Stressed out? Grumpy? Tired all the time?
You need a mental fitness regime.
For months, therapists have reported a significant increase in clients who are anxious, worried, or depressed about current events – the Covid-19 pandemic, economic woes, civil unrest. And while they can learn coping skills, such as emotion regulation, to deal with stress, they say it’s also important for people to proactively take steps to be mentally healthy, just as they would if they wanted to be physically fit. “Waiting until a major stressor tries to boost your mental health is like inflating your life raft while drowning at sea,” said Wendy Troxel, a clinical psychologist and senior behavioral and social scientist at Rand Corp. .
Many people resort to speech therapy, exercise, meditation and a healthy diet to do so. Shirlee Hoffman, a 75-year-old retired marketing consultant in Chicago, limits her news consumption to about five minutes a day. Erin Wiley, 50, a licensed psychotherapist in Toledo, Ohio, uses an app to track down the things she’s grateful for. Rhonda Steele (62), a special education teacher in Sellersburg, Ind., Pray and read devotion. Dwight Oxley (84), a retired physician in Wichita, Kan., Reads and plays piano. Rachel Glyn, 66, a retired esthetician in Philadelphia, tries to do as many things as possible for others. Michael Schauch, 40, an investment portfolio manager in Squamish, British Columbia, is climbing – he says the view gives him perspective. Stedman Stevens, 62, the CEO of an aviation technology company in Wilmington, NC, takes 15 minutes each afternoon to sit alone without distraction. “I listen to what my mind shows me,” he says. “It restores my spiritual strength.”
What steps should you include in your mental fitness regime? Here is advice from the experts.