort that out as constantly on the go might feel rewarding but the consequences are really not worth it.
Create More Drama and Distraction – Some people will do anything to avoid how they really feel using bad habits, drama, and other distractions to focus on anything but themselves and how they really feel.
Terrible Sleep – Some bedrooms resemble a gadget shop with the amount of tech surrounding the bed which can over stimulate the brain unnecessarily at night time. Our evening habits are changing with too much multi-screening with the Television on. Our brains want it much simpler than that but the addiction to keep checking screens can cause the brain to struggle to wind down.
Add to that too much caffeine, poor diet, late bedtimes, and poor sleep hygiene and it’s no wonder that sleep issues are far too common than they should be.
Alcohol – We forget that this toxic liquid can cause the nervous system and brain chemistry to struggle. It’s become too socially acceptable to binge drink during the week and weekends to the point where it can take a few days for the body to recover, that’s if the drinker actually stops for a few days. Even holidays for a lot of people are not to rest anymore, they have become drink-fuelled trips of indulgence which the body needs another holiday to recover from.
Don’t Exercise – Without a decent level or exercise our mental and physical health levels can really suffer badly. It’s no coincidence that clients report feeling so much better after exercising.
Your Amazing Mind
If you are suffering and you are doing any of the above then with the right help you can train your amazing mind to make living much healthier easier and more natural. It really does get easier and easier and I would know as I wasn’t the healthiest person when I had my anxiety issues. Of course, you are not going to an angel, no one is asking that of you but you can live a more 80/20 life where you have 80% more healthy stuff going on and 20% of whatever else is happening.
If you would like a chat to go through anything you are struggling within this article, contact me and we can go from there.
