Mental Health Awareness Month
May is Mental Health Awareness month. Although we’re halfway through the month (where does time go?!), I wanted to wait and share my thoughts until I had enough time to really gather them completely and put them into words. Mental health awareness is something I truly hold so near and dear to my heart. It is too easily looked over, and it’s hard for others to understand if they aren’t going through the same thing. If you’ve been following me for a while, you know I’ve been pretty open about my own mental health journey. After all, it’s what initially sparked my interest in health and nutrition.
It wasn’t until college that my own mental health started to spiral downwards. I went through some significant life changes, and didn’t really know how to handle it. I was partying a lot, and instead of drinking for fun like my friends surrounding me, I was drinking from a place of insecurity. The following days were always filled with anxiety and self-doubt, but just like clockwork the weekend would come and the process would begin again.
I went to see my primary care physician my junior year of college and I was prescribed antidepressants. At the time I didn’t even question it. I didn’t look at other aspects of my lifestyle and instead of trying other remedies I immediately took her recommendation and starting taking the medication. Let me just say, I really like my primary care physician, and I’m not blaming her personally for not offering other remedies. Also, medicine is absolutely crucial for some suffering with mental health concerns. However, I only started taking this medication, I did not change anything else in my lifestyle. As you can imagine, not a whole lot changed.
Although I had been studying nutrition for 4 years it wasn’t until after college that I started to get more of a grip on the role it played in my own personal life and how it affected my mental health. I recently opened up in a post about my restriction/binging throughout most of college. Through the week I chose to eat minimal at meals. Things like a banana for breakfast, wheat thins + cheese stick for lunch, and lean pocket for dinner. Then on the weekends I would load up on fast food. That’s because at the time I was basing food choices on how they made me look not how they made me feel. Which by the way, I look and feel so much better now. My face was constantly puffy in college due to alcohol consumption, greasy foods, and essentially no vegetables. Something shifted after college though. I moved to California and was in a completely different environment. For the first time in my life I was 2,000 miles away from friends and family and I had a choice to make. I could either let my mental health battles overtake me or I could prove to myself that I could overcome them.
Being in California I was exposed to so many less conventional ways of treating anxiety + depression. I started taking more of a holistic approach to my own wellness and paying attention to things like how I felt when I ate certain foods, how I feel in certain environments, and how those I’m surrounded by affect me. I’m not going to lie and say it was an easy journey. There were times I wanted to drop everything and run home to my family, and there are still days that are harder than others. I feel so lucky to have a fiancé who understands when I’m struggling and offers me nothing but comfort and support. He didn’t always get it, he is someone who doesn’t really have a care in the world, and anxiety is definitely not something he has ever dealt with. The longer he lived with me the more he came to understand what anxiety meant for me, and how he could support me – at times this has even meant taking a sick day so he could spend time with me. I can’t stress enough; these are the kind of people you need in your life. It doesn’t have to be a significant other, but surround yourself with those who lift you up.
So, how did I take control of my own mental health? Time to share. Please keep in mind while reading this that dealing with mental health is out of my scope of practice. These are just things that worked for me personally, and if you are struggling, I would urge you to seek a professional.
-Found a workout I love. Exercise and movement are so great for the mind and body. However, in college I thought that the only good form of exercise was running, which I actually hate. My workouts either looked like time spent on the elliptical (so boring) or a run on the treadmill (again, hate running). Exercise was not something I really enjoyed or looked forward to. Towards the end of college I started doing yoga, which I love, and when I moved to California I started taking spin classes as well. Now my workouts are fun and something I look forward to. Even just going for walk outside is enjoyable for me, it’s so nice to soak in the fresh air and get a change of scenery. Moral of this – don’t do workouts you don’t like. There are so many to choose from!
-Stopped caring what others think. Okay, I realize this is super broad and way easier said than done, but you will never truly be happy if you keep worrying about what other people think and trying to please them. Trust me, it’s something I still struggle with as well, but I’ve made huge improvements from where I used to be. Do the things in life that make you happy. For me that looks a lot less like going out, and a lot more like waking up earlier and getting my days going (without that awful hangover). Alcohol spikes my anxiety & is definitely not a friend of my mental well being. Don’t get me wrong, I still enjoy the occasional outing, but I know my body and mind do not thrive after a night out and one too many drinks.
-Started eating to fuel my body, not to look a certain way. In college I didn’t really have a set routine, and I certainly didn’t have to be up early 5 days a week. When I started my Dietetic Internship I was working 40 hours a week + research projects and homework on top of that. I was tired all of the time, I remember multiple occasions sitting at desks and trying with everything in me to keep my eyes open. This is when I started to take a really hard look at my diet. Let me be clear, this took some exploring and it didn’t happen overnight. There was still some restriction and guilt around certain foods, but I did start paying attention to how I felt after making food choices. This is actually something I’ve really been focused on a lot lately – the WHY behind our food choices.
-Significantly cut back alcohol intake. Alcohol is a depressant. It’s no wonder after nights out I would wake up feeling anxious. While I still enjoy to drink with friends occasionally, it comes from a place of simply wanting to have fun! NOT saying you have to drink to have fun, but before it mostly came from a place of insecurity. When I do drink, it’s in moderation - no more chugging half a fifth of vodka (barf).
-Started talking out loud about what I was feeling. Talking to someone about my anxiety when I’m feeling it helps me so much. Just saying out loud how you are feeling, even if you don’t know exactly what that is can help immensely. Pick up the phone and call your parents, call a friend, talk to your s/o about it, go to therapy! There is nothing wrong with talking about how you are feeling.
-Stay connected with others. On the note of talking out loud, it’s important to stay connected to others as well. I don’t mean scrolling on the gram, I mean real life! Whether that’s FaceTime or a coffee date, surround yourself with others. who lift you up and align with you. Having a good wholesome conversation with someone lights me up and refuels me.
-Getting a fury friend. Okay, this one might not be for everyone. But seriously getting a dog was the best decision I ever made. Nothing like coming home to a sweet pup waiting to snuggle and give you love.
-Feel your feelings. Okay, hear me out on this one. Instead of always trying to think of ways to avoid your feelings, let them be. I am to the point now that I know when a wave of anxiety comes across me it will probably last a few days and then it will go away. Those few days might be hard, there will probably be tears, but it will pass. Don’t suppress how you are feeling.
I hope some of these tips can help you on your own mental health journey, and feel free to forward to someone you think could use it! Again, I am not a mental health professional, and these are just things that have helped me personally. If you are struggling please reach out to a professional.