Improve Mental Health Naturally
With our world the way it is, it is truly no wonder mankind is riddled with depression and anxiety now more than ever. Take in to account that we are glued to our phones + watching other people’s lives constantly + we eat crappy food + we are depleted of nutrients + we have lost our ability to connect with people = perfect recipe for depression and/or anxiety.
What’s a gal (or guy) to do!?!
I’ve talked about how I was floatin’ in this boat over 7 years ago. Long story short: I wasn’t taking care of myself. Bad food. Bad habits. And even worse relationships. No wonder I was so anxious all of the time. So, I did what every Western medicine loving person would do: I skidaddled to my family doctor! He basically offered me 2 options: Xanex or a generic antidepressant. I chose the antidepressant route because I was in college and figured mixing a Xanex with alcohol probably wasn’t the best idea… Anywho, I will say that it did seem to help. As in, I wasn’t pacing the library randomly feeling like I was going to die. SUCCESS. But, I’ll be honest, I still felt like crap.
The thing is, an ole’ college gal like me, who wasn’t very good at taking care of herself was really not good at remembering to take that anxiety pill. So, then, I’d detox. I’d be so disoriented and in a fog, I could barely function. It took me a while to realize that this was causing me to feel this way, too. What a dingus. Eventually, I learned to never miss taking my little blue pill. And so, that was my life for 3 years. Even when I hadn’t had an “anxiety attack” in over a year, my GP would tell me to keep taking it- “I’d hate for you to have an episode”. And so, I kept on.
Looking back now, I realize I shouldn’t have kept on, though. There were safer, more natural options available to me. I just didn’t know what they were yet! If you feel like you’re struggling with your mental health, this post is for you.
[DISCLAIMER]: Keep in mind I am not a doctor and this is NOT medical advice. This post may contain affiliate links meaning I may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you, if you make a purchase using these links. I only recommend products I love and trust. To see our full disclosure, click here.
1. Check the D
Vitamin D, that is. When I was getting my master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling 2 years ago, we presented at a conference about how Vitamin D deficiency is actually correlated with depression, anxiety and other affective disorders. Have you had your Vitamin D levels checked? Unfortunately, most of us are on the extremely low end of where our optimal Vitamin D levels should be. I had mine checked during pregnancy, while taking a Vitamin D supplement, and my levels were still lower than I’d like.
Why is our Vitamin D so low? One reason is our good ole’ American diet. Most of what the average American is eating is meat that doesn’t eat anything but crappy grains and genetically modified fruits and vegetables that is sprayed with stuff that burdens our bodies with toxins. The second reason is our gut health. Spoiler alert: if your gut health sucks (which, most people’s does), you’re not going to absorb the nutrients that you need- that includes Vitamin D. Lastly, we don’t spend nearly enough time outside. There you have it, the perfect recipe for us all to be depleted of Vitamin D!
If you think your gut health sucks, you should read this blog post about how to naturally improve it!
Like I said before, I take a Vitamin D supplement that is from a reputable brand (Klaire Labs). It’s important to have a reputable brand because brands that you may get from a big box store normally have synthetics in them- which is not good. I also try to get outside as much as possible- especially on the weekends!
If you want to get your bloodwork done to check your vitamin D, I recommend you use JasonHealth.com. You don’t need a doctor’s order and it is extremely affordable and easy to use. I got my results literally the day after giving my blood sample! Keep in mind that if you’re getting your Vitamin D levels checked by your traditional family doctor, their threshold for “normal” levels of Vitamin D are MUCH LOWER than what they should be. Functional practitioners’ (those who err on the side of natural medicine) levels for Vitamin D are much higher- they like for it to be above 50 (and some even say 70).
2. Fix your gut
I mentioned it above but I will reiterate again: YOUR GUT IS IMPORTANT. If your gut isn’t functioning optimally, you won’t break down your food properly, and you won’t get the vital nutrients you need from your food. You can eat all of the organic, grass fed meat and vegetables you want, but if your gut health sucks- you may as well go have a Big Mac.
How do you know if your gut isn’t working great? Just take a look at the porcelain throne. That’s right- it’s time to get to know your poop! Are you having regular bowel movements? What’s the consistency like? If you aren’t pooping at least once a day, something is up. If your poop is loose or super solid, something is up. If you eat something and you’re immediately running to the bathroom, something is definitely up!
I went through this 2 years ago. How I “treated” it was by doing a bioenergetic test (basically a sensitivity test) that we offer at my work. It listed my sensitivities (food and environmental), explained my nutrient imbalances, and gave me a list of natural, homeopathic remedies I could take in order to correct my imbalances. Let me tell ya, it worked like a charm. The pipes are primed up and working just right. If you’re interested in having this test done for yourself, you can learn more about it here.
3. Check your relationships
Our relationships are what make us so unique as human beings. Now, I know some people aren’t always going to be a “people person”, but even those type of people still have friendships and at least families. My biggest recommendation here is to do a “relationship audit”.
Who are you surrounding yourself with? Do you have friends who are reliable and uplifting to you as an individual? Or are you surrounding yourself with people who constantly cut you down and always leave you feeling like you don’t know where you stand? For me personally, I only like to be around people that have the same values on life as myself. Now, I am not saying all of my friends are weirdo, health freaks like me. No. BUT they are all good people who would do anything for me and I would do the same for them. Relationships should be reciprocal, in my opinion. So, that is what I try to surround myself with- the people who treat me how I treat them; the “golden rule” if you will.
Families are tricky. Some people have awesome families. Some just don’t, which is a shame. Now, I am not saying cut off your family or anything. But I am a firm believer in boundaries. If there’s a particular family member that only elicits anxiety for you when you speak to them, then implement a boundary for yourself that allows you to only expose yourself to that at a certain time or only in a particular situation. Maybe that looks like not responding to texts for a while (if at all) or only visiting other family members when they’re not around. I exercise this myself and I highly recommend it. This can, obviously, also be used for friendships as well! If a friendship is only bringing you anxiety or drains you of your energy- implement a boundary. There is a reason you feel that way! You don’t owe anyone an explanation- THIS IS ABOUT YOUR HAPPINESS! DO WHAT IS GOOD FOR YOU!
When I was counseling college students a few years ago, this was the #1 thing that was causing the most anxiety or depression in their lives: relationships. That is why a relationship audit can be so powerful! Relationships will either nourish you or deplete you!
4. Move your body
Seems like a no brainer, but I had to put it on here: your body needs to move. I am not saying you have to go to the gym and crush an hour long strength training every day, no. BUT you should get some type of movement in at least every day. Wanna know why? Moving our body releases endorphins. Those endorphins rush to our brain and make us happy campers. Also, movement helps us reduce blood sugar spikes, which in turn, keeps our weight under control if well maintained with a proper diet.
Another thing to consider is how it will make you happier with your overall body image as well. I don’t know about you but when I am not moving my body most days, I feel like a gross blob. Getting outside and jogging for at least 30 minutes does not change my body by the end of the run. BUT I damn sure feel better about myself after- “wow, I am so trim” even though I am definitely not. The first step to being happy in your life is to be happy with yourself! Honoring your body with movement is a great way to achieve that happiness.
5. Get off your phone
Seems counter intuitive here, since you’re most likely reading this on your phone, but here we are. There’s two points I want to make about this: mindset and physical symptoms.
As far as mindset goes, do you ever find yourself scrolling and think to yourself “ugh, I wish I had that”, “how is she so lucky?” “why can’t I be that thin?” “How the hell do they afford that house and those vacations with the same degree as me!?!” Blah blah blah. That is what social media was doing to all of my clients. It made them anxious, resentful and unhappy with themselves. Maybe that is you, maybe it isn’t. But if it is, you need to check on that immediately. Do you follow an account that only brings you negative feelings when they post a picture or a story? Mute their stuff! Instagram is super great at doing this! It is very simple to do, too.
How to Mute an Account on Instagram
Just go to their profile, click “Following” and then select “Mute”. This will allow you to choose what you see of theirs, if anything at all. I do this to a lot of accounts, actually. Eventually I unmute them, but it is so nice to not have a negative feeling pop up at all while I am doing my scrolling.
EMF from Phones
Next, let’s talk physical. The bottom line is phones and our other electronic devices are emitting radiation into us. EMF? Ever heard of it? Yep. It’s pretty much radiating from everything- especially those things that have 5G and Bluetooth features. You can learn more about how to avoid EMF exposure by clicking here. For now, though, I will give a few quick tips:
-turn your phone on airplane mode at night
-unplug your Wifi router at night
-get an EMF blocker for your phone (I use EMF Harmony and wear this bracelet, too)
Another physical thing that our phones effect us with is the blue light. When we are staring at our phones before we go to sleep, melatonin won’t release because our brain is interpreting the blue light as day light. So, it can actually effect our sleep. Sleep is extremely important- it is when our body heals and detoxes. If you’re tossing and turning all night because your body is confused about what time of day it is, you won’t properly detox or heal! I am especially passionate about limiting screen time for children, you can read about how our toddler has NEVER played on an iPad and what we do instead HERE!
Again, this is not an all inclusive list of how to have the ultimate, best mental health ever. BUT it is a start. Other things you could consider when trying to improve your mental health are implementing chiropractic care, changing your diet and writing in a gratitude journal. Here’s some additional blog posts that you may be interested in regarding these things: