The following are holistic tips that promote mental health. Whether you have a mental illness or are just seeking optimal well-being, these tried-and-true methods will give your mind the fighting chance it needs to thrive in this world. Although these insights apply to anyone, there is an emphasis on resources that are available to help the homeless, to prove that living a functional happy life is for everyone.
Get Plenty of Exercise
In a study entitled “The Influence of Exercise on Mental Health,” Daniel M. Landers of Arizona State University observes, “We now have evidence to support the claim that exercise is related to positive mental health as indicated by relief in symptoms of depression and anxiety.”
You don’t need money to exercise! Take a brisk walk around the city! A 1999 study in Annals of Behavioral Medicine found that university students who performed easy to moderate exercise, such as walking, had lower levels of stress than those who did not walk or all, or even those who exercised strenuously.
The District’s YMCA offers gym facilities that strive to make it possible for all people to have a membership, regardless of their income, says director of communications Carol Gregory.
In 2007, the D.C. YMCA provided more than $2 million in scholarships and financial assistance to nearly 12,000 people in the D.C. area.
Gregory says the Y offers scholarships for homeless people that allow them to take full advantage of the gym equipment, classes, programs and locker rooms.
Eat Healthy
Anyone who has missed a meal knows the effects that hunger has on mental health. Some of the symptoms of mental illnesses are the same symptoms of hunger, including anxiety, irritability and lack of concentration.
Dan Benardot, associate professor of nutrition at Georgia State University, author of numerous sports nutrition books, and nutritionist to Olympic athletes in 1996 and 2004, says, “One of the changes you have when you have low blood sugar is an increase in irritability and frustration. You are robbed of concentration.”
Bernardot recommends frequent breaks for nutrition. “People who typically get to eat every three hours do much better than those people who have long periods of time between eating opportunities.” From a dietary standpoint, Bernardot blames iron deficiency for many mental problems.
“The most common reason for lethargy, bad personality, loss of attentiveness, is the most common deficiency in the United States and that is an iron deficiency,” Benardot says.
Because it can be difficult to get the recommended amount of iron through food alone, Bernardot suggests taking a periodic supplement. The most important thing to avoid for the sake of your mental health is alcohol, Benardot says. “Chronic overconsumption of alcohol may result in excess urinary magnesium loss, which may result in depression and delirium,” Benardot said.
For the homeless. Miriam’s Kitchen is a great place to find a nutritious, well-balanced breakfast that can help beat hunger. The members of the Miriam’s team pride themselves on their freshly prepared dishes that always include fruit, vegetables and whole grains.
“We serve great tasting and nutritional food because we want to start our guests’ day off with a healthy beginning,” says Miriam’s chef Steve Badt.
Join a Support Group
Street Sense vendor and writer Jeffery McNeil, a recovering alcoholic who is living with bipolar disorder, says that his participation in Alcohol Anonymous has been of major importance to his mental well-being.
McNeil says a major asset in being part of AA is the relationship he has established with his sponsor. “My sponsor tells me what I need to hear, and I’m finally at a point where I want to listen,” McNeil says.
West Side Club, a nonprofit organization that serves as a meeting center in Georgetown at the corner of Dumbarton Street and Wisconsin, offers 12-step programs seven days a week.
The Dupont Circle Club also offers resources, including a dual diagnosis support group, which specifically targets those who suffer from both mental illness and a drug or alcohol addiction.
Strengthen Spirituality
Tina Shore, nurse psychotherapist and member of The Zen Buddhist Center of Washington, D.C., for 10 years, said she uses Buddhist spirituality and techniques in treating her clients.
“Some of the principles of the Buddhism practice, like mindfulness, or being compassionate, all relate to what I do when I am working with people. I have seen them be very effective,” Shore said. Mindfulness is a Buddhist practice that Shore uses often for patients who struggle with an addiction, overeating, spending and drinking.
Mindfulness is a form of meditation, or being aware of your body and your mind.
To help with all mental illnesses, including anxiety disorder or depression, Shore recommends simply taking deep breaths, and paying attention to each inhalation and exhalation.
“If you are in the moment, and pay attention to the breathing from your abdomen, or the spiritual center, and breathe deeply, it slows yourself and your mind down. When you are slowed down, you are not as anxious,” Shore says.
Father Randolph Charles of The Church of the Epiphany says his relationship with God has allowed him to stay mentally at peace because it has allowed him to approach life with better focus.
“I have felt overwhelmed at times but I know when that happens to me, I look at the million things I want to do, and I ask myself what God really wants me to do.”
He also uses gratitude to foster mental health.
“I believe that God loves me and God has blessed me, and that’s my starting point for today,” Charles says.
“I know that when we can continue to give that gratitude and realize and believe that God has blessed us, we are less likely spin out in some sort of anxiety, or thrash out in anger, or give up because of some perceived pressure,” he adds.
Resources
