Does Mental Health Self-Care Really Work?
When exploring self-care ideas, you might feel as though the most common advice for mental health is too generic, vague or basic. The most typical advice involves taking care of your physical health and making time for relaxation.
If you’ve seen this advice online and thought, “Does any of this even work?” – this article is for you. We’ve gathered the research behind the most typical self-care advice so you can learn exactly how it can help you in your mental health journey.
Does Self-Care Work?
When taking self-care into your own hands, you might feel frustrated by the repetitive and seemingly generic advice available online. But, interestingly, many of these self-care strategies are actually backed by research – which you can utilize to make the most of your self-care routine. Lets go over the common advice for managing your mental health naturally with self care:
Exercise for Mental Health
It’s well-known that exercising is great for our physical and mental wellbeing, but if you are struggling with your mental health, it can be hard to find the motivation or energy to give it a try. The effects of exercise on mental health have been extensively studied, with research showing that exercise can relieve symptoms and improve outcomes in mental health.
So, which type of exercise is the best form of self-care? One study reviewing the effect of exercise on mental health found that overall, exercise does have a positive effect on symptoms. As for the specific type of exercise, the study found that aerobic exercise, like running, walking, dance and pilates had slightly better results than strength training.
Key Takeaway: Any exercise is beneficial for mental health, but aerobic exercise could be a good place to start.
Probiotics for Mental Health
Did you know that your gut health and mental health are closely related? This is due to the influence of the gut-brain axis, a bidirectional channel of communication between your gut and brain. Your gut is also responsible for producing up to 90% of your body’s serotonin, and 50% of its dopamine, key neurotransmitters known as our brain's ‘happy hormones’.
As the gut and brain are so closely linked, this connection has become a central feature in the discussion of mental health. With the use of specific probiotics, the gut-brain connection can be supported and lead to improvements in both mental and gut health. One probiotic that has been shown to stimulate the gut-brain axis is Neuralli MP, which is backed by over 18 research studies.
Neuralli MP contains the patented PS128 strain which is designed to support the gut-brain connection. It has been shown in many research studies to also improve outcomes for people with ASD or Parkinson’s disease, due to its ability to balance happy hormones.
Since it is a probiotic, Neuralli MP does not require a prescription or diagnosis to use, making it an effective and accessible option for your self-care routine. Click here to learn more about Neuralli MP.
Key Takeaway: Supporting the gut-brain connection with probiotics can provide an extra boost to your self-care routine. You can consider starting with Neuralli MP, as it is one probiotic that has been extensively researched and proven to boost happy hormones.
Mindfulness for Mental Health
Another common self-care approach for mental health is to practice mindfulness and meditation. Practicing mindfulness is a skill that takes time and concentration, and is not a quick-fix for improving your mood. Despite mediation and mindfulness becoming more popular recently, some people still feel apprehensive about trying it, as it can be difficult to start and practice consistently.
Research into mindfulness for mental health shows that it is an effective way to alleviate negative symptoms and improve mood. Studies support the use of mindfulness and meditation as a self-care strategy, and practicing mindfulness consistently could improve mental health in the long term. As for the type of mindfulness you can try for mental health, studies indicate breathing exercises, and meditation can be effective in improving symptoms.
Key Takeaway: Mindfulness can be an effective form of self-care for mental health, and meditation and breathing exercises could be a good starting point.
A self-care routine you enjoy and find comfort in can be incredibly helpful to your mental health. Adding in science backed strategies such as Neuralli MP can provide you with more confidence in your self-care, and allow you to reap real benefits for your wellbeing. Use our key takeaways as a starting point for forming your self-care routine, and see the results for yourself!
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