WHAT
Our minds and bodies are deeply connected. It may seem like resilience is something that happens only in our heads, but our bodies provide an essential foundation for our overall health and psychological well-being.
WHY
Staying resilient requires both physical and mental resources. When we are depleted, we’re more likely to engage in unproductive thinking and rumination, and we’re less able to regulate our thoughts and emotions effectively. By nourishing our bodies with proper nutrition, prioritizing adequate rest, and engaging in regular physical activity, we establish essential foundations for resilience even in the face of adversity.
HOW
Stay resilient by bringing more intention to the triad of physiological influences to well-being. Focus on how you eat, move, and sleep.
Eat
During periods of crisis or disrupted routines, it can be tempting to adopt unhealthy eating habits. Take care to make mindful food choices that effectively manage stress and shield yourself from its adverse effects.
Notice what stress puts on your plate. Higher levels of cortisol from stress can increase our appetite and cause our bodies to crave foods high in sugar and carbohydrates. It’s ok to indulge once in a while, but keep healthy snacks on hand, and eat regular meals to keep yourself fueled for the long haul.
Check your nutrient intake. Emerging research shows that your mental health can be influenced by your nutrient intake. Foods rich in magnesium may decrease anxiety by supporting healthy immune function and regulating heartbeat. Increasing healthy gut bacteria through probiotics supplements or natural food sources like yogurt may help reduce anxiety and have a positive impact on the central nervous system. Depression and anxiety may be tied to a lower level of antioxidants, and so consuming foods high in antioxidants, such as beans, berries, nuts, and vegetables can be protective against toxic stress.
Savor. Slow down when you eat and try to enjoy every bite. Taking time to deeply appreciate and taste your food can prevent overeating, help you regulate intake, and strengthen the connection you have with what you put into your body.
Move
If you’re feeling tired and overwhelmed the last thing you probably want to do is exercise, but staying physically active can pay big dividends for your mental health.
Stand up. Many modern jobs are sedentary and require people to sit at a desk for long periods of time. Finding a way to stand, and incorporating even small movements at a standing workstation, can support overall health and productivity.
Find more ways to move. For mental health benefits, exercise doesn’t have to be intense. Research shows that small doses of activity - or, just finding ways to build in more movement throughout the day through jogging, gardening, or cleaning the house - can reduce the risks of developing depression.
Enjoy movement. Movement is a way to express some of the most basic joys of being human. It can pave the way for boosting our basic needs like competence, relatedness and autonomy. Movement can also connect you to a deeper sense of compassion toward yourself and others and be a vehicle for teaching us about courage, resilience, and self-efficacy.
Get outside. Leaving your home or office and getting outside in nature can reduce stress and anxiety, generate positive emotions, and assist with fine-tuning cognitions.
Sleep
Sleep impacts mood, cognition, and overall functioning in powerful ways. While it can be hard to get the recommended 8 hours of sleep every night, doing so can profoundly improve performance and well-being.
Maintain a consistent bedtime. Even if other daily routines are disrupted, keep regular sleep and wake times. This will help your body regulate the circadian rhythms that help you fall asleep and stay asleep at night.
Set the stage for rest. According to sleep experts, the ideal room temperature for optimal sleep is between 60-67°F (15-18°C). Use blackout curtains or eye masks to block out all natural light, and invest in comfortable bedding.
Stop sleep thieves. Consuming caffeine too late in the day, or exercising too close to bedtime can disrupt sleep patterns. Devices such as laptops and smartphones emit blue-wavelength light, tricking your brain into believing its daytime. Reduce exposure to blue light at least one hour before bedtime and if possible, keep your devices far away from where you sleep.
Resources
Author
Eudaimonic by Design is a global network of consultants, facilitators and systems thinkers who share a passion for the science of well-being and believe that organizations must be designed to enable it. We harness the best of scholarly thought and years of practical experience to help people be truly engaged, act ethically and pursue excellence.
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