After a lockdown, how to care for your mental health

Those who are already dealing with mental health issues like anxiety, depression, and stress may feel overwhelmed by everything that is going on right now. And many of us who took our mental health for granted are finding it difficult not to feel overloaded with information, putting our resilience to the test by constantly having to adapt to what the government and the media are telling us to do, while also dealing with peer pressure and feeling the effects of isolation and lack of contact.

Miguel Toribio-Mateas, a renowned clinical neuroscientist and nutrition practitioner, wrote this blog as one of our guest writers. Miguel is also pursuing a professional doctorate in health neuroscience at the moment.

Lockdown had an impact on me in ways that my physical body and mind couldn't ignore. But, as an optimist (at least most of the time), I am always looking for the silver lining, and I like to believe that the pandemic has highlighted the importance of not taking our mental health for granted.

Navigating "the new normal" will almost certainly necessitate the use of a variety of tools by all of us. I'm going to highlight some key areas from different perspectives in this blog, which I hope you'll find useful.

Keep in touch

Social isolation and loneliness have been linked to negative health outcomes, such as a higher risk of cardiovascular disease and a higher risk of a mental health condition "bubbling beneath the surface" surfacing1. It's perhaps unsurprising that during the lockdown, virtual connections exploded and everyone accepted videoconferencing as the new normal. This, in my opinion, is not only a result of COVID, but also a reflection of humans' need for contact. We've missed out on being in close proximity to those we care about, so we've substituted seeing each other on a screen for some of that need for social interaction. The effects on emotion-controlling areas of the brain

Continue to move

We all know that exercise is good for us, but until we were in lockdown, we may not have realized the impact it has on our mental health. Exercise has been shown to improve resilience and emotional regulation, as well as our ability to cope with psychological distress. Exercising not only benefits your body and mind, but it also benefits your microbiome. Scientists have discovered a tangible, measurable relationship between the composition of our gut flora and cardiorespiratory fitness: the better our cardiorespiratory capacity (based on VO2max readings), the better the diversity of gut bacteria. Taking both perspectives into consideration

Make sleep a priority

Sleep quality can be affected by social isolation. Lack of restorative sleep, on the other hand, has a slew of negative consequences, especially for those whose mental health is at risk10. That is why it is critical to establish a sleep routine. I found it difficult at first, and I frequently stayed up late binge-watching movies, only to wake up exhausted. If that rings true for you, going so far as to set a bedtime reminder could be a great way to remind yourself that it's time to turn off and put yourself in rest and repair mode.

If you're also concerned about gut health, the findings of a recent pilot study that linked self-reported sleep quality to microbial diversity may persuade you to go to bed "at a reasonable hour." You know how much I love talking about microbial diversity, so these findings have me completely enthralled. Gut microbes and their metabolic outputs, such as short chain fatty acids like butyrate and tryptophan metabolites, help maintain intestinal immunity by promoting healthy barrier function and regulating the mucosal immune system, which accounts for a large portion of human immune function.

Take advantage of nature's healing properties.

Land use changes, population and housing density, agricultural intensification, and altered wild and domestic plant and animal populations, all of which are known to influence aerial microbial communities, i.e. the communities of bugs that we breathe every time we inhale and that help regulate our relationship with our surroundings and, ultimately, our immune response, are all known to influence aerial microbial communities. If you were trapped in an urban area during a lockdown, it had an impact on both your body and mind. When we were finally allowed to leave our homes again, we all began to appreciate the beauty of nature much more. But was it merely a feeling of admiration or a desire for the contact with nature that we are hardwired to have as humans?

Forest bathing has been shown to improve the mental health and wellbeing of people suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder or experiencing stress, but trees, forests, and "greenery" may play an even bigger role. According to a recent study, the COVID-19 pandemic has had dramatic effects on the population of the industrialized north of Italy, but not on the population of the southern regions, which may have been protected by evergreen Mediterranean forests and shrubland plants found in this area of Italy.

The high density of forest trees in these areas is thought to have exposed residents to immuno-modulating compounds. Biogenic volatile organic compounds, such as those found in pine trees, are known to have therapeutic potential not only for respiratory inflammation but also for atopic dermatitis, arthritis, and neuroinflammation.

Finally, some thoughts

For each of us, the new normal will be unique. It's more important than ever to be aware of simple tools that can help us feel better, and it'll be even more important to discuss them openly with those around you, whether in person or via Zoom. Maintaining a positive outlook requires staying connected and active. I wish you every success as we move forward in our new reality.