Mental Fitness: the new trend that prioritizes the well-being of the mind –

Behavioral tendencies are very common and appear all the time, but one of them caught the attention of our newsroom: the so-called “mental fitness”. Interestingly, the term is not new – it emerged in 2017 when a global event predicted that mental health concerns would grow exponentially in the coming years.

Another interesting fact is that, even before the coronavirus pandemic, the World Health Organization also predicted that, by 2030, the greatest threat to human health would not be obesity, but depression – today, it is said that more than 300 million people live with the disease in the world.

The idea of ​​mental fitness, then, is to be like the physical exercises are for the body: offer a series of beneficial habits that guarantee a good state of mind.

“Good mental health is more than just the absence of a disorder. It is primarily a state of well-being where the individual feels good and functions well in the world. Tatiana PepperCEO and co-founder of Vittude, and Fabio Camillo, technical manager and head of psychology at health tech. “According to the World Health Organization, good mental health happens when people can cope with the normal stresses of life and work productively.”

In this sense, a person who has good mental health is likely to be able to feel, express and manage a range of positive and negative emotions. In addition, she is also able to perform daily tasks and take care of herself. This can include diet, exercise, sleep, cleanliness, work, learning and social activities. In general, they participate in activities they enjoy and are able to build and manage healthy relationships with other individuals.

THE PILLARS OF MENTAL FITNESS

With this concept of mental health in mind, what the mental fitness movement advocates is the adoption of a series of habits that help maintain mental well-being. Are they:

1

Adequate food

“The relationship between our eating habits and our mental health is complex. However, some research shows a direct link between what we eat and brain function.

Eating regularly, for example, can prevent our blood sugar level from dropping, which can make us feel tired and moody.

In addition, drinking 2.5L of water is not only a recommendation for good physical health, it also applies to mental health. Mild dehydration can affect mood, the body’s energy level and even our ability to concentrate.

“Eating the right balance of fats is also important,” they say. “Our brain needs healthy fats to keep working well. They are found in foods such as olive oil, rapeseed oil, nuts, seeds, oily fish, avocados, milk and eggs. It also goes without saying that avoiding trans fats – often found in processed or packaged foods – is essential for good mental health, as these elements can be bad for mood and heart health.”

And it’s not ′′ just ′′ that: you also need to think about gut health. The gut, called the second brain, can reflect on how we are feeling: it can speed up or slow down the effects of stress. Therefore, prioritizing foods that are good for our gut, such as fruits, vegetables and probiotics, is essential.

“In short, there is no mental health without good nutrition!”, they explain.

two

Find an exercise routine

“People who exercise regularly have better mental health, a greater sense of well-being and lower rates of mental illness. Physical exercise is also important for people who are living with a mental illness, as it contributes to improving mood, concentration, alertness and general physical condition”, explain Tatiana and Fábio.

Exercise doesn’t have to be strenuous, structured, or take a long time to be beneficial. Any physical activity is better than none, but experts recommend that adults be active most days, aiming for a total of 2.5 to 5 hours of moderate physical activity or 1.25 to 2.5 hours of vigorous physical activity per week .

3

Prioritize high quality sleep

“Sleep works to restore our body and mind. Our brain needs to rest and sleep is essential for that. When we don’t sleep well, the next day we can have cognitive damage such as difficulty concentrating and also memory. In addition, it is common for us to get irritated more easily”, they recall.

In this way, these changes can be harmful both from an individual and collective point of view, interfering with our work capacity and our relationships – not to mention accidents and other problems that lack of sleep can cause.

It is during sleep that muscle growth and strengthening of our immune system occur, in addition to appetite regulation. “Therefore, sleeping well contributes to a more adequate weight, mood regulation, reduction of physical and mental illness”, they say.

4

set clear boundaries

Each person reacts differently to situations, and what may be harmful for some people is not necessarily harmful for everyone else. So the first step is to get to know yourself.

Understanding that your limits are different from those of other people and that it does you no good to compare yourself to others is part of this process. “It’s important to learn that if we say yes to someone but say no to ourselves, we are disrespecting ourselves. Setting limits means knowing what is good or bad for you and looking for ways to deal with or avoid situations that could harm your well-being”, they add.

This goes for interpersonal relationships, for work and for life as a whole. When we don’t stop of our own free will and overload ourselves physically and/or emotionally, life tends to take its toll and we end up being stopped by it. In this sense, counting on the help of psychotherapy is essential for us to understand what our limits are and the best way to deal with situations that exceed them.

5

Cherish moments of rest and leisure

“In today’s world we are hyperconnected and tend to see rest and leisure almost as something negative, unproductive. However, several studies prove the need to rest in order to be more productive and motivated”, say Tatiana and Fábio. “In the work environment, for example, when we immerse ourselves in a situation or problem without giving space to see it from the outside, we end up wearing ourselves out and not always finding an adequate solution.”

One technique that can be employed in these cases is to focus on the situation for a while, without distractions, then distance yourself from it and give your brain time to come up with more creative insights and solutions.

In personal life, in general, leisure and rest allow us to be less susceptible to stress, produce hormones related to pleasure and happiness and renew ourselves to deal with our daily lives.

“It is important, however, to understand that there is no point in filling your rest time with other activities for fear of appearing unproductive. Therefore, disconnecting from social networks for a while, practicing sports compatible with your body, interacting socially, reading, listening to music, meditating or any other activity that is pleasurable are ways to reenergize ourselves. And even ‘doing nothing’, when we allow ourselves to do so, tends to only do us good”, they conclude.