Improving Mental Health With Mindfulness and Lifestyle Changes

While there is definitely a place for medications and drugs to treat many mental health disorders, there also needs to be an understanding that medications do not change the environment contributing to negative thoughts and behaviors. Psychotherapy, mindfulness training, and healthy living behaviors are also key to bringing a person back to mental wellness. 

One popular psychotherapy approach is cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) - a type of therapy that has been studied in depth in both research and clinical settings and have shown to significantly improve a multitude of mental health disorders. 

CBT bases its treatment on the consideration that those who experience mental health disorders may have thinking behaviors that are unhealthy or unhelpful, that we have learned these patterns of unhelpful behaviors, and that there can be shown methods to better cope with these thoughts, behaviors and patterns to achieve symptom relief. 

CBT sessions are focused on changing a set way of thinking to try to re-position the mind to think differently about the same situation:

- Problem-solving skills to cope with challenging situations

- Understanding realities of situations, and realizing our distortions in thinking about these realities

- Learning and understanding motivations and behaviors of other people

- Developing confidence in oneself

- Learning and practicing mindfulness, calming and relaxation techniques

Additionally, paramount to improving mental health requires a holistic approach - often focus must eventually shift to incorporating a healthy lifestyle with good nutrition, regular physical activity, and routine and sufficient sleep, as well as stress reduction techniques (or changing a particular situation to remove stress if possible). 

There is evidence that nutritionally, fatty/greasy and high sugar content foods can worsen mental health such as depression, whereas foods such as eating more fruits and vegetables is associated with mental well-being. 

There is evidence that regular exercise can help build those endorphins that help you weather stress, mental and physical pain, sadness and despair. Even better is finding a physical activity you find interesting and working towards engaging in that interest - no matter how dark your journey is at the moment, no matter how exhausting, consider it a prescription from the physician to climb out of the deep darkness to somewhere where you can see the sun again - small steps at a time.

Developing a routine of good habits over time and staying consistent with these good habits builds overall confidence and self-esteem, builds a sense of purpose and achievement in life, which then helps shield against negative thinking and despair. It may help us re-wire our brain and balance the levels of neurotransmitters simply by thinking and living differently. 

The neurochemical biology of mental health disorders is very complex, however, and cannot always be improved by therapy or mindfulness alone - please do not vilify or shun the person who does not achieve the results you expected them to achieve with lifestyle changes. Sometimes, medications are needed to bridge over the darkness and this is appropriate in the course of treatment. We should reach for medication with caution, and as physicians, it is our duty to explain what we're prescribing, expected outcomes and potential side effects. Some of these medications have significantly changed the course of lives of many, so it is still beneficial to consider this option as an adjunct to therapy and lifestyle changes. 

Here are some affordable resources to consider to help guide you, especially if you feel you're going through a bout of mental health challenges. Asking your physician for specific recommendations for community CBT resources or therapists is highly recommended, as a dedicated therapist on your team can tailor treatment to you individually and make the most of a therapy session. 

Engage with your physician to work on lifestyle changes - even though this may be one of the most challenging things you do while you battle mental illness; it will help pave the way for long-term mental health healing and stability.

Be Mindful Online - CBT Online Course (Complete At Your Own Pace)

Meditation Short Audios - Guidance

Financial Disclosure: Dr. Kristine Tsai receives no monetary compensation for referral to these websites on this specific post.