No Pills. No Potions. A Natural Remedy for Improving Your Mental Health

For today’s post, I’m going to suggest to you a natural remedy for elevating your mood, lowering your stress levels, boosting your energy and motivation, and improving your sleep quality.  Now, I know I’ve already got you sitting on the edge of your seats because you’re waiting for me to push out some awesome new product or pill.  But that is not what I’m going to do.  The natural remedy I’m so excited to discuss is EXERCISE!

I know.  For some people the E word — exercise — might as well be a cuss word.  Who wants to commit to exercising?  Who has time these days?  I’m too busy with work, or I’m too busy with this project, or too busy with these kids.  Or even this one:  I just have no real motivation to exercise.  Yes.  Yes.  Let me validate you because I try to be a very validating individual.  Yes.  Those are all solid reasons for not being able to exercise regularly or at all.  But today, I’m going to invite you to sit with me and problem-solve.  We are going to figure out just how to work exercise into your schedule so that you can reap the mental health benefits.  

So, if you’re new to me, I’m Dr. K Martin also known as Dr. K.  I’m both a child and adolescent psychiatrist and general psychiatrist based in the Southeast.  My goal with these brief posts is to provide you with quick and easy access to information about mental health.   Do note, however, this information is not meant to serve as a substitute for your personal mental health care.  Please talk to your provider before implementing any suggestions that I mention in these posts.  Again, the topic for today’s post is EXERCISE and YOUR MENTAL HEALTH.

Now, there is a wealth of evidence out there that shows that exercise is beneficial for your MENTAL HEALTH.  Let’s review some of the benefits as supported by studies:  

1. Exercise improves mood, boosts self-esteem, and those who exercise regularly have a better frame of mind.

2. Regular exercise helps lower stress levels by decreasing the release of a stress hormone called cortisol.

3. When people exercise, their bodies release feel-good chemicals—like opioids and cannabinoids.

4. Immediately after exercise, people focus better and think more clearly.

5. Physical activity helps decrease symptoms of anxiety, depression, and general distress across multiple different populations.

6. Exercise can improve your sleep quality.

Okay, so have you bought in yet?  I sure hope so. Yes, exercise is awesome!  Now, you may agree with me that exercise is awesome, but you may still believe that you can’t do it.  Well, I want you to take a second and make a list of all the reasons why you cannot exercise.  Go ahead.  List all the barriers to exercising and then come back here when you finish.

Okay.  You’re back.  Now let’s start working through that list.

These are the most common reasons I’ve heard from patients as to why they cannot exercise:

1. I don’t have the time.

2. I don’t have the motivation or energy.

3. I am physically limited by some condition.

Well, let’s start working through these and problem solving.

Barrier number one:  I don’t have the time.  Well, you may be right in that you simply cannot fit an elaborate exercise routine in the middle of your day.  However, with exercise, something is better than nothing.  Let me emphasize that — some exercise is better than none at all.  And there are studies to back this.  Short periods of exercise — even one to two minutes — can be beneficial.  Walking for 10 minutes three times a day has been shown to be just as beneficial as walking for 30 minutes all at once.  So, find a few minutes in the day to stand up and stretch a bit, or to go for a quick walk around the block or down the hall, or to walk up and down the stairs a few times.  Just doing this can improve your mood and your mental alertness.  And trust me, once you learn to take advantage of little breaks in the day to exercise, your mind will be able to perceive more opportunities to exercise.  For example, if you’re waiting for your child’s piano lesson to end, don’t get on your phone and catch up on whatever.  Instead, go for a brief walk, stand up and do some calf-raises.   Be creative and figure out a way to get moving.  And look for ways to naturally incorporate movement into your day.  Walk instead of ride if you can.  If you drive, park further away from your destination so that you can get more steps in.  Be intentional about taking the stairs instead of the elevator.  Program yourself to go for a walk as soon as you wake up or after dinner.  I’m just tossing out ideas here, but the bottom line is this: be intentional about getting movement in during your day, even if it’s just for a few minutes here and there.  Do what you can when you can.  Some exercise is better than none at all.

Let’s shift gears to barrier number two:  I don’t have the energy or motivation.  Okay, one of the keys to working through this is overcoming the mental barriers to getting started.  Because once you get started with exercise regularly, you’ll realize that it is self-reinforcing.  The more you exercise, the more energy and motivation you’ll have to exercise.  So, you’ve just got to get started.  To get started, remind yourself that something is better than nothing.  Start with small, attainable goals.  Tell yourself, today, I will begin with getting out of bed and stretching to my right and to my left and that’s all I can do today.  Do that.  Awesome.  Now give yourself a pat on the back.  You’re done.  The next day, tell yourself, I am going to get out of bed and stretch to my right and my left and then take a couple of laps around the couch.  Hey!  There you go, something is better than nothing.  Keep in mind, setting small attainable goals are key to getting started.  

Another tip for addressing problems with energy or motivation is to remember “just a spoon full of sugar makes the medicine go down.”  What I mean by that is to pair pleasant with the unpleasant.  If you find exercise and taking a spoonful of castor oil to be equally disgusting, then figure out what your spoon full of sugar will be.   If exercise is that unpleasant to you, then pair it with something pleasant — a great playlist, a friend or group of friends.  Another way to work around poor energy or motivation to exercise is to redefine exercise and think outside of the box--literally. Some of you, when you think about exercise, you imagine something like Crossfit. That’s awesome.  More power to the people who engage in Crossfit.  But, true story, I busted a blood vessel in my eye on the first day of Crossfit.  And the lesson I learned is this — when it comes to exercise, do not embrace the mindset of “go big or go home.”  Not when it comes to exercise.  Don’t try to go from the couch to Crossfit in 24 hours.  Instead, find a physical activity that you enjoy and that is appropriate for you.  I’ve had patients who were avid gamers and who worked in exercise using their VR headsets.  

One of my patients loved to swing, so her exercise was listening to her favorite music while swinging.  Whatever floats your boat.  You can reap mental health benefits in all kinds of ways.    

Another remedy for poor energy or motivation to exercise is to invest in a dog that might be somewhat poorly behaved if you don’t walk it.  There are all kinds of health benefits to owning a pet, but one is that having a dog forces people to get out of bed and get moving.

Another remedy for poor energy or motivation to exercise is to provide yourself with rewards or incentives.  I might caution against the use of unhealthy foods as a reward — for pretty obvious reasons.  For example, don’t tell yourself — hey, if I walk a mile today, then I’m going to get me a bowl of that Blue Bell salted caramel ice cream.  No.  Just no.

And the last barrier to exercising that we’ll address today: physical limitations. You may have chronic back pain, you may be wheelchair bound, the list can go on and on, unfortunately.  And this is what I’d say to that — 1) be proactive about talking to your own doctor and asking what type of physical activity is recommended or allowed for your condition.  Sometimes, water-based activities like swimming or water-aerobics can be a gamechanger.  If you’re the caregiver of a person who has physical limitations — number one:  make sure you’re getting in enjoyable physical activity to help safeguard your own mental health, and then ask your loved one’s doctor what type of physical activity may be allowed or beneficial for them.  Sometimes it can be gentle stretching or passive range of motion exercises.  

Okay, to sum this all up — exercise is a natural remedy that boosts your mood and self-esteem, reduces stress, improves your focus, and improves sleep quality.  Keep in mind that some exercise is better than none at all.  A few minutes here and there throughout the day can still yield solid mental health benefits.  Try to find ways to naturally fold exercise into your daily routine.  Make exercise enjoyable.  Think outside of the box and find ways to move that you may not have even initially considered to be exercise.  Consider investing in a pet that will force you out of bed and get you moving.  Talk to your doctor about what type of physical activity you can do if you have health conditions that seem to be limiting.  

And a special note to parents or guardians of children, please get your child away from screens for a bit and get them moving in some form or fashion—if you can take them outside to ride a bike, bounce a ball, jump a rope, play catch, just walk around the block, or just turn on some music and throw a mini dance party in the living room, you’re likely to notice improved attitudes, focus, and behavior almost immediately.     

Folks, let’s make it our business to understand mental illness and those who struggle against mental illness.  I’m Dr. K, and this has been Mental Health | Plain Speak.  And remember, “Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.”