We all know that there are many factors that can affect someone's mental health, and there's definitely no “one size fits all” approach when it comes to identifying these causes. Just some of the factors that can affect one’s mental health can include physical health, personal relationships, work environment, lifestyle habits, and even how we feel in relation to our life purpose (or if one has been identified). While traditional avenues such as prescriptions can be effective for treating some conditions, a holistic approach can aid immensely in waving goodbye to the black dog in your life.
When you hear the words “holistic health” what do you think? Maybe herbal medicines come to mind, or you might even picture a group of YOGIs repeating “OMM” as they pose in some sort of downward dog. Well... not quite.
Taking a holistic approach to mental health to something means looking at the whole situation (or person), including their physical, emotional, social and spiritual wellbeing. In using a holistic approach for mental health conditions, rather than looking at only one aspect of an individual’s life, it’s important to see the “big picture”, or holistic view, to address physical, mental and spiritual health.
Hold on, how do I know if I'm suffering from a mental health condition?
Are you constantly feeling sad or down for no apparent reason? Getting confused often or finding it difficult to concentrate? Or maybe you’re continuously in fear or feeling guilty over your actions?
Signs and symptoms of mental health conditions can vary between individuals, so it’s important to get a professional opinion if you think this might be affecting you. However, these are just a few of the common symptoms that are easily identifiable and can be related to mental health conditions such as depression and anxiety.
Why a Holistic Approach?
A holistic approach to mental health involves incorporating the mind, body and soul together to achieve a healthy recovery process. Attaining a completely healthy mind can be a complex and long process to understand and perfect, and it can’t be achieved overnight. However, by looking at all elements of your life, you may be able to gain a better understanding of where your worries and troubles are coming from. By analyzing physical, psychological, emotional, social and spiritual conditions and treating each of these elements individually, certain healing can be achieved that traditional medicines can’t always attain.
The Mind
Having a sound mind is possibly the most important, but most difficult, to achieve in reaching a good level of mental health. Being positive, calm and having worry-free thoughts are all indicators that your mind is fit and healthy. Spending time in nature and outdoors, practicing meditation or yoga techniques, listening to music, and speaking your thoughts to a therapist or even a close friend or loved one are just some effective ways to boost your mental wellbeing back to the top.
If meditation isn't a part of your bedtime or morning routine, think again.
On Jan. 6, the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) published the results of a ground-breaking study that found that meditation appears to provide as much relief from some anxiety and depression symptoms as antidepressants.
''Functional MRI (left) showing activation in the amygdala when participants were watching images with emotional content before learning meditation. After eight weeks of training in mindful attention meditation (right) note the amygdala is less activated after the meditation training. Courtesy of Gaelle Desbordes''
The number of randomized controlled trials — the gold standard for clinical study — involving mindfulness and meditation has jumped from one in the period from 1995‒1997 to 11 from 2004‒2006, to a whopping 216 from 2013‒2015, according to a recent article summarizing scientific findings on the subject.
Studies have shownbenefits against an array of conditions both physical and mental, including irritable bowel syndrome, fibromyalgia, psoriasis, anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder. It can literally rewire your brain, shut down unhealthy habits and create positive ones, it just takes time, a lot of effort and consistency.
The Body
The mind and body chime in synergy when it comes to mental health. If one is functioning low, then the other suffers too. That’s why it’s extremely important to treat your body like a temple (excuse the grossly overused expression), and feed your body with a good healthy diet. By implementing healthy lifestyle habits such as eating nutritious food, having a regular physical exercise routine, getting enough sleep and maintaining a relaxed state can all improve your mental health and wellbeing.
There are mountains of peer reviewed studies revealing that exercise is as effective in preventing and treating depression and anxiety in mild to moderate cases, and doesn't come with the nasty side effects pharmaceuticals cause.
Ensuring our bodies systems are nutritionally balanced, our gut health and microbiome are thriving and there's no chronic inflammation present, is the most powerful tool you have because inflammation in the body and brain is one of the most common causes of depression.
Adding our Calm Adaptogen Mushroom Elixir to your diet can also aid in supporting stress-management, boost your brain health and memory, and can stimulate your immune responses to prevent chronic diseases. Medicinal mushrooms have been widely researched for their positive impact on mental illness such as depression and anxiety, attributed to their antioxidant, anti-neuroinflammatory, cholinesterase inhibitory and neuroprotective properties. It has also been proven to help repair damaged neural networks and improve cognition, memory and focus.
Mushrooms are the closest related species to humans on the planet and they're mycelium network is closest to our own neural network, and sends messages through electronic signals the same way our brains do. Scientists have also discovered that this same network is what allows all of nature to communicate with one another to grow and thrive in synchronicity.
CALM can easily be added into your morning coffee or evening tea by adding a quarter or half teaspoon and stirring until dissolved.
In addition to this, putting a stop to harmful habits such as smoking, over/under eating, and substance abuse can also aid in recovering physical balance, which will contribute to a more positive state of mind.
The Soul
The concept of the soul can mean different things to different people. Whether it’s having faith in something bigger, holding hope even in the hardest of times, loving yourself despite your flaws, seeking personal growth, or having emotional peace even when surrounded by negative energy. It’s all about finding your life’s purpose - the search and journey towards self-actualisation. Having a purpose in life is one of the most crucial factors in having a sound mental wellbeing.
To stay fit spiritually it’s important to take part in hobbies and creative outlets that you enjoy, spend quality time with family and friends, or even join a spiritual community or do volunteer work. Having a sense of belonging and giving back can often spark the soul in unexpected ways.
It’s important to remember that each person will have a different experience of mental illness, and paths to recovery will differ depending on age, gender, culture, heritage, faith, relationship status and life experience. Despite this, it’s important to consider your mind, body and spirit and conducting an audit on these factors might just be your key to mental health freedom.
Because no one size fits all, we invite you to discover how a holistic approach to mental and physical health can help you live your best life, we have designed the new bespoke inner beauty quiz to personalise your holistic prescription and match your specific health and aging needs with the best natural formula for you.
