Our brains are what helps us carry out our responsibilities and make meaningful connections in the world; however, it is often one of the most neglected aspects of a person’s health regimen. Why do we often neglect our mental health? It can be easy to push your mental health to the wayside in favor of completing certain tasks or working through many responsibilities, but this can lead to damage in the long run.
When someone chooses to put other priorities above their mental health, they are more likely to experience burnout, digestive complications, irritability, and a decline in motivation. Many people are not necessarily familiar with the connection between the gut and brain, but it is actually a strong connection that requires acknowledgment. Everything in our body’s processes is connected and all of the choices we make — such as diet — impacts these different processes.
Today, we are going to dive into the power of reflection and other mental health rituals, as well as certain vitamins or foods that could help you manage your mental health and in turn support all of your different systems.
How Anxiety and Stress Impacts Your Digestive Health and How To Eliminate These Emotions
Anxiety and stress are two of the most common negative emotions that people tend to allow to build up and take over. If left untreated, anxiety and stress can be debilitating to daily life. Stress and anxiety can physically impact the way your gut is contracting and moving waste along your digestive tract. These averse emotions can also cause you to experience constipation or irregular bowel movements due to the nerves that your body is experiencing.
Luckily, anxiety and stress can be managed with a healthy dose of mental health rituals. Find ways throughout your day to make time for yourself. If you are someone who tends to have busier days filled with several tasks, dedicate yourself to making that time for your emotions and desires. For example, if you work an 8 to 5 job each day, consider waking up an hour earlier to simply be with yourself and do something that excites you. Setting those boundaries for self-improvement will make all the difference in how you feel — it will ground you and show you that you do have control of your life. A lack of control is a common reason why anxiety and stress can be triggered.
Here are some tips and tricks of ways to reduce stress and anxiety:
- Be sure to implement some form of movement throughout your day to boost your endorphins and serotonin levels.
- Connect with your loved ones and make time to foster those relationships. They are a pillar to your life.
- Take breaks throughout your day to recenter yourself — especially during those extra stressful work days.
What Is Reflection and How Can It Help Improve Your Daily Life
Reflection requires one to be prepared to become more self-aware. Sometimes, if a person is going through a hard time, they are more likely to ignore their emotions and their mental state. Reflection pushes you to face your inner thoughts and feelings that you might be ignoring. It is important to not avoid these emotions because allowing them to build up can mean burnout or further damage to your mental health.
Reflection involves active engagement with your inner thoughts in a way that can understand and perceive them in a new light. Reflection can help you have better inner clarity and understanding of what is going on in your life emotionally. This can be especially helpful in situations with others because your connections are such a big part of your life.
There are many different activities that involve reflection meaning that you can find a way to reflect that is fitting for your specific lifestyle. Mindful meditation is a low-impact and easy way to self-reflect. You can work on building your own meditation or utilize guided meditations that can be found online. If you are someone that requires more physical action when working through something, then journaling might be for you! Journaling allows you to pour out your thoughts and emotions in a safe space without the fear of judgment.
Self-reflection can even be a couple quick check-ins throughout your day where you log how you are feeling and what might be creating these feelings. Challenge yourself to implement some form of self-reflection into your routine this week and take note of how this impacts your stress and anxiety levels.
Vitamins and Meals That Offer Brain Power
Food is a wonderful source of just about anything your body might need. From energy to strength, the food a person consumes greatly impacts how well equipped they feel to take on the day. This is why it is so crucial to prioritize your meals throughout the day, even when you are extremely busy.
Fish with omega-3 fatty acids are a great food option to boost brain power. The omega-3 fatty acids help to improve your memory and brain capacity. Foods with omega-3 fatty acids are also known to help slow down the decline in mental capacity that tends to happen as we age. Whole grains have a low glycemic index meaning that they release sugar into your bloodstream at a slower rate. This process means that you are less likely to experience low levels of brain activity. Lastly, vegetables contain a variety of different nutrients that boost your brain power and support your body. All three of these different ingredients can make an easy breakfast, lunch, or dinner. You can leave your house knowing you are taking great care of your gut and brain health.
In addition to food, vitamins are a great and efficient way to give your body extra support. A probiotic for bloating and supplement that contains gut health enzymes are two great vitamin options that help to strengthen your gut and in turn your brain. We recommend checking out our wellness kit that contains three different supplements all targeting your gut and mental health.