Hello my friend,
Why is poor mental health still a huge problem for many people?
"Get your brain healthy and the mind will follow." - Dr Daniel Amen
A healthy mind is created by a healthy brain.
And an unhealthy mind is the cause of a magnitude of problems.
This week I was reflecting on many of the behaviours I was engaging in that were affecting my mental health in the past.
The poor decisions and behaviours I engaged in.
About how many of my issues were caused by not taking good enough care of myself.
By neglecting my brain.
The stress, worry, low energy and borderline anxiety I often felt.
I can now see the link clearly between the two.
I wasn’t looking after my brain.
And my mind was off sorts.
Dr Amen, a doctor who practices as a psychiatrist and brain disorder specialist says that many mental health issues would be avoided or resolved if we took better care of our brains.
Many are suffering from an unhealthy brain which in turn is causing an unhealthy mind, resulting in a series of problems.
Everything else comes downstream.
Because we can’t see our brain we often ignore it.
Not giving it the attention and care it needs.
Many issues go unnoticed, before it’s too late.
Global data indicates a 55% increase in the number of people affected by anxiety disorders between 1990 and 2019.
The mind has been less healthier than ever.
More pills are prescribed than ever yet the problems seem to be getting worse.
If the mind comes directly through the brain then we must look at how we are treating the source.
But still it’s rarely ever spoken about.
We see messaging everywhere to look after our mental health yet the messaging to look after our brain is seldom.
Rarely are we given the advice or support to pay attention to our habits and behaviours.
We have got it backwards.
We must put our brain health first. Placing more attention on looking after the most important organ.
Our mind can only help us if we are helping our brain.
Regular exercise, a balanced and unprocessed diet, quality sleep, removing alcohol, removing toxins, drinking enough water, being in nature.
These are some of the most important foundations for a healthy brain.
The good news is all of these are within our control, at least to some degree.
We can give our brain more of the care and attention it needs.
In return our mind will thank us.
Things I’m learning
Exposure impact.
A study on the Boston Marathon bombings found that prolonged exposure to media coverage of the event, specifically six or more daily hours of media exposure in the week following the bombings, was associated with higher levels of acute stress than direct exposure to the event itself. This research, led by Roxane Cohen Silver, indicates that frequent engagement with trauma-related media can significantly impact psychological distress, even for those who were not physically present at the bombing.
Nothing to lose.
“if you’re procrastinating on something because you’re worried you won’t do a good enough job, you can relax - because judged by the flawless standards of your imagination, you definitely won’t do a good enough job. So you might as well make a start.” - Oliver Burkeman.
Get away from the crowd.
"One way to stand out is to look for pockets of low competition.
Wake up early—less traffic, fewer people.
Go deeper or narrower in your field—less noise, more space.
People are drawn to where it is crowded. Look for the quiet spaces inside your areas of interest. Excellence often hides at the edges." - James Clear
Question
If someone was watching the movie of your life right now what would they be screaming at the screen for you to do?
That’s all for this week.
Thanks for reading!
With love, Nick x