Celebrate Mental Health Awareness Month: 7 Easy Ways to Prioritize Brain Health
May is Mental Health Awareness Month and what better way to celebrate than prioritizing our brain health? Here are seven easy ways to take care of your mind, using Dan Siegel’s Healthy Mind Platter for optimal brain health:
Get Sleep. Your brain needs to rest in order to consolidate new learning and experiences. If you have trouble with sleep, try signing up for a sleep study and talking to a therapist. Folx who struggle with sleep often experience high levels of stress. Try guided meditation, progressive muscle relaxation, and spending time lying in a dark room. Your brain needs time away from screens in order to produce melatonin for adequate sleep, so try setting aside time to notice and be with your feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations.
Make space for downtime. Your brain needs time to wander in order to recharge. Contrary to popular belief, there is nothing wrong with daydreaming. In fact, the use of imagination is implicated in neuroplasticity, supporting your brain’s ability to develop and change. Giving yourself time to imagine and rest is necessary for brain health.
Spend “time in.” This can be meditation, reflection, journaling, prayer, taking walks, or whatever else helps you to enter an introspective state. Noticing your thoughts, feelings, and bodily sensations will help your brain to better integrate. Integration is a state of wholeness, implicated in well-being; “going in” is a process of developing holistic, biopsychosocial-spiritual health.
Engage in joyful movement. Movement helps to strengthen the brain in many ways. It helps your body to discharge stress and reap the benefits of the “feel good” neurotransmitters that are released with physical activity. Engaging in movement is an effective way to develop a sense of embodiment, seeing and experiencing yourself, as you are, in your own body. It’s also a great way to deepen neural pathways, from your body to your brain, and is useful for increasing regulation in your central nervous system.
Deepen connections. Making and maintaining connections with other people, beings, and the natural world are essential for lifelong brain health. According to Stanford Medicine, strong social connections increase your resiliency, strengthen your immune system, and help you to recover from disease faster. Fostering strong social connections can also lead to higher self-esteem, greater empathy, and lower levels of anxiety and depression. There are numerous studies on the benefits of connecting with animals, plants, and the natural world. For more information, research the benefits of forest bathing.
Play! Yes, even adults need playtime. Be spontaneous and creative. Your brain needs new experiences in order to make new connections and grow. Play is a great way to bond with others, so go on a date, take a new walking route, try that new cafe, or learn a new language. Have fun, deepen your relationships, and make space for humor!
Focus. Spend time focusing and concentrating on goal-oriented tasks. Focusing is one of the best ways to improve memory and mental agility, and is highly implicated in neuroplasticity, helping your brain to change and adapt with new information. Your brain is designed to change with new learning, and you can, through focus, engage in self-directed neuroplasticity. For more information, check out Hardwiring Happiness by Rick Hanson, Ph.D.
By incorporating these seven elements into your daily life, you can take an active role in improving your mental health and wellbeing. Remember, self-care is not selfish, it's necessary! So take a moment to give your brain the care it deserves and celebrate Mental Health Awareness month with some healthy habits.
If you’re looking for support with your mental health, our practice in Asheville, NC offers talk therapy appointments Monday-Thursday. Contact us to schedule an appointment.
