LET’S TALK ABOUT
MENTAL HEALTH

January 23rd, 2025

Firstly I am not a psychologist or have any degree in mental health, and I don’t pretend to know it all, but I feel it is important to raise awareness and lift the stigma on mental health conditions.

Let’s talk about mental health.

The chances are that we all at some point will know of or have to deal with it ourselves. Some people turn to alcohol and drugs to numb the pain, whilst others hide their pain and try to deal with it themselves, feeling alone and depressed and they continue on with life like everything is ok until something triggers an emotion, and it all becomes too much. It is likely that you are not going to know just by looking at someone if they have a mental illness, because they hide it so well, which is why being kind to everyone and living a life being supportive is important, because you just don’t know what other people are going through and where their mental health is at.

Here are some beneficial ideas that may just help:

OWNING A PET

Owning a pet is said to be beneficial to our mental and physical health. Pets give companionship, are there for you when you feel down, will not talk back, will encourage you to exercise creating endorphins and give a sense of purpose. Keep in mind though that owning a pet does increase the budget which can add a burden on the mindset. Weighing up the pros and cons is essential.

GROUNDING

Grounding yourself isn’t just a woo-woo concept. Getting outdoors can not only help your body increase your Vitamin D levels (which are statistically lower in individuals who have depression), but some have hypothesized that grounding can come from walking bare foot on the earth to neutralize or balance electrons in our bodies and lower anxiety levels. You can also purchase indoor grounding mats that can help to assist you do this from home.

REDUCE SCREEN TIME

People are spending more time on screens than ever before. This is impacting on our health via psychological, physical, and social disturbances due to excessive use to digital devices. This then affects our sleep and circadian rhythm which in turn has an effect on our mental health.

EXPRESSING YOURSELF

There are many ways one can express an emotion or a feeling when it may be too hard to talk. Being creative through artwork, singing, dancing, writing just to name a few.

MAKING CONNECTIONS

Sometimes just having a chat and sharing yourself with someone, opening up and being vulnerable can be helpful. Chances are that they get just as much out of the conversation as you did. This could be a family member, a friend, a neighbour, someone in one of your classes, anyone that has time to sit with you and be there for each other.

PARASITE CLEANSE

There is a potential link between parasite infections and mental health. Parasites are said to contribute to an increased stimulation of the immune system, which increases inflammation that may then lead to mental health conditions.

DIET

A diet that is nutrient dense, high in omega 3s with an abundance of variety is a good place to start. We probably all knew that, but food for the soul is also important, just try to keep the sugar levels a bit lower to avoid mood swings. Also, hydration is important to enhance serotonin.

GENETICS

There may be a genetic influence involved here, but like most things, I believe that it is not inevitable that we will follow the same path. Yes, there are certain things that we learn from our relatives, which greatly influence our decisions, but we are not constrained by them and are free to create our own paths in life.

Sometimes we don’t see the signs until they hit us in the face.
Hopefully these helpful ideas may be of use to be able to avoid a situation or help in steering on a positive path.

Overall, if you lead your life by just being nice to everyone and checking in on your loved ones, and by checking in I mean dive deeper into questions and suss out their feelings. Easier said than done, I know, but we can try. Let’s turn the negative thoughts and beliefs behind having mental health into sharing what we are feeling, connecting with others, listening and asking questions. Who knows - you might just save a precious life.

There are organisations out there to help if you need support. Reachout Australia, Beyond Blue, and Get Real institute to name a few. Get Real is an organisation for teens and their families that offer a variety of amazing techniques that support them to create skills to be more resilient and to harness a positive mindset to empower them to overcome any obstacle that life throws at them. Seeking help whether medical or not is incredibly important.

Article By Nicole Thomas | Market Organics Naturopath Loganholme

Nicole is a qualified Naturopath who has a holistic and individualised approach to each of her clients as she works with them to best suit their lifestyle and needs.

Nicole believes that this can provide a more succinct and individualised treatment to better support effective outcomes. She has also further studied Iridology in which she utilises to form a more comprehensive picture of each client as part of her individual approach.