Five tips for looking after your mental health

A long to-do list, projects to carry out, pressure at work, constant notifications, organising family and friends, administrative management and overflowing diaries... STOP! Why not take a moment to breathe?

When you're overwhelmed, taking a step back and reconnecting with the present moment is the best way to reduce stress. Easier said than done, you might say, so here are all our tools for looking after your mental health.

There are many anti-stress breathing exercises, and their benefits are well established. Deep abdominal breathing activates the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems equally. And circulating oxygen helps the body to relax and function optimally. A beneficial solution for your mental health.

Resonance breathing, or cardiac coherence, an effective practice that is easy to implement in everyday life, helps to reduce cortisol, the stress hormone, in just five minutes.

To get off to a good start, download one of the many apps available (e.g. RespiRelax+), plug in your headphones, close your eyes and breathe as the sound guides you. 

Sport helps to reduce stress and anxiety. Numerous studies have shown that physical activity produces similar results to taking anti-anxiety medication, for example. Practising a sports activity can therefore prove beneficial to mental health in general.

When we move for at least 20 to 30 minutes a day, our metabolism is activated and blood flow to the brain is stimulated. Once the session is over, the production of endorphins (“happy hormones”) increases and cortisol levels fall, plunging us into a euphoric and soothing state.

You don't need to run a marathon, just a simple jog, a brisk walk in the countryside, a yoga session or a bike ride every day will be enough to regulate your stress.

Eating a balanced, unprocessed diet at more or less fixed times every day is the starting point for a healthier, less stressful life. Make sure you get enough of the fibre found in fruit and vegetables, and opt for fresh, low-fat meats and wholegrain cereals. They will provide you with the nutrients your body needs to function properly.

As well as their anti-inflammatory properties, omega-3s are excellent guardians of our mental health because they act on our neurotransmitters. In particular, they contribute to the secretion of serotonin (the feel-good hormone) and dopamine (the immediate pleasure and motivation hormone). Omega-3s are found in walnuts, small oily fish (sardines, mackerel, anchovies, etc.) and rapeseed, walnut, linseed and camelina oils (eaten raw).

Watch your sugar intake too! By causing blood sugar levels to spike and then plummet, sugar consumption can lead to mood swings, tiredness and difficulty concentrating. To regulate your blood sugar levels, start your day with a savoury, high-protein breakfast, with no carbohydrates other than those with a low glycaemic index, such as red fruit.

Don't forget to drink two litres of water a day to keep your body working properly.

In the evening, avoid eating animal proteins. This will send a rest signal to your body, which will be even better able to produce melatonin, the sleep hormone.  

The three tips mentioned above will already help you sleep better. But remember that quality sleep is essential for your body and nervous system to function properly. To regulate your cortisol, get at least seven to eight hours' uninterrupted sleep a night. And make sure you get up at the same time as you go to bed, as our bodies love regularity.

Don't forget to practise your resonance breathing exercise at bedtime to help you relax. Meditation and guided hypnosis are also excellent ways of putting your body and mind at rest, and will preserve your mental health.

Establish a ritual before going to bed and try to do something quiet 30 minutes before bed, such as reading, which encourages the production of melatonin. Cortisol, on the other hand, prevents the production of melatonin, which is why chronic stress can have a major impact on your sleep, despite a feeling of tiredness.

And if you really can't do without your screens, opt for a good film instead by activating an anti-blue light filter. Avoid scrolling through your social networks, as this will increase your levels of dopamine, a hormone that's best secreted during the day.

If you're feeling overworked, irritable or like you're in survival mode, it's quite possible that it's because of stress. And since it's difficult to detect, the best thing to do is listen to your body.

Physical signs of chronic stress:

Don't hesitate to spread the word. Good news! Taking care of your mental health is less and less taboo. So you're bound to find a sympathetic ear among your family and friends, and even at work, where burn-out prevention is becoming more and more of a priority in most companies.

You can also seek professional help from psychologists or psychiatrists. The most important thing is not to minimise your symptoms and to take care of yourself as early as possible in order to prevent more serious mental illnesses such as burn-out or depression.