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The relationship between diet and mental health is intricate, with research showing a clear link between what we eat and how we feel. Eating well not only influences physical health but also has a significant impact on emotional well-being. Consuming a balanced diet can improve mood and overall well-being. 

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The relationship between diet and mental health is intricate, with research showing a clear link between what we eat and how we feel. Eating well not only influences physical health but also has a significant impact on emotional well-being. Consuming a balanced diet can improve mood and overall well-being. 

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As the world has changed drastically since the start of the pandemic, it may well be your diet has too. But does the food you eat really affect your mental wellbeing? We asked the experts.

By eating regularly, you will keep your blood sugar levels consistent. So why is this a good thing? When blood sugar drops, it leads to tiredness and irritability, and inconsistent blood-sugar levels have even been linked to mood disorders including depression and anxiety. If your blood sugar spikes, this will be followed by a dip and you'll be hit by these issues. So eating erratically might be doing more harm than just leaving you with a rumbly tummy.

Nutritionist Sonal Shah explains, "If you get hungry often in the day and this affects your mood, concentration and energy levels, then eating at regular intervals is important. Eating every three to four hours is fine to prevent one's energy levels dropping as a result of blood-sugar levels dipping".

But the Nutritionist Resource member warns this doesn't mean you should eat all the time: "It's not ideal to continuously snack on foods throughout the day, as this grazing doesn't allow the appetite and insulin hormones to regulate optimally".

Drink plenty of fluids

Dehydration can impact your mental wellbeing by making it harder for you to think clearly and focus .

Shah says: "Dehydration is seen by the body as a stressor, leading to symptoms of low energy, poor focus, confusion and irritation. The brain cells require water just as the body does, and this explains why individuals who are dehydrated are more susceptible to mental stress. Water helps blood flow, so if there isn't enough water to help clear the toxins out of the body, this leaves one feeling weak.

"Dehydration can also lead to cravings for unhealthy food like crisps, and refined carbohydrates and drinks containing alcohol and caffeine, which have diuretic effects on the body. Alcohol reduces cognitive function by dehydrating the body as it requires water to expel the alcohol from the bloodstream and this leads to the hangover symptoms the next morning. Fizzy drinks containing sugar may give a quick energy high, which mentally alerts you, but this is followed by sugar dip which leads to an energy low and mental tiredness".

Felice Jacka, Professor of Nutritional Psychiatry and Director of the Food & Mood Centre at Deakin University, focuses on links between diet, gut health and mental and brain health.

She explains: "Extensive and consistent research tells us that healthier diets protect against depression. Given that depression is the leading cause of global disability, this is critical to understand.

"Indeed, these links are seen after taking into account important factors that can affect both diet and mental health, such as education and income, other health behaviours and body weight. More recently, evidence from randomised controlled trials tells us that helping people with depression to improve the quality of their diets can have a substantial benefit to their mental health and functioning. In these trials, the diet that had the major benefit was one designed to mimic a traditional Mediterranean diet, high in wholegrains, vegetables, fruits, fish and olive oil."

Shah adds: "A balanced diet feeds the brain, providing it with the nutrients it needs to support a positive mood, and improve signalling pathways between brain cells for optimal brain function. The nutrients required to support a healthy mind and brain are so vast and it's important to consume a varied diet and supplement nutrients that are low or missing in the diet."

Try to avoid junk food when you're tired

Recent science tells us there's a reason why we're tempted by those high-carb, sugar and fat products when we're tired. If this is a short-term problem or one off, it's not likely to cause issues in the long term, but if it's ongoing it can become a chicken-and-egg situation.

"Certain foods can impact digestion and make you feel unwell, and this is intricately related to mood", says Shah. She continues: "An example is feeling uncomfortably bloated, which leads to sluggish feelings accompanied by a brain fog, and this then impairs mental clarity. It swings both ways, so if you feel tired, with this low mental focus, anxiety, irritation and mood, you may reach for refined foods low in vitamins and minerals, which give you a quick high that is short lived."

The same applies to comfort eating when stressed. "Comfort eating is emotional eating, and the triggers and reasons for it vary from individual to individual.... Food shouldn't be used as a way to control emotions. Habits and eating behaviours take time to address, and I would recommend working with therapists to establish the reasons for them and heal them", continues Shah.

While there is a relationship between regular consumption of processed food and low mood , it's hard to distinguish between cause and effect.

"Foods and drinks with added sugars, such as soft drinks, are very problematic to health. Many studies from around the world show that diets high in these types of foods - as well as those with added fats, salt and highly-processed flours - are linked to worse mental health as well as obesity, heart disease, diabetes and other conditions", says Jacka.

Professor Jacka goes further: "In animal studies, sugar and 'western diets' lead to problems in both behaviour and cognition, at least partly through a detrimental impact on a part of the brain called the hippocampus. We've also shown that unhealthy diets are closely linked to a smaller hippocampus in humans, while a healthy diet is linked to a larger hippocampus. The hippocampus is a key part of the brain involved in learning and memory, as well as mental health, so this has important implications for people from childhood through to old age."

Shah adds: "To break away from a processed food diet involves changing the taste buds so they become less tickled by junk food and begin to crave healthier foods.... So it's a change of lifestyle and looking deeper into why the person is reaching for a certain food in the first place. Ask yourself: Is it work stress, anxiety, depression or lack of motivation?"

There has been a lot of scientific focus on the role of the gut in fighting depression in recent years. A good diet, particularly one that is diverse and high in plants and seeds, has been linked to reduced levels of depression in a number of studies. Conversely, a diet low in variety and fibre has been linked to a greater risk of depression. "The link between food and mood has been confirmed by recent randomised clinical trials in humans", writes Tim Spector, Professor of Genetic Epidemiology at King's College London, in his book .

"There is a huge amount of effort going into research in this field around the world now", says Professor Jacka. "Diet is one of the most important factors affecting the health of the gut and its bacteria (and it does this very quickly), whilst we also now know that the gut bacteria (microbiota) play a critical role in the health of our immune system, our metabolism, our gene expression, and our mental and brain health."

Avoid binge drinking

One way we know that the gut is dramatically affected is through heavy drinking. "Excessive (binge) drinking appears to damage the lining of the gut, which can promote inflammation. Inflammation, in turn, increases the risk of a host of diseases, including depression."

Can you improve your mental health by eating better?

Professor Jacka describes her work in treating people with depression through diet and lifestyle changes. "In our SMILES trial , which was the first randomised controlled trial of dietary improvement for people with moderate to severe clinical depression, we showed very large benefits to depressive illness of adopting a Mediterranean-style diet over a three-month period. We also showed that the more people improved their diets, the more their depression improved.

"We are now doing a lot of work to support changes to the healthcare system in Australia to ensure that people with depression have access to support to improve their health behaviours - particularly diet and exercise - as a fundamental part of their treatment."

Should you make changes to your diet if you're concerned about your mental health? "Seek a therapist to help with mental health, working alongside a nutritional therapist who can slowly help you transform your diet, educate you on why a balanced diet is important and unpeel areas of concern", says Shah. "Changes to a diet cannot be made if the individual doesn't have the mind-set or motivation to implement them step by step. Keeping a journal helps, as some days an individual may feel more motivated than other days, and logging this alongside a food diary can heighten awareness of areas that need to be worked on", she concludes.
If you are concerned about your mental health, help and support is available .

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How diet can affect your mental wellbeing

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You probably imagined 2020 panning out very differently. And as the world has drastically changed - it may well be that your diet has too. But could the food you eat help or hinder you emotionally as well as physically? We asked the experts about how diet impacts mental wellbeing.

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Free mental health resources play a vital role in promoting mental well-being, reducing barriers to seeking help, fostering a sense of community, and empowering individuals to prioritize and care for their mental health without financial constraints.

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Free mental health resources play a vital role in promoting mental well-being, reducing barriers to seeking help, fostering a sense of community, and empowering individuals to prioritize and care for their mental health without financial constraints.

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Self-care, which includes activities that support emotional, psychological, physical, and social well-being, is crucial for preserving mental health.

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Self-care, which includes activities that support emotional, psychological, physical, and social well-being, is crucial for preserving mental health.

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Summary

how does my mental health affect my physical health

what can I do to help myself

Physical health problems significantly increase our risk of developing mental health problems, and vice versa.

Nearly one in three people with a long-term physical health condition also has a mental health problem, most often depression or anxiety.

How does my mental health affect my physical health?

Research shows that people with a mental health problem are more likely to have a preventable physical health condition such as heart disease.

This can be for a variety of reasons, including:

genetics - the genes that make it more likely that you will develop a mental health problem may also play a part in physical health problems

low motivation - some mental health problems or medications can affect your energy or motivation to take care of yourself

difficulty with concentration and planning - you may find it hard to arrange or attend medical appointments if your mental health problem affects your concentration

lack of support to change unhealthy behaviour - healthcare professionals may assume you're not capable of making changes, so won't offer any support to cut down on drinking or give up smoking, for example

being less likely to receive medical help - healthcare professionals may assume your physical symptoms are part of your mental illness and not investigate them further. People with a mental illness are less likely to receive routine checks (like blood pressure, weight and cholesterol) that might detect symptoms of physical health conditions earlier.

As well as this, mental health problems can come with physical symptoms. Our bodies and minds are not separate, so it's not surprising that mental ill health can affect your body. Depression can come with headaches, fatigue and digestive problems, and anxiety can create an upset stomach, for example. Other symptoms can include insomnia, restlessness and difficulty concentrating.

What can I do to help myself?

Having a mental health problem doesn't mean it's inevitable that you will develop a physical health problem. There are things you can do to give yourself the best chance of staying physically well.

Exercise

Physical activity is a great way to keep you physically healthy as well as improving your mental wellbeing. Research shows that doing exercise releases feel-good chemicals called endorphins in the brain. Even a short burst of 10 minutes brisk walking can improve your mental alertness, energy and mood.

Whether you're tending your garden or running a marathon, exercise can significantly improve your quality of life. Finding an activity you enjoy can make you feel less stressed, more focused, and give you a sense of purpose. For more tips on ways to get started, read our guide on how to look after your mental health using exercise.

Eat well

Eating well can improve your wellbeing and your mood. A balanced diet is one that includes healthy amounts of proteins, essential fats, complex carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals and water. The food we eat can influence the development, management and prevention of numerous mental health conditions including depression and dementia.

Stop smoking

Smoking has a negative impact on both mental and physical health. Many people with mental health problems believe that smoking relieves their symptoms, but these effects are only short-term. It's never too late to quit, and there is now a lot of support available to help you give up.

Make an appointment with your GP

If you're worried about your physical health, or you've been invited for a routine check or screening, make an appointment to see your GP. Waiting times will be different at different GP surgeries: ask for an emergency appointment if you need to see someone urgently.

If you find it hard to talk to healthcare professionals or are worried you won't be listened to, you could bring someone to help you assert yourself. This could be a friend, relative or professional advocate. Mind has more information on finding an advocate.

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How your mental health affects your physical health, and what you can do to help yourself.

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The effects of exercise on mental illness

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Food for thought: Mental health and nutrition briefing

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Food for thought: Mental health and nutrition briefing

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How diet and mental health are linked, what you should eat, sharing meals with other people, and eating disorders.

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We all have good days and bad days; we all have foods we like more, or like less. But is there a connection between feeling fine and the foods we have eaten? Do some foods make us feel grumpy? Is it possible to plan a diet for a good mood?
Vitamins and minerals

When you don't eat enough nutrient-rich foods, your body may lack vital vitamins and minerals, which may affect your energy, mood and brain function. The table below shows how not getting enough of some vitamins/minerals can affect your mood, and what you can eat to replenish your body.

You should aim to get your vitamins and minerals from eating a healthy, balanced diet with plenty of fruit and vegetables.

In certain circumstances or for certain people, supplements may be beneficial e.g. folic acid for all women planning pregnancy; iron supplements for people diagnosed with anaemia; vitamin B12 for vegans and older adults, and vitamin D for everyone in winter months, and all pregnant and breastfeeding women, older adults, and people with dark skin.

Carbohydrate = Glucose = Brain Power

To be able to concentrate and focus your brain needs enough energy, which comes from blood glucose. In fact, the brain uses 20 per cent of all the energy your body needs.

Glucose is also vital to fuel muscles and maintain body temperature. The glucose in our blood comes from the carbohydrates we eat - including fruit, vegetables, cereals, bread, rice, potatoes, sugars and lactose in milk.

Eating breakfast and regular meals containing some carbohydrate helps you have enough glucose in your blood.

Healthier sources of carbohydrates include wholegrains, vegetables, fruits, legumes and lower fat dairy foods. These are important sources of other nutrients as well, such as calcium and B vitamins.

Not having enough glucose in your blood (hypoglycaemia) can make you feel weak, tired and 'fuzzy minded'. This may happen when you don't eat enough carbohydrate-containing food, and is a particular risk if you have diabetes or do extreme exercise or manual labour. It can also happen if you follow a very restrictive diet or have irregular eating patterns.

Although glucose ensures good concentration and focus, once your blood glucose is within the normal range, you cannot further boost your brain power or concentration by increasing your glucose levels. If you are eating some carbohydrate foods, additional sugary 'energy' drinks are not needed and not helpful.

Comfort eating

There is a messenger chemical in the brain called serotonin, which improves mood and how we feel. Serotonin is made with a part of protein from the diet (tryptophan), and eating carbohydrate-rich foods may help more of this get into your brain.

This suggestion has been used to explain 'carbohydrate craving' - eating sweet, comfort foods to boost mood. There is not enough research to show that eating lots of protein foods containing tryptophan or eating a lot of carbohydrates can really support mood improvement in humans. But it may be that not eating enough carbohydrate (for example through a high protein/high fat diet) leads to low moods.

You also may have heard the idea that eating chocolate can make you feel happier, and there are observations that people feeling down are more likely to eat chocolate. This is probably because chocolate is a well-known reward and comfort food, rather than due to any potent physiological effects particular to cocoa.

Caffeine and the 'drug-effect'

Caffeine, found in coffee, cola and energy drinks, is often called a drug: it acts as a stimulant and can increase feelings of alertness, and counter the effects of fatigue. However it may be that some of the effects of caffeine actually 'normalise' the lower levels of alertness felt by regular users who have not consumed enough caffeine that day.

Too much caffeine, particularly in people who are not used to it, may cause the adverse effects of irritability and headache. Such symptoms also occur with caffeine withdrawal in people used to lots of caffeine on a regular basis.

Vitamins and minerals - effect on mood and what foods can help

Iron

Not getting enough iron results in low levels of oxygen carrying haemoglobin in the blood, resulting in the condition anaemia.

Feeling weak, tired and lethargic all the time.

The risk of anaemia is reduced by eating enough iron, particularly from red meat, poultry and fish, beans and pulses, fortified cereals. Avoid drinking tea with meals.

Thiamin B1, Niacin B3 or Cobalamin B12 (all B vitamins)

Tiredness and feeling depressed or irritable.

Fortified foods including wholegrain cereals, animal protein foods such as meat, fish, eggs and dairy.

Increased chance of feeling depressed, particularly important in older people.

Folate is found in liver, green vegetables, oranges and other citrus fruits, beans and fortified foods such as yeast extract (marmite) and fortified breakfast cereals.

May increase the incidence of feeling depressed and other negative mood states.

Brazil nuts, meat, fish, seeds and wholemeal bread.

The gut-brain axis

There is some current interest in links between mood and the gut microbiome (the trillions of bacteria resident in the human colon). Consistent research outcomes are needed before any valid claims can be made about this.

Omega-3 fats

Long chain omega-3 fats (found in fatty fish) support the development of the foetus during pregnancy, particularly the brain. Some research suggests that diets containing omega-3 fats may help to reduce low mood states in adults.

So does food affect mood?

There are many ways that foods can affect how we feel, just as how we feel has an influence on what foods we choose. Some of the mood/food effects are due to nutrient content, but a lot of effects are due to existing associations of foods with pleasure and reward (chocolate) or diet and deprivation (plain foods).

Some foods also have religious, economic and cultural significance, which will influence how we feel when eating them.

Summary

Feeling good comes from a diet that has enough healthy choice carbohydrate at regular times to keep blood glucose levels stable, and eating breakfast is a sensible habit.

Diets should also contain a wide variety of protein and vitamin and mineral-containing foods to support the body's functions.

As a rule, plenty of fruits and vegetables and wholegrain cereal foods, with some protein foods, including oily fish, will support a good supply of nutrients for both good health and good mood.

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Is it possible to plan a diet for a good mood? This fact sheet includes healthy eating tips to improve your mental wellbeing.

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Being healthy on a budget doesn't have to be hard. Try our easy recipes that are rich in nutritious ingredients and great flavour.

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The ability to reflect upon one's own emotions has been shown to contribute to better mental health.5 This suggests that paying attention to the emotions that we experience will benefit our well-being in the long term. People generally want to feel good and they aspire to maintain such pleasant feelings.6 Being aware of what emotions we are currently experiencing can motivate us to repress negative emotions. Robust evidence indicates that experiencing positive emotions is associated with greater resilience in times of stress.7 Therefore, following the recommendations will help us cope with negative and savor positive emotions. This will help us achieve a healthy mental state and well-being.

Tips and recommendations
1) Practice emotion regulation using the following tips:

A simple smile can enhance positive emotional experiences and help us cope with negative experiences. Research has shown that smiling when feeling low can also speed cardiovascular recovery after experiencing negative emotions for a prolonged period of time.8

Live in the here and now: bringing our attention to the present allows us to be in control of our thoughts and emotions that we experience. This requires us to pause that helps us consider the blessings in our lives. Such personal reflection can enhance our feelings of gratitude9 that in turn, increases our positive emotional experiences.

2) Find positive meaning in negative events : trying to find positive meaning negative events can produce positive emotions and help us reduce stress. This can be achieved through the following ways:10

Positive reappraisal: re-evaluate a negative event by drawing on positive emotions. This will help us find value in what has happened.

Problem-focused coping: invest our energy into solving or managing the cause of distress.

Reinterpreting ordinary events with positive meaning: create a positive event in response to a negative event or reinterpret the event in a positive manner.

Such positive affect was found to be associated with many desirable outcomes including problem solving, longevity and reduced likelihood of dementia.4 Therefore, improving our empathy skills using various evidence-based techniques can support our well-being and overall mental health.

Tips and recommendations

The following empathy-focused tips can help us cultivate empathy and engage in empathetic happiness.5

Focus on self empathy: it is necessary to listen to our inner mental experiences and pay full attention to the sensations in the body. By regulating our attention to the present, we can observe our inner mental and physical events. Noticing and accepting the emotions (both positive and negative) that we experience can contribute to becoming more compassionate towards others.6

Accept others by who they are: we can focus more on positive characteristics in others by recognizing our inner thoughts, feelings and judgments. Let's distance ourselves from any negative thoughts and accept others by who they are. This is the beauty of human kind.

Focus on accurate listening: we can achieve a broader awareness and openness to new insights just by listening to others. Accurate listening skills allow us to absorb the thoughts, feelings and personal meaning that every person possesses. This leads to a greater feeling of connectedness.7

Engage in perspective taking: we have to understand that everyone has a different story to share. It is always healthy to engage in perspective taking and look at the world through the other person's eyes.

Humour can help us downregulate our negative emotions derived from negative and stressful events. Seeming that increased levels of stress can entail serious mental and physical health issues,4 applying humour in stressful situations can be an effective coping strategy to deal with stress. Finding the humour in life can boost our well-being and prevent us from negative health outcomes caused by prolonged stress.

Tips and recommendations

The following tips can help you find humour in life.5 It is all about practice and accepting that everyone has a unique sense of humour.

Surround yourself with humour: let's immerse in humour when the opportunity arises and when it is appropriate. This includes exposing yourself to something that you particularly find funny.

Cultivate a playful attitude within yourself: every great comedian has a playful attitude towards life. In fact, humour is a form of mental play which means. playing with ideas. This derives joy and fun. You can find a foundation of your sense of humour that is personal to you by cultivating a playful attitude within yourself.

Laugh more often (laugh it out): don't be afraid to express your emotions. Many of the health benefits come from the physical act of laughter.

Express your sense of humour: accept that everyone has a different and unique sense of humour. In that respect, don't be afraid to express your sense of humour. It does not necessarily have to involve memorizing and telling jokes. Just express yourself and your natural sense of humour.

Look for humour in everyday life: look on the bright side of life with humour. Humour is effective in managing stress. There are multiple opportunities for humour every day that we do not necessarily have to see. Let's be open minded and attentive to these opportunities.

Laugh at yourself: don't be afraid to make fun of yourself in a light-hearted way. Thi requires realizing that everyone makes embarrassing mistakes. As a consequence, it will allow you to stop taking yourself too seriously. The best way to turn a negative event into a positive is to laugh about it.

Pay attention to your emotions.

Identify triggers and coping mechanisms.

References

Acknowledge the purpose of emotions

1. Johnston, V. S. (1999). Why we feel: The science of human emotions. Perseus Publishing.

2. Sindik, J. (2002). Negative motivation could also be the best motivation. In Proceedings Book, 3rd International scientific conference "Kinesiology New Perspectives", Opatija (pp. 785-788).

3. Matthews, G., & Campbell, S. E. (2009). Sustained performance under overload: personality and individual differences in stress and coping. Theoretical Issues in Ergonomics Science, 10(5), 417-442.

4. Vaughn, L. (2019). Psychology and culture: Thinking, feeling and behaving in a global context. Routledge.

5. Rieffe, C., & De Rooij, M. (2012). The longitudinal relationship between emotion awareness and internalising symptoms during late childhood. European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 21(6), 349-356.

6. Tugade, M. M., & Fredrickson, B. L. (2007). Regulation of positive emotions: Emotion regulation strategies that promote resilience. Journal of happiness studies, 8(3), 311-333.

7. Tugade, M. M., & Fredrickson, B. L. (2007). Regulation of positive emotions: Emotion regulation strategies that promote resilience. Journal of happiness studies, 8(3), 311-333.

8. Fredrickson, B., & Levenson, R. W. (1998). Positive emotions speed recovery from the cardiovascular sequelae of negative emotions. Cognition & emotion, 12(2), 191-220.

9. Emmons, R.A, & McCullough, M. E. (2003). Counting blessings versus burdens: An experimental investigation of gratitude and subjective well-being in daily life. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 84, 377-389.

10. Folkman, S., & Moskowitz, J. T. (2000). Positive affect and the other side of coping. American psychologist, 55(6), 647

Build empathy

1. Wei, M., Liao, K. Y. H., Ku, T. Y., & Shaffer, P. A. (2011). Attachment, self‐compassion, empathy, and subjective well‐being among college students and community adults. Journal of personality, 79(1), 191-221.

2. Tkach, C. T. (2006). Unlocking the treasury of human kindness: Enduring im- provements in mood, happiness, and self-evaluations (Doctoral dissertation, University of California, Riverside, 2006). Dissertation Abstracts International, 67, 603.

3. Wei, M., Liao, K. Y. H., Ku, T. Y., & Shaffer, P. A. (2011). Attachment, self‐compassion, empathy, and subjective well‐being among college students and community adults. Journal of personality, 79(1), 191-221.

4. Surguladze, S., & Bergen-Cico, D. (2020). Empathy in a broader context: development, mechanisms, remediation. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 11.

5. Niezink, L., & Rutsch, E. (2013). Empathy Circles: An instrument to practice empathy.

6. Neff, K. D. (2011). Self‐compassion, self‐esteem, and well‐being. Social and personality psychology compass, 5(1), 1-12.

7. Long, E. C. J., Angera, J. J., Carter, S. J., Nakamoto, M., & Kalso, M. (1999). Understanding the one you love: A longitudinal assessment of an empathy training program for couples in romantic relationships. Family Relations, 48, 235-348.

Embrace joy and humour

1. Tagalidou, N., Loderer, V., Distlberger, E., & Laireiter, A. R. (2018). Feasibility of a humor training to promote humor and decrease stress in a subclinical sample: A single-arm pilot study. Frontiers in Psychology, 9, 577.

2. Newman, M. G., & Stone, A. A. (1996). Does humor moderate the effects of experimentally-induced stress?. Annals of behavioral medicine, 18(2), 101-109.

3. Ziv, A. (1988). Humor's role in married life. Humor: International Journal of Humor Research.

4. Wiegner, L., Hange, D., Björkelund, C., & Ahlborg, G. (2015). Prevalence of perceived stress and associations to symptoms of exhaustion, depression and anxiety in a working age population seeking primary care-an observational study. BMC family practice, 16(1), 1-8.

5. Ruch, W. F., Hofmann, J., Rusch, S., & Stolz, H. (2018). Training the sense of humor with the 7 Humor Habits Program and satisfaction with life. Humor, 31(2), 287-309.

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National Institute of Mental Health, Czech Republic

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The ability to reflect upon one's own emotions has been shown to contribute to better mental health.5 This suggests that paying attention to the emotions that we experience will benefit our well-being in the long term.

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Calm is the #1 app for sleep and meditation. Join the millions experiencing better sleep, lower stress, and less anxiety.

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Today, the idea of self-care is considered an important part of maintaining positive physical and mental health, but given the popularity of the term, its real practical applications can sometimes get lost.

In this article, we'll outline exactly what self-care is, the impact it can have on your general health and wellbeing, and suggest some effective self-care tips that anyone can use.

What is Self-Care?

The World Health Organisation (WHO) defines self-care as:

"The ability of individuals, families and communities to promote health, prevent disease, maintain health, and to cope with illness and disability with or without the support of a healthcare provider".

The ultimate goal of self-care is to maintain healthy mental and physical illness, achieved by engaging in various activities that are geared towards that goal.

Self-care is an umbrella term for engaging in all kinds of things that impact our health in a positive way - emotionally, physically, socially and spiritually.

Self-care includes focusing on things like your:

Hygiene and health

Lifestyle (including sports and leisure activities)

Professional life

Personal relationships

Environment (including your living conditions, both personally and in your community)

Socioeconomic circumstances (including your personal income)

Why is Self-Care Important? Benefits of Self-Care

Self-care can sometimes be dismissed as a luxury, or something you can only engage in when you have the time. However, we can all go through daily challenges in our lives, increasing our stress levels or leaving us feeling anxious or unhappy. Self-care is designed to reduce the impact of negative emotions like anxiety, stress, anger and sadness, and help us to maintain balance in our lives. It also helps us to develop a sense of purpose and belonging, motivating us to achieve life goals and generally improve our quality of life.

It can also be very powerful for people suffering with mental health conditions. Self-care might be used to help:

Recover from a mental health disorder, such as depression or an anxiety disorder

Manage symptoms while you are undergoing treatment for mental health.

Self-care also has a physical health element too. Physical activities, like exercising, eating healthily and sleeping well are also forms of self-care that have positive long-term effects on both our physical and mental health.

Types of Self-Care

There are many different types of self-care, which can each focus on different types of activities. Depending on you as an individual, and any difficulties you're currently facing, you might need to focus more on certain types of self-care than others.

Mental self-care

Mental self-care is all about fine-tuning your brain and helping your mind to stay healthy. Keeping our minds sharp is vital to things like our performance at work and making good decisions. It might also contribute to good brain health in the long-term.

Mental self-care can also relate to maintaining a healthy inner dialogue with ourselves. Building a positive mind set and working on your self-esteem are things you can work on as part of mental self-care.

Physical self-care

Your body and your mind are interconnected. Spending time focusing on keeping them both healthy is an important aspect of a holistic self-care routine. They often interplay with one another too, as keeping your body fit and healthy will lead to you feeling happier and less stressed.

Physical self-care also relates to how you're caring for your body's physical health. Eating a healthy, nutritious diet, sleeping well and attending any necessary doctor's appointments are all aspects of physical self-care too.

Emotional self-care

Emotions such as anger, anxiety, stress, sadness and grief are all natural responses to things that are going in your life. Emotional self-care can help you to process, accept and deal with these emotions in an effective and healthy way.

Emotional self-care could be physical or creative in nature, or it could be something as simple as chatting with a friend - anything that helps you to connect with your feelings.

Spiritual self-care

Spiritual self-care refers to your spirit, or the idea of something bigger than yourself. Spirituality, which is defined by the idea that there is more to world that what we see and feel in the physical world, is often associated with religion. However, faith isn't required to adopt spiritual self-care practices. Anything that helps you to develop a deeper understanding or connection with what's around you counts as spiritual self-care.

For people undergoing treatment for addiction, spirituality can play a significant role. Fellowship groups, where likeminded people share their experiences of battling addiction, often strong elements of spirituality.

Social self-care

Humans are social beings. Harvard's famous study of adult development, which has now been running for over 80 years, suggests that we're happier and healthier when we have strong social connections. Establishing and maintaining those connections is exactly what social self-care is all about.

Everyone's different, so take some time to work how much time you should dedicate to developing the relationships you have with family, friends and colleagues.

Other types of self-care

The above are widely considered to be the five core types of self-care, but there is no absolute set list. Many other types of self-care exist, with plenty of overlap between them. You might also come across:

Practical self-care: anything that helps you organise or achieve something within an important aspect of your life e.g. engaging in personal development

Personal self-care: taking some time to work on yourself, your contentment and your life goals e.g. having a solo spa day

Space self-care: fostering greater confidence and happiness in the space around you, ranging from your home environment to your community e.g. cleaning your home

Financial self-care: working to make you more confident in you or your family's financial situation e.g. budgeting for the month

Work self-care: setting out to achieve something in your professional career e.g. getting a new job

Intellectual self-care: cultivating a healthy mind-set and satisfying your inner curiosity e.g. learning to play an instrument

Self-Care Tips

Need more inspiration? Here's a whole host of ideas and activities you can do, that cover the entire self-care spectrum:

Organise your wardrobe

Go for a walk at lunch

Learn a new skill that will help you in your job

Sign up to the gym

Organise a reunion with an old friend

Book in some time for self-reflection

Offer to walk someone's dog when they need it

Have a clear out of old clothes, books and other things you don't need

Drink an extra glass of water a day

Start going to yoga classes

Find a better deal on your car insurance

Bring your bedtime back an hour

Offer to do some gardening or shopping for your neighbour

Re-decorate a room in your house

Join a new sports team

For more information about the mental health services that Priory offer, download our brochure.

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Today, the idea of self-care is considered an important part of maintaining positive physical and mental health, but given the popularity of the term, its real practical applications can sometimes get lost. In this article, we'll outline exactly what self-care is, the impact it can have on your general health and wellbeing, and suggest some effective self-care tips that anyone can use.

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A suicide prevention resource for the UK, packed full of useful information and tools to help you stay safe in crisis. You can use it if you are having thoughts of suicide or if you are concerned about someone else who may be considering suicide.

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A suicide prevention resource for the UK, packed full of useful information and tools to help you stay safe in crisis. You can use it if you are having thoughts of suicide or if you are concerned about someone else who may be considering suicide.

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Evidence suggests there are 5 steps you can take to improve your mental health and wellbeing. Trying these things could help you feel more positive and able to get the most out of life.
1. Connect with other people

Good relationships are important for your mental wellbeing. They can:

help you to build a sense of belonging and self-worth

give you an opportunity to share positive experiences

provide emotional support and allow you to support others

There are lots of things you could try to help build stronger and closer relationships:

2. Be physically active

Being active is not only great for your physical health and fitness. Evidence also shows it can also improve your mental wellbeing by:

raising your self-esteem

helping you to set goals or challenges and achieve them

causing chemical changes in your brain which can help to positively change your mood

Read about exercise guidelines and workouts to help improve your fitness and wellbeing

3. Learn new skills

Research shows that learning new skills can also improve your mental wellbeing by:

boosting self-confidence and raising self-esteem

helping you to build a sense of purpose

helping you to connect with others

Even if you feel like you do not have enough time, or you may not need to learn new things, there are lots of different ways to bring learning into your life.

Some of the things you could try include:

4. Give to others

Research suggests that acts of giving and kindness can help improve your mental wellbeing by:

creating positive feelings and a sense of reward

giving you a feeling of purpose and self-worth

helping you connect with other people

It could be small acts of kindness towards other people, or larger ones like volunteering in your local community.

Some examples of the things you could try include:

saying thank you to someone for something they have done for you

asking friends, family or colleagues how they are and really listening to their answer

spending time with friends or relatives who need support or company

offering to help someone you know with DIY or a work project

volunteering in your community, such as helping at a school, hospital or care home

5. Pay attention to the present moment (mindfulness)

Paying more attention to the present moment can improve your mental wellbeing. This includes your thoughts and feelings, your body and the world around you.

Some people call this awareness "mindfulness". Mindfulness can help you enjoy life more and understand yourself better. It can positively change the way you feel about life and how you approach challenges.

Read more about mindfulness, including steps you can take to be more mindful in your everyday life.

Further information

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Read about 5 steps you can take to improve your mental health and wellbeing.

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On this page you can listen to a series of mental wellbeing audio guides to help you boost your mood.

You can listen to them privately, in your own time, to help you through feelings such as anxiety or a low mood.

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Listen to a series of mental wellbeing audio guides to help you through feelings such as anxiety or a low mood.