Why you should check in on your mental health

Your mental health influences your take on life. It’s both precious and linked to your physical health. Nevertheless, mental illness isn’t always given the same weight as a physical illness. But feeling unwell mentally or emotionally is as valid as being physically ill.

Ignoring your psychological state doesn’t make you feel better, and untreated mental illness can affect all aspects of your life. Scheduling a regular mental health check in can help you identify early warning signs and take proactive steps to maintain your well-being.

Why is mental health important and how does it affect your life?

Your mental health dictates in large part how you feel about your life and the world around you. It fluctuates over the course of your life, depending on your situation, and these fluctuations affect your wellbeing.

Good mental health lets you deal with the challenges that life throws at you, helping you to bounce back from adversity. Periods of feeling low or poor mental health don’t necessarily mean mental illness, however. If those feelings, thoughts, and behaviours begin to affect your daily life though, it may be a sign that you’re dealing with a mental illness.

Beyond colouring how you feel about things, mental health also has repercussions for your physical health. Individuals with mental illness are more likely to experience poor physical health, diabetes, and cardiovascular conditions. Simply having a diagnosis of certain conditions can even shorten your life expectancy.

What are the main causes of mental health problems?

Scientists know that certain mental illnesses run in families, but what’s written in your genes isn’t always your destiny. Genetics may make you more vulnerable to psychiatric disorders, but your environment influences whether or not these genes are “turned on.” This is known as epigenetics — or how your genes are influenced by what happens to you.

Early life or developmental stresses, for example, such as trauma, neglect, and abuse, are often underlying factors triggering mental health conditions. These don’t have to be limited to early life, however. Abuse, discrimination, and harassment in your adult years can also contribute to the development of psychopathology.

Beyond your environment, physical issues or defects within your brain can also contribute to psychiatric disorders. Research shows, for example, that changes in temporal and frontal areas of the brain are associated with major depressive disorder (MDD).

More than these processes, however, might be responsible for mental illness. New research is looking at how your gut health may influence your mental health. This may come as a surprise, but a large percentage of neurotransmitters, or your body’s chemical messengers, are actually made in your gut.

Your brain uses these neurotransmitters — like serotonin — to send messages throughout itself and your body. If your gut microbiota changes, it can affect your mental health and your behaviour.

So while the precise cause of your mental illness isn’t fully understood, there’s likely more than one factor at play.

How do I know if I need to seek help and what are the early signs of mental health problems?

While some find that they’re able to deal with their mental health challenges without professional intervention, this isn’t always the case. Seek additional support if you’re experiencing the following:

• Thoughts of self-harm
• Thoughts of hurting others
• Behaviours causing problems in your personal or professional life
• Confusing, upsetting, or intrusive thoughts
• Problems with thinking or concentrating
• Excessive worrying or anxiety
• Persistent low mood
• Extreme irritability or anger
• Having trouble or being unable to carry out daily tasks
• An intense period of emotional stress or bereavement

What is good mental health and how does one achieve it?

Good mental health doesn’t mean being happy all the time. Everyone will likely have their own definition of what good mental health means to them, but there are a few commonalities.

Emotional ups and downs are a feature of life, and everyone experiences them. If you’re in a good place mentally, you’ll be able to weather these fluctuations. That’s not to say that you’re not affected by stress, or that you won’t get anxious or stressed. Despite these feelings, you’ll be able to function and eventually bring yourself back to a more neutral or positive feeling.

Building the habit of a mental health check in can make it easier to assess how you’re feeling and identify areas where you might need support.

Being able to make and maintain relationships is also a good indication that you’re in a positive place psychologically. Socializing and forming bonds with others can be challenging when you’re experiencing mental health issues. No relationship is perfect, but whether you’re an introvert or an extrovert, if you’re engaging socially, that’s a good sign.

Scratching everything off your daily to-do list is a tall challenge, but accomplishing daily tasks is a good marker that you’re in a healthy place psychologically. Being productive fosters a sense of achievement — an important part of life satisfaction.

A daily mental health routine that works

Everyone’s mental health journey requires an element of self discovery. When it comes to building your daily mental health practice, there’s no one-size-fits-all routine. To build a mental health routine that works, start with a few additions to your daily routine and see what sticks. Your efforts don’t have to be grand gestures. Be gentle with yourself, and start small. 

One essential aspect of a daily routine is recognizing the importance of mental health check-ins. Taking a few moments to reflect on your emotions and challenges can help you stay attuned to your overall well-being and respond effectively to stressors.

There are lots of chances to boost your emotional state throughout the day. A little experimentation is all you need to find the strategies that work for you. Here are some attainable ways to start a daily mental health routine.

Practice mindfulness meditation

Mindfulness meditation is a technique that helps reduce stress by slowing down your thoughts. This helps you move your focus away from negative emotions. Mindfulness meditation is rooted in breathing exercises that keep you focused on the present moment. Studies have shown that meditation makes you less distractible and improves your resilience to stress. You can get started by dedicating as little as five minutes a day to developing your practice. 

Get some exercise

Getting proper exercise benefits your mental and physical health. If you’re having a tough day, physical activity is shown to have positive effects on your mood almost instantly. There are long term mental health benefits from exercise too. It reduces stress and anxiety by releasing neurotransmitters that help you manage your mood, like serotonin. In Canada, half of those living with mood disorders or anxiety don’t exercise. You don’t have to run a marathon to see results. Start with 30 minutes of exercise, three days per week if you’re looking to boost your mood.

Get quality sleep

Getting quality sleep gives you a headstart on good mental health each day. 36% of Canadian adults who don’t get proper sleep also report chronic stress. The tough thing about sleep issues is that they lead to stress, which leads to more trouble sleeping — and the cycle continues. You can counter this by sticking to a bedtime routine. Try limiting screen time before bed, or going to bed at the same time each night. Developing a predictable routine around sleep can help put your mind at ease when it’s time to rest.

Eat brain-friendly foods

Food can help improve your mood. Not the treats you may be thinking, like a cookie for a job well done. Try foods that are rich in vitamin B-12 and folate if you’re looking for ways to fight depression — like fish, nutritional yeast, or beef. Vitamin D from dairy products is linked to an increase in dopamine, which helps with mood regulation. 

When you can, plan meals that are low in sugar and refined carbohydrates during periods where you know you’re likely to be stressed out. Sugar and carbohydrates cause spikes in blood sugar and hormones. This ultimately leaves you feeling even more off-balance.

Reduce your screen time

Our phones, tablets, and televisions are our windows to the world. But every once in a while, taking a break is a good thing. There are lots of studies to support limiting the screentime of children and young adults, and adult studies are trending in the same direction. Excessive screen time has been linked to a reduction in gray matter in the adult brain. When this happens in your frontal lobe, it can lead to problems with impulse control. 

Next time you’re looking for a reset, consider doing it the old fashioned way. Try a print version of a magazine or newspaper instead of scrolling on your phone.

Get into nature

Whether you live with mental illness or not, nature has a positive impact on mood. When you feel stress or anxiety, your body produces cortisol. Cortisol stops us from relaxing — it’s the hormone that kept humans on their toes in the presence of predators millions of years ago. Even though you’re more likely to see a predator at the zoo than in daily life, your body still releases cortisol in reaction to stress. Nature’s calming effect on the mind and body reduces the production of hormones that contribute to anxiety and depression. 

You don’t have to venture into the wilderness to get the benefits of a natural setting. Start with a nearby park or rooftop garden to see if being near green space makes you feel at ease.

Stick to a routine

Especially when you run a business or a household, a schedule or routine can be an excellent tool for organizing your busy mind. That’s because it limits the number of decisions you have to make each day. Routine prevents decision fatigue — where you tire yourself out by getting bogged down by a bunch of small repetitive decisions. When you plan things like what you’ll wear, or what you’ll have for lunch, you’re less likely to experience decision fatigue. 

Planning ahead leaves you with more mental capacity to dedicate to bigger, more complex daily challenges. Try planning your lunches in advance this week and see if it makes your day feel smoother.

How common are mental health issues in Canada?

Mental illness is notorious for making you feel isolated and alone. The truth, however, is that one in five Canadians experiences a mental health issue every year. And half go through it by the time they hit 40.

Mental illness doesn’t care about how much money you make or how educated you are, and at some point, it touches every Canadian, either directly or indirectly. Youth are most likely to be affected — almost three-quarters of people with a mental illness experience symptoms before the age of 18.

What are the most common mental health disorders?

Anxiety and mood disorders top the list of the most common mental illnesses in Canada. This applies to conditions like depression, generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), panic attacks and disorder, and bipolar disorder.

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, about one in five Canadians experienced symptoms of anxiety, depression, or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). A survey from spring 2021, a year into the pandemic, however, shows that number is now closer to one in four Canadians.

Can mental health issues be preventable?

Many factors contribute to whether you will develop a mental health issue, and many are outside of your control.

Certain lifestyle adjustments may help to control symptoms if you do have a mental health issue. In some cases, they can also provide some protection against developing one.

Sleep, for example, is implicated in many different mental health conditions, ranging from depression to bipolar disorder.

While it’s not possible to prevent a mental illness entirely, getting enough sleep, practicing stress reduction, healthy eating, and building strong social connections may lessen your susceptibility and boost your resiliency.

You likely wouldn’t hesitate to seek treatment for a broken arm or take time off work because of the flu, but may hesitate to do the same for your mental health. Not treating these issues seriously can be catastrophic. Without treatment, mental health conditions often get worse, making your relationships, work, and daily functioning more difficult.

Addressing your mental health issue is worth it — most people experiencing depression get better with treatment. That’s why scheduling therapy sessions or taking time off work to address your mental health is so important.

When you’re feeling low, however, even reaching out for help can seem like a huge task. Online therapy can make it easier to get the support you need by providing mental health counselling from the comfort of your own home. Plus, online counselling with a therapist fits more easily into your schedule and makes finding a therapist more convenient.

If you live in Ontario, Quebec, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nunavut, or Yukon and feel like you may be experiencing a mental illness, seeing a mental health physician can help. A mental health physician can diagnose and help you to manage your mental illness. And if necessary, they can also prescribe medication, including refills, for you to pick up at the pharmacy of your choice. In Quebec, they can also help to diagnose and provide treatment for ADHD.

Prioritizing your mental health is crucial — reach out today to start your mental health journey.

The information presented here is for educational purposes and is not meant to replace the advice from your medical professional.

When using virtual care, all medical treatment is at the sole discretion of the provider. Virtual care is not meant for medical emergencies, and your provider will determine if your case is appropriate for virtual care. If you are experiencing an emergency like chest pain or difficulties breathing, for example, please call 911 or go to your nearest emergency room.