1h. Fundamentals (Foundations 1/3) – Mental Health: Physical Health

Posted byJon RedPosted inanxiety, depression, mental health, personal development, personal growth, self-improvementTags:, , , , , , , ,

TLDR:

The following will help your mental health:

  1. Eat a balanced diet.
  2. Drink plenty of water.
  3. Exercise regularly.
  4. Get regular, quality sleep.
  5. Moderation (and abstinence).
  6. Track your progress.

This post discusses why and how.

It’s not my place to recommend specific diets, routines or habits – everyone is different. Speak to a medical professional about what’s right for you.

Introduction

When I was experiencing the depths of depression, the idea of living longer didn’t appeal to me. I lived a combination of self-sabotage (secretly hoping my actions would shorten my life) and a general lack of self-care. It took a lot of energy to look after myself and even more to see the point of doing so. As I began to climb out of the depths, I began to believe a better life was possible. I began to create small goals for myself. As I achieved these small goals, I got a little more ambitious each time until I began to dream again. I began to realise that if I wanted to be able to achieve these goals and enjoy my life, three priorities emerged:

  1. Live long enough to achieve these and subsequent goals.
  2. Have the physical and cognitive ability to achieve these and subsequent goals.
  3. Have the health to be able to enjoy life at every stage without physical or mental limitations.

Health is one of the fundamentals for living a fulfilling life. The information in this post is probably not new to you. The following ideas are simple but not always easy. I’m still working on them myself, but I’m functioning at a much higher level than I was before. Now that I’m not spending most of my energy on survival, I’m starting to enjoy life much more and my thinking is much clearer.

This post serves as a quick guide for looking after your physical health in order to help your mental health. We’ll look at benefits and general guidelines for maintaining physical health and the importance of tracking your progress. If you haven’t read posts 1a. – 1g (links at the end). I suggest having a look at those first and reading the parts that are relevant to you. Now, let’s take a look at the guidelines.

General guidelines for maintaining physical health:

  1. Eat a balanced diet.
  2. Drink plenty of water.
  3. Exercise regularly.
  4. Get regular, quality sleep.
  5. Moderation (and abstinence).
  6. Track your progress.

Now, let’s look at these in more detail.

1. Diet

You are what you eat (and drink). What you put in your body greatly impacts how your body and brain function. Maintaining a balanced diet has many mental and physical benefits that can help us improve and maintain good mental health. Let’s look at these benefits and how we can make good dietary habits a part of our daily lives.

Benefits of maintaining a healthy diet:

  • Live longer.
  • Increase energy.
  • Improve mood.
  • Reduce depression.
  • Reduce fatigue.
  • Improve memory.
  • Improve sleep.
  • Increase immunity.
  • Improve immune system.
  • Maintain general health and fight illness.
  • Maintain a healthy weight.
  • Improve digestion system.
  • Strengthen bones.
  • Healthy pregnancy and breastfeeding.

General guidelines for maintaining a healthy diet:

Calories per day by age and sex:
Age19-30 years31-60 years61+ years
Male2,400-3,0002,200-3,0002,000-2,600
Female1,800-2,4001,600-2,2001,600-2,000

The above amounts vary from person to person and day to day.

  • Eat more if you are:
    • Pregnant. Breastfeeding. Experiencing certain sicknesses (check with your doctor). Exercising a lot (unless trying to lose weight).
    • Underweight.
  • Check out your recommended target weight.
  • Eat a mix of fruit, vegetables, dairy, grains and protein every day, avoiding empty calories.
  • Eat whole foods. The closer the food looks to its original state, the better. This means eating an apple rather than something with apple flavour.
  • Eat the rainbow. Aim to eat different colours of vegetables throughout the day.
  • Eat mindfully. Eat until 80% full. Take the time to think about whether you want to eat because you’re actually hungry or to fill an emotional need. When you’re eating, focus completely on what you’re eating, savour the taste and notice your feelings.
  • Minimise eating processed and refined foods as well as foods containing extra ingredients, especially sugars and fats.
  • Minimise drinking sugary drinks.
  • To lose weight, use more energy through exercise than you consume through eating and drinking. The opposite is true for gaining weight.
  • Track your progress without judgement (if things slip, acknowledge it and move on to the next day).
  • Realise there is no end point – enjoy thejourney.
  • Consult your doctor to see what’s appropriate for you.

2. Water

Drinking the right amount of water throughout the day has many mental and physical benefits essential in improving and maintaining mental health. Let’s take a look at the benefits in more detail and how we can make good hydration habits a part of our daily lives.

Benefits of drinking water:

  • Maintain energy levels.
  • Increase motivation.
  • Maintain memory.
  • Reduce anxiety and low moods.
  • Optimise brain function.
  • Prevent and treat headaches.
  • Improve immune system.
  • Maintain general health and fight illness.
  • Help with weight loss (especially when drunk 30 minutes before meals).
  • Help digest food.
  • Moisten and protect body organs, tissues and joints.
  • Create saliva and reduce dry mouth.
  • Regulate body temperature.
  • Improve blood circulation.
  • Maintain healthy skin.
  • Get rid of body waste.
  • Reduce the effects of hangovers.

General guidelines for consuming enough water:

  • Women: consume 2.7 litres per day.
  • Men: consume 2.7 litres per day.
  • The above amounts vary from person to person and day to day and include water from food.
  • Clear or light-yellow urine or rarely feeling thirsty should mean you are drinking enough.
  • Drink more if you:
    • do exercise.
    • it’s hot and/or humid.
    • are sweating a lot.
    • have an increase in bowel movements.
    • have vomited.
    • are pregnant or breastfeeding.
  • Have regular sips of water throughout the day.
  • Avoid drinking too much too fast (in extreme cases this can be dangerous).
  • Drink a glass of water shortly after waking up.
  • Have water easily accessible (and visible) everywhere you go.
  • Have a one-litre bottle with you and keep track of how many times you refill.
  • Drink a glass of water with and between each meal.
  • Drink if you are thirsty.
  • Drink plain water – it has zero calories. To add flavour, add a slice of citrus or choose carbonated water.
  • Alcohol contributes to dehydration, headaches and dry mouth. If drinking alcohol, have a glass of water in between drinks and have a bottle of water ready by your bed to drink before sleeping.
  • Track your progress without judgement (if things slip, acknowledge it and move on to the next day).
  • Realise there is no end point – enjoy thejourney.
  • Consult your doctor to see what’s appropriate for you.

3. Exercise

Getting the right amount of exercise throughout the week has many mental and physical benefits essential to improving and maintaining mental health. Let’s take a look at the benefits in more detail and how we can make good exercise habits a part of our daily lives.

Benefits of exercise:

  • Lengthen your life.
  • Optimise brain function.
  • Improve mood.
  • Increase energy.
  • Promote relaxation.
  • Release natural feel-good chemicals.
  • Reduce stress.
  • Reduce anxiety.
  • Improve self-confidence.
  • Improve self-esteem.
  • Be present.
  • Improve sleep quality.
  • Have fun.
  • Social interaction.
  • Improve immune system.
  • Maintain general health and fight illness.
  • Achieve and maintain a healthy weight.
  • Strengthen bones and muscles.

General guidelines for regular exercise

  • Take it easy in the beginning, especially if you haven’t done it before or have any health conditions:
    • Start with 5-10 minutes each time.
    • Aim for little and often
    • Build up slowly over time.
    • Be consistent.
  • Each week:
    • Aim to build towards 150+ minutes of moderate aerobic activity. Or 75+ minutes of vigorous aerobic activity.Or a combination of both. Do more than the above if you want to lose weight. Spread it out over the week. Aim for 3 or more times.
    • Make time for resting and recovery.
  • Let it stretch your ability a little.
  • Keep it simple – use minimal equipment like HIIT (go at your own speed and duration).
  • Make it easy – build it into your routine, leave your exercise clothes by your bed.
  • Make it fun – choose exercise you’ll enjoy doing or reward yourself afterwards.
  • Find a powerful reason to get started and keep going. (e.g. I’m doing this for someone I love)
  • Track your progress without judgement (if things slip, acknowledge it and move on to the next day).
  • Realise there is no end point – enjoy thejourney.
  • Consult your doctor to see what’s appropriate for you.

4. Sleep

Getting the right amount and quality of sleep each night has many mental and physical benefits essential to improving and maintaining mental health. Let’s take a look at the benefits in more detail and how we can make good sleep habits a part of our daily life.

Benefits of sleep:

  • Reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety.
  • Increase energy.
  • Improve mood.
  • Optimise brain function.
  • Clear thinking.
  • Improve alertness and concentration.
  • Improve decision-making.
  • Improve problem-solving.
  • Improve ability to learn.
  • Improve memory.
  • Reduce stress.
  • Increase social skills.
  • Improve physical performance.
  • Improve immune system.
  • Maintain general health and fight illness.
  • Maintain a healthy weight.
  • Physical growth and repair.
  • Healthier heart.
  • Blood sugar regulation.

General guidelines for healthy sleep habits:

  • Have a regular sleep and waking time (7 days a week).
  • Create a healthy sleep environment in your bedroom:
    • Pitch black (use blackout curtains or an eye mask – light affects the quality of sleep).
    • Cool.
    • Quiet (or with soft relaxing music, sounds or white noise – noise affects getting to sleep and the quality of sleep).
    • Have no screens (the blue light affects the quality of sleep).
    • Use a comfortable mattress, sheets and pillow.
    • Keep the bedroom simple and free of distractions.
  • Have naps (20 minutes maximum before late afternoon) if needed.
  • Avoid caffeine, nicotine and alcohol before sleep.
  • Do regular exercise.
  • Avoid screens before sleep.
  • Create a relaxing bedtime routine an hour before going to bed (no screens).
  • Aim for 7-9 hours per night (more for children and this amount varies from person to person).
  • Avoid oversleeping.
  • Drink water shortly after waking up.
  • Have a simple morning routine.
  • Get direct exposure to sunlight in the morning and afternoon when the sun is low in the sky (no windows or sunglasses – among many other health benefits, this helps with sleeping at night).
  • Practice mindfulness or meditation.
  • Have a pen and paper next to the bed for getting any worries out of your head.
  • If you can’t sleep, get up and do something else (no screens) then go back to bed.
  • Track your progress without judgement (if things slip, acknowledge it and move on to the next day).
  • Realise there is no end point – enjoy thejourney.
  • Consult your doctor to see what’s appropriate for you.

5. Moderation (and abstinence)

When you’re young it’s easy to think your body, health and time will last forever, especially if it doesn’t show physically. Trust me though, at some point if you haven’t treated your body well over the years it will begin to show – our habits determine the outcome of our long-term physical and mental health.

You are what you eat consume. What you feed your body and mind becomes a part of you. How we treat our bodies and minds is essential in protecting ourselves from physical and mental harm and improving our health. This includes food, drink, exercise, sleep, caffeine, supplements, medication, alcohol and drugs. It also refers to work, screen time (phones, computers and video games) and anything else that brings you pleasure, strong emotions or an altered state of mind.

Moderation is about stopping at a little or enough. Abstinence is about stopping something completely.

Abstinence

If you’re anything like me, for certain things, it may be worth considering abstinence. It’s important to stop at a little or enough. Too much of anything can harm you. If you find it hard to stop at a little or enough, think about not even starting and avoiding the source of the thing you can’t stop doing. For me, this means no sugar, alcohol, video games or streaming series. It’s hard, particularly in the beginning. It sounded boring and undesirable at first and I don’t perfectly stick to it all the time but I try not to judge myself. Abstinence has done wonders for my life. It gave me the freedom to think more clearly and take control of the direction of my life, no longer a slave to dopamine impulses. If something is a problem for you, be honest with yourself, then consider getting professional help. It’s hard but there’s no shame in it – this is the first step to improving your life.

Let’s take a look at the benefits of moderation and abstinence in more detail and how we can make positive habits a part of our daily lives.

Benefits of moderation and abstinence

  • Live longer.
  • Optimise physical and mental performance and health.
  • Maintain control over your life and time (master not slave).
  • Peace of mind and improved sleep (free from the weight of guilt and shame).
  • Ability to decide the direction of your life and stay true to it.
  • Better decision-making.
  • Clear thinking and focus.
  • Better memory.
  • Emotional balance.
  • Increase self-esteem.
  • Increase self-worth.
  • Increase self-confidence.
  • Reduce ego.
  • Increase energy.
  • Chemical and hormonal balance.
  • Maintain general health and fight illness.
  • Achieve and maintain a healthy weight.
  • No hangovers/come-downs.

General guidelines for moderation and abstinence

  • Be mindful about what you let into your body and mind.
  • Listen to your body and mind – notice any warning signs such as any patterns of poor health.
  • Recognise that even ‘healthy’ things become unhealthy if not done in moderation (e.g. over-exercising).
  • Recognise that moderation is about avoiding extremes and staying balanced with how you think, act, react, respond, and use your time. It’s not only about food, drink and drugs.
  • Learn how dopamine and motivation work (for a more scientific explanation, search on Huberman Labs or read Dopamine Nation)
  • Learn about habit forming (read Atomic Habits).
  • Learn about identity shift – willpower is never enough!
  • Set a limit before you start and stick to it.
  • Acknowledge if something is a problem for you.
  • Seek professional help and help from trusted loved ones if needed (this is a strength, not a weakness).
  • Find out the root cause of any unhealthy habits (you made need professional help).
  • Treat yourself as you would for someone you care deeply about.
  • Find a powerful reason to stop negative habits permanently. (e.g. I’m doing this for someone I love.)
  • Reward yourself for positive behaviour.
  • Create friction – make it harder/slower to access the thing you want to moderate.
  • Avoid people, places, and situations where you may be tempted to overindulge.
  • Replace unhealthy habits with healthy ones (in moderation).
  • Track your progress without judgement (if things slip, acknowledge it and move on to the next day).
  • Realise there is no end point – enjoy thejourney.
  • Once you have stopped unhealthy habits:
    • Make things right with the people in your life you may have hurt through those habits where appropriate.
    • Seek to help others (especially with a habit that challenged you) but remember you can only help someone else if and when they are ready. They must be willing to ask for/accept help.
  • If you want to see moderation in others (especially children), model this behaviour.
  • Consult your doctor to see what’s appropriate for you or if you need professional help.

6. Track your progress (then take action!)

The guidelines given in each of the previous sections are not new but many people still struggle to follow them. Emotions often play a strong role in this. Before we can make any lasting change, mindfulness is the first step. Be aware of what’s going on in your mind and body first. Here’s an idea to help you with this:

Diet/exercise/sleep/unhealthy habits diaries

Consider using a diary for an area of health that you want to work on (you can also use this principle for other areas of your life such as money). Commit to doing one diary at a time for 30 days. Don’t try to catch up on anything you missed. Acknowledge what you did, how you felt and try not to judge yourself. For each diary, write the following:

  • Diet:
    • Everything you eat and drink.
    • What times you eat and drink.
    • How you feel when you eat and drink.
    • Where you eat and drink.
    • Who you eat and drink with.
    • How quickly/slowly you eat and drink.
    • What you buy when you go grocery shopping.
  • Exercise:
    • What exercise you did.
    • What times you exercise.
    • How long you exercise.
    • How you feel before, during and after the exercise.
    • If you planned to exercise and didn’t, write why as well as how you felt.
  • Sleep:
    • The time you went to bed.
    • What time you woke up.
    • If you had any trouble sleeping or woke up in the night and why.
    • If you woke up in the night, write down what time, why, and how you felt.
  • Unhealthy habits:
    • When you did it.
    • Why you did it if you know (escape, dealing with negative emotions or dealing with past negative events are common reasons).
    • How you felt before, during and after doing it.
    • Where you did it.
    • Who you did it with.
    • If you tried to hide it.

Once you’ve done this, take a look at the diary and see if you notice any patterns. Then you can look at making some lifestyle changes. Here are some things to consider:

  • Do you have enough energy? If not, why not?
  • Are you over/under-eating? If yes, why?
  • Are you over/under-exercising? If yes, why?
  • Are you over/under sleeping? If yes, why?
  • Are you sleeping well? If not, why not? Is it for environmental, physical, or mental reasons?
  • Do you have any unhealthy habits? If yes, what and why?
  • Do you feel a sense of guilt or shame? If yes, why?
  • Are there any unhealthy patterns? If yes, what and why?
  • Is there anything you’d like to change? If yes, what and why?
  • How might you do that?
  • Do you need help?

Lifestyle often has a strong effect on our dietary habits. Once you get to the root of what’s causing unhealthy habits it’s easier to change them. If you find yourself regularly snacking on candy, don’t bring candy into the house. Avoid or substitute places that will tempt you to eat unhealthily.

Tracking alone is not enough. You need to do something about the information in front of you. If you’re unhappy with what you see, use this as a catalyst for change. Powerful ways to do this are wrapped up in habit formation and identity. We’ll look at these in a later post.

Conclusion

Eating a balanced diet, drinking plenty of water, exercising regularly, getting regular, quality sleep, and living a life of moderation (and abstaining from certain things) all contribute to mental and physical well-being which will help you optimize your mental and physical well-being and performance – all essential in building a fulfilling life. For lasting change, learn about dopamine, identity, and habit formation, track your progress (without judgement) and take positive steps each day to improve your life.

What would you like to change in your life?

The Series

The Vision – Jon Red, thejourneyx (Monochrome Glasses), June 10, 2022
https://thejourneyx.com/2022/06/10/my-vision/

Supporting the Mission and Vision – Jon Red, thejourneyx (Monochrome Glasses), August 10, 2022
https://thejourneyx.com/2022/08/10/support-the-mission-and-vision/

1a. Fundamentals (Foundations 1/3) – Introduction – Jon Red, thejourneyx (Monochrome Glasses), December 31, 2022
https://thejourneyx.com/2022/12/31/1a-fundamentals-foundations-1-3-introduction/

1b. Fundamentals (Foundations 1/3) – Mental Health: Suicide – Jon Red, thejourneyx (Monochrome Glasses), January 1, 2023
https://thejourneyx.com/2023/01/01/1b-fundamentals-foundations-1-3-suicide/

1c. Fundamentals (Foundations 1/3) – Mental Health: Depression (PDD) – Jon Red, thejourneyx (Monochrome Glasses), January 1, 2023
https://thejourneyx.com/2023/01/01/1c-fundamentals-foundations-1-3-mental-health-depression-pdd/

1d. Fundamentals (Foundations 1/3) – Mental Health: Anxiety (GAD) – Jon Red, thejourneyx (Monochrome Glasses), January 1, 2023
https://thejourneyx.com/2023/01/01/1d-fundamentals-foundations-1-3-mental-health-anxiety-gad/

1e. Fundamentals (Foundations 1/3) – Mental Health: Self-harm – Jon Red, thejourneyx (Monochrome Glasses), January 1, 2023
https://thejourneyx.com/2023/01/01/1e-fundamentals-foundations-1-3-mental-health-self-harm/

1f. Fundamentals (Foundations 1/3) – Mental Health: Triggers & Tools – Jon Red, thejourneyx (Monochrome Glasses), May 10, 2023
https://thejourneyx.com/2023/05/10/1f-fundamentals-foundations-1-3-mental-health-triggers-tools/

1g. Fundamentals (Foundations 1/3) – Mental Health: Structure – Jon Red, thejourneyx (Monochrome Glasses), May 15, 2023
https://thejourneyx.com/2023/05/15/1g-fundamentals-foundations-1-3-mental-health-structure/

References and Further Study

8 Health Benefits of Sleep – Jay Summer, Sleep Foundation, June 27, 2023
https://www.sleepfoundation.org/how-sleep-works/benefits-of-sleep

10 Reasons to Get More Sleep – Joe Leech, healthline, April 25, 2023
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/10-reasons-why-good-sleep-is-important

10 Exercises to Tone Every Inch of Your Body – Nicole Davis, healthline, March 28, 2023
https://www.healthline.com/health/fitness-exercise/10-best-exercises-everyday

Atomic Habits – James Clear, Penguin Random House, October 16, 2018

Balanced Diet – Brian Krans, healthline, March 10, 2023
https://www.healthline.com/health/balanced-diet

Benefits of Healthy Eating – Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (US CDC), May 16, 2021
https://www.cdc.gov/nutrition/resources-publications/benefits-of-healthy-eating.html

Benefits of Physical Activity – Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (US CDC), June 28, 2023
https://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/basics/pa-health/index.htm

BMI healthy weight calculator – NHS (UK), March 29, 2023
https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/healthy-weight/bmi-calculator/

Dopamine Nation – Anna Lembke, Dutton, August 24, 2021

Eating Mindfully – the 80% Rule in Celebrate healthy living, 2020 Week Six – Kansas State University Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension Service, 2020
https://www.pottawatomie.k-state.edu/docs/Week6_English_fill-1.pdf

Eating the Rainbow – Is It Useful and Should You Try It? – Katey Davidson, healthline, December 18, 2020
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/eat-the-rainbow

Exercise: 7 benefits of regular physical activity – Mayo Clinic Staff, Mayo Clinic, October 8, 2021
https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/fitness/in-depth/exercise/art-20048389

Fitness program: 5 steps to get started – Mayo Clinic Staff, Mayo Clinic, December 16, 2021
https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/fitness/in-depth/fitness/art-20048269

How Many Calories Should You Eat Per Day to Lose Weight? – Rachael Ajmera and Kris Gunnars, healthline, May 4, 2023
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/how-many-calories-per-day

How I Used Addictions To Make Millions – Alex Becker, YouTube, August 16, 2019
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nrf489UDXMU

Huberman Lab – Andrew Huberman, YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/@hubermanlab – see his videos for practical scientifically based advice on the topics discussed in this post (particularly depression, motivation/dopamine and sleep)

Identify Shifting: How to Get Ahead of 99% of People (in 2023) – Clark Kegley, YouTube, January 30, 2023
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JslSl-6WM1Y

Identity Shifting: The ONE thing that changed my life – Clark Kegley, YouTube, November 14, 2022
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SEGqHSXjCuo

Recognizing and Avoiding Empty Calories – Ashley Marcin, healthline, May 7, 2019
https://www.healthline.com/health/food-nutrition/empty-calories

short hit no equipment – YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=short+hiit+no+equipment

Surprising Reasons to Get More Sleep – Rachel Reiff Ellis, WebMD, July 15, 2023
https://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/benefits-sleep-more

Using Light (Sunlight, Blue Light & Red Light) to Optimize Health – Andrew Huberman, Huberman Lab, April 18, 2022
https://hubermanlab.com/using-light-sunlight-blue-light-and-red-light-to-optimize-health/

Using Light for Health – Andrew Huberman, Huberman Lab, January 24, 2023
https://hubermanlab.com/using-light-for-health/

Water: How much should you drink every day? – Mayo Clinic Staff, Mayo Clinic, October 12, 2022
https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/water/art-20044256

What are the benefits of eating healthy? – Cathleen Crichton-Stuart, MedicalNewsToday, July 29, 2022
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/322268

Why Do We Need Sleep? – Danielle Pacheco and Abhinav Singh, Sleep Foundation, August 8, 2023
https://www.sleepfoundation.org/how-sleep-works/why-do-we-need-sleep

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