Mental Health: What does it mean to be ‘mentally well? In this Blog, we will explore what you can do to help your mental wellbeing. When the seas of life get rough, how you can use your lifeboat to keep above the waves and strengthen your reslience.

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Chinese Medical View

In Chinese medicine, wellbeing is seen as a whole – body, spirit, mind, and environment. It is the philosophy of yin-yang. You need all these areas working together, supporting each other. This will help to avoid dis-ease or a feeling of being ‘unwell’ or not quite right; you may describe it as not feeling 100%.

Chinese Medicine

Chinese medicine can support your wellbeing journey by using acupuncture to release your ‘happy’ hormones, and calm your nervous system down. Chinese herbal medicine may support your body by providing extra support and nourish your body. At your appoitnment, a conversation about Chinese exercise, or how your dietary habits can help your brain and body. Other than Chinese medcine, there are things you can do to help take care of yourself.

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Sleep

Sleep seems to be a popular topic at the moment, I even wrote a blog about insomnia recently. When you sleep, your body goes through processes that promote physical and mental restoration – it even ‘cleans’ your brain.  With a lack of sleep, you can feel more agitated and less empathetic. Your nervous system is heightened and goes into flight or fight mode more easily. With a lack of sleep, you are more at risk of a anxiety or depression. Unfortunately, the worse your mental health is, the worse your quality of sleep can be. The great news is by getting more sleep you can improve your mental health according to recent research studies..  

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A healthy balanced diet

A healthy diet includes eating foods that are good for your constitution and eating seasonally.  Eating for your needs is important and consulting with a Chinese Medical doctor can help. They can help you find out which foods you can add to your diet and reduce the foods that are making your condition worse. For example, if you find digesting foods difficult. Eating warm, well-cooked foods can be easier to digest, compared to raw and unheated foods.  Seasonal eating is also helpful. For example, eating warm slow-cooked meals in winter rather than salads can help. 

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A balanced lifestyle

Having a balanced lifestyle means spending some of your time that has a purpose or is meaningful. Such as studying, volunteering or working. Exercise that balances out your lifestyle. For example, balancing out physical (yang) versus relaxing (yin) activity. If you have a very physical and active job doing yoga, Taichi or Qigong. Or if you have a very sedentary job, hitting the gym or exercise that is more energetic

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Nature

Spending time outside in nature is also great for your mental health. I am lucky to live near the beach and a nature reserve. I can see some of our local Australian wildlife and beautiful bay.  Hearing the waves crash along the shore, and seeing kangaroos and emus about in nature is good for my soul!

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Help Mange Your Symptoms

Selfcare

I know many people who work in ‘helping’ professions. As a social worker and acupuncturist this includes me. When I was younger, I had an unbalanced life. I was giving or working too hard, the stress and responsibilities were too high. I burnt out; I was emotionally and physically exhausted. Since then, I have learnt to make sure my work is surrounded by boundaries. 

Self-care is the key. If you care for everyone else, at the expense of yourself, you will burn out. In the end you will not have the energy or ability to care for anyone else. It isn’t always easy to maintain the balance. Making yourself a priority, rather than looking after your needs last, you can avoid burnout.

1. Get enough sleep
2. Eat a healthy balanced diet in line with your constitution and the time of year
3. Balanced lifestyle; work, rest and play
4. Social connections
5. Spending time in nature
6. Prioritising self-care

Resilience is about having enough energy to sail through the day. Coping with life’s stressors and bouncing back from setbacks. Having good mental health is a key to your happiness and wellbeing – prioritising your self-care is more than okay, it is necessary!