With Mental Health Awareness month in May, it’s a good time to consider practices that support our mental health and wellbeing. Whether it’s mood boosting physical activities, functional foods and nutrition that support the gut-brain axis, or stress-relief techniques, caring for our mental health can not only help alleviate stress from daily life, but also may lower our risk of disease and boost our energy levels.[i] Read on for five practices that can help support your mental health.
- Make exercise part of your routine. Physical activity works wonders for mental health. Maintaining at least 150 minutes of aerobic exercise per week has many benefits, including increased endorphins, reduced depression and anxiety, improved cognitive function, and can protect against elevated blood pressure, obesity and even dementia. Consistent exercise routines also improve sleep quality. Inversely, poor sleep has a negative impact on mood, cognitive function and metabolism.[ii] Those 150 minutes can be broken up throughout the week into as small as 5-minute intervals. Consider taking brisk walks during lunch breaks or building walking into your commute. Recreational social activities like tennis, hiking or basketball, or individual activities like swimming, yoga or bicycling, are all great ways to add in moderate intensity exercise throughout the week.[iii]
- Support a healthy gut with probiotic and prebiotic foods. The gut-brain axis connects our central and enteric nervous systems, linking the health of our digestive tract with the health of our brains. Foods that support the gut and the microbiota that live there can, in turn, improve our mental health. Probiotic foods contain beneficial live bacteria cultures that help establish and replenish the population of healthy bacteria in the gut. Probiotic foods include fermented foods such as yogurt, kefir, kombucha, sauerkraut and kimchi. Just remember that cooking probiotic ingredients will kill the cultures, so these are better to enjoy raw. Prebiotic foods contain fiber that is an important source of food for the healthy bacteria in our gut. As our bacteria break down the fiber, they produce compounds that help keep the gut healthy. Prebiotic fiber is found in plant-based foods such as whole grains, fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts and seeds.
- Consume a diet rich in magnesium and vitamin B6. Magnesium and vitamin B6 each play important roles in stress reduction. Healthy magnesium levels are associated with decreased perceived stress. However, during times of stress, hormones may cause our levels of magnesium to decline. Vitamin B6 not only increases our cells’ uptake of magnesium but can also impact mood by modulating the neurotransmitters in our brains that affect depression and anxiety.[iv] Sources of magnesium and vitamin B6 include pumpkin seeds, almonds, cashews, spinach, avocado, black beans, chickpeas, quinoa, and tuna.
- Don’t forget healthy fats. Unsaturated omega-3 fats found in fatty fish, ground flaxseeds, chia seeds and walnuts are not only good for our hearts but also the long-term health of our brains. Omega-3 fats have been found to support cognitive function and well-being, memory, and blood flow to the brain.[v]
- Find a stress reduction technique that works for you. During stressful moments, your heart rate may increase, your blood pressure may rise, and focusing on tasks may be a challenge. Finding a practice that can help calm your mind and body during these times can help you through these moments. Breathing exercises may help reduce blood pressure and reduce stress.[vi] Box breathing is one technique during which you breathe in for a count of 4, hold your breath for count of 4, then breathe out steadily for a count of 4. Progressive muscle relaxation is another stress relief technique, in which you progress through muscle groups in your body, briefly tensing then releasing them. And while technology may sometimes be the source of stress, various wellness, meditation, and stretching apps are available that can provide breathing exercises, guided meditations and other suggestions for stress relief.
Additional resources for strategies to support your mental health are available from the National Institutes of Health.
For a summarized printable version of this information click here.
[i] National Institute of Mental Health. Caring for Your Mental Health. Retrieved February 26, 2025 from https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/caring-for-your-mental-health
[ii] National Institute on Aging (2025, January 14). Health Benefits of Exercise and Physical Activity. Retrieved February 22, 2025, from https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/exercise-and-physical-activity/health-benefits-exercise-and-physical-activity
[iii] Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (2021, December 15). Physical Activity Is Good for the Mind and the Body. Retrieved February 22, 2025, from https://odphp.health.gov/news/202112/physical-activity-good-mind-and-body
[iv] Pouteau E, Kabir-Ahmadi M, Noah L, et al. Superiority of magnesium and vitamin B6 over magnesium alone on severe stress in healthy adults with low magnesemia: A randomized, single-blind clinical trial. PLoS One. 2018;13(12):e0208454. Published 2018 Dec 18. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0208454
[v] Dighriri IM, Alsubaie AM, Hakami FM, et al. Effects of Omega-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids on Brain Functions: A Systematic Review. Cureus. 2022;14(10):e30091. Published 2022 Oct 9. doi:10.7759/cureus.30091
[vi] National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. Relaxation Techniques: What You Need To Know. Retrieved February 26, 2025 from https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/relaxation-techniques-what-you-need-to-know
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