The field of psychology is known as the study of the body, mind, and soul, and there is a reason for that. It’s a relatively new science, officially starting in the 1800s. However, the field of psychology is strongly rooted in philosophy. At its core, psychology seeks to understand human beings as a whole and improving mental health requires more work than what happens inside the therapy room.
First, there are several studies, including Baglioni et al. (2011), showing that a good night of sleep can contribute positively to someone’s mental health and overall functionality. Secondly, the same rule applies to healthy eating. Studies in nutritional psychiatry describe nutrition as relevant to mood, cognition, and overall mental well-being (Adan et al., 2019). Lastly, but not least importantly, exercising has been associated with moderate reductions in depression, anxiety, and psychological distress (Singh et al., 2023).
Consistently attending psychotherapy is a huge step toward working on and improving mental health, however, it could be more effective when combined with healthy eating, exercise, and good sleep. In my private practice, when working with my clients, I encourage them to engage in what I call the three pillars for better mental health. Think about building a house without a solid foundation. It could look amazing on the outside but be fragile at its core. Therefore, start making changes today that will significantly benefit your future.
REFERENCES
Adan, R. A. H., van der Beek, E. M., Buitelaar, J. K., Cryan, J. F., Hebebrand, J., Higgs, S., Schellekens, H., & Dickson, S. L. (2019). Nutritional psychiatry: Towards improving mental health by what you eat. European Neuropsychopharmacology, 29(12), 1321–1332.
Baglioni, C., Battagliese, G., Feige, B., Spiegelhalder, K., Nissen, C., Voderholzer, U., Lombardo, C., & Riemann, D. (2011). Insomnia as a predictor of depression: A meta-analytic evaluation of longitudinal epidemiological studies. Journal of Affective Disorders, 135(1–3), 10–19.
Singh, B., Olds, T., Curtis, R., et al. (2023). Effectiveness of physical activity interventions for improving depression, anxiety and distress: An overview of systematic reviews. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 57, 1203–1209.
