The Importance Of A Mental Reset | Disabled Person
Why a Mental Reset Is Important When You’re Feeling Mentally Overwhelmed
People across the globe are experiencing a significant
amount of mental strain in 2021. The economic, social, and logistical pressures
exerted by the Covid-19 pandemic can quickly compound day-to-day stresses.
Leaving even the most organized individuals feeling as though they are mentally overwhelmed. For those with disabilities, the challenges are even greater.
According to many of the world’s leading experts, the ‘new
normal’ brought about by the pandemic is here to stay. As stressful as this may
be, change is an inevitable and necessary part of life, and it can be a
positive thing in many cases. Changes push us out of our comfort zones,
encourage growth and evolution, and teach us valuable skills and lessons that we
can use to our advantage in the future. However, change can also leave us
feeling mentally, physically, and emotionally drained—and in these cases, a
mental reset may be necessary.
According to Dr.
Michael Roizen, Medical Director of the Cleveland Clinic Wellness
Institute and four-time #1 New York Times best-selling author of RealAge and
the YOU series, a psychological reset
is indeed possible if you have the right tools at your disposal. Here are
Roizen’s science-backed tips for providing yourself with a mental reset so that
you can tackle the future with a clear mind and an eager disposition.
7 Tips and Tools for
Achieving a Mental Reset
1. Team Up with a
Dedicated Friend
Dr. Roizen recommends teaming up with a friend in a buddy
system of sorts to get your mental reset started. This buddy can be a friend,
spouse, family member, sibling, or even a coach. But it shouldn’t be a co-worker.
This buddy should be able to instill a sense of
accountability in you and keep you on track towards your goals. You may even
take on the habits of the friend you choose, so ensure that they have the right
mental health approaches in place to inspire you to do better.
The emotional and social support that a close friend
provides has been proven to improve your sleep, lower your blood pressure, and
even help you to beat addictions. Furthermore, people who have a support person
alongside them also enjoy greater longevity.
According to Dr. Roizen, research shows that teaming up
increases your oxytocin levels—the feel-good chemical responsible for feelings
of intimacy, passion, and community.
2. Optimize Your Diet
A healthy body promotes a healthy mind, and you can’t
maintain a healthy body without a health-promoting diet. Certain processed and
refined foods alter proteins and fat and sugar metabolism, promoting heart
disease, obesity, diabetes, and cancer. These unhealthy foods also play a role
in the development of cognitive disorders like ADHD, depression, anxiety, and
Alzheimer’s disease.
People who eat more unhealthy fast foods report a higher incidence of mental health issues,
while those who eat whole food diets, including complex carbohydrates, healthy
fats, proteins, vitamins, and minerals tend to enjoy balanced moods, lower
stress levels, better energy levels, and long-lasting feelings of wellness.
3. Stay Active
When you remain active and maintain a healthy weight, you
reduce your risk of developing lifestyle diseases like heart disease and type
II diabetes. Starting an exercise program provides a mental reset by keeping
your body in good shape and distracting you from unhealthy habits. Even if
you’re in a wheelchair or use a mobility aid, there are plenty of exercise
options available.
Simple exercises like walking and swimming also reduce
insulin resistance and mitigate your risk of heart disease, stroke, certain
cancers, kidney and liver disease, and sexual dysfunction. The psychological
benefits are just as pronounced. Exercise boosts brain-derived neurotrophic
factor (BDNF) which promotes the longevity of neurons and promotes neural
plasticity. Especially in areas of the brain associated with memory, reasoning,
and learning.
Exercise can even significantly boost your mood and
self-esteem while lowering depression, anxiety, and stress levels. Studies have
shown that exercise could be just as effective as certain prescription
medications for treating depression!
4. Break Unhealthy
Addictions
Substances like alcohol, cigarettes, caffeine, and fast
foods can quickly create additions that are difficult to break and cause
lasting trauma to your body. Breaking these addictions can provide a mental reset
and assist you in gaining control over your psychological state once again.
Dr. Roizen notes that even if you have a genetic tendency
towards addiction, the choice to become addicted or to break that addiction is
still up to you. Ask for support, show yourself compassion, and create a
network of accountability to break dependencies and regain your power and
energy.
5. Reduce the Stress in Your Life
. Reduce the Stress in Your Life
Stress affects your body and your mind adversely in a myriad
of different ways. Each of us has a different definition of stress and reacts
differently to varying stressors. The levels of stress in your life are largely
dictated by how you interpret and react to events, and whether or not you deem
them to be stressful.
If you do have a lot
of stress in your life, you’re at risk of experiencing a vast array of health
issues, from heart disease, stroke, type II diabetes, autoimmune conditions,
and cancer to mental health conditions like depression and anxiety.
If you want to reduce the effect that stress has on your
life and provide yourself with a mental reset, you need to find healthy and
constructive ways to cope with stressors.
These coping mechanisms could be anything from exercising,
playing a game, gardening, meditating, walking the dog, or creating
a piece of art. However, you do it, de-stressing releases feel-good dopamine in
your brain, which improves your ability to cope with life’s challenges, boosts
your mood, and enhances your quality of life.
Staying Healthy
Starts With A Reset
Resetting your mental state is crucial to maintaining a
positive outlook and a healthy body and mind, especially during times of
stress. Thankfully, mental resets are simple enough to achieve with the right
approach.
Focus on staying social, getting plenty of physical
activity, eating well, breaking harmful addictions, and reducing sources of
stress in your life. If you do so, you will find it significantly easier to
cope when you feel like you’re mentally exhausted.