Lesson Two - Preventative Lifestyles

Becoming more active helps the body produce endorphins, which are chemicals that act as natural painkillers. Exercise and other forms of physical activity also help to improve sleep, which in turn helps to reduce stress and also causes the body to produce endorphins. It has been shown that regular exercise can decrease levels of tension while increasing mood and improving sleep and self-esteem.

Oftentimes, being stressed and eating go together. Here are some common factors to keep in mind to stay healthy:

• Indigestion can result when eating (or overeating in a stressful situation when the digestive system is not relaxed) or eating quickly the majority of the time. Sitting down to slowly eat and properly chew food can help to alleviate indigestion.
• Dependence on caffeine—relying on caffeine (including energy drinks) to keep you awake or functioning is not a good idea. Caffeine raises stress hormones and can lead to insomnia and even dehydration. Factors such as these can affect the body’s ability to effectively deal with stress.
• Cravings—try to limit the amount of what you are craving to small portions and include these portions in your usual diet. Cutting food out of your diet completely is likely to cause you to eat more than if you were to eat smaller portions every now and then. Also, keep more healthy snacks near and do not wait too long between snacks and meals in order to keep the cravings down.
• Sugar highs and lows—the brain needs sugar (or glucose) in order to function properly but in moderation. Eating sugary foods can cause your blood sugar levels to quickly increase then drop. This variation in blood sugar levels can leave you feeling tired and craving more sugary foods, creating a cyclical pattern. The body can use complex carbohydrates and even healthy fats and proteins as a source of sugar. Eating complex carbohydrates keeps blood sugar levels more stable than eating simple refined sugars.

Time management is being able to use time as efficiently as possible in order to maximize how time is used. Being able to set priorities, timelines, breaks, and more is essential in time management and to mental health. However, the emphasis on completing something rather than having a well-balanced life is a major source of stress. Not being able to meet deadlines, and seemingly neglecting responsibilities and having a dependency on others can put extra strain on an individual.

Priorities are often made based on how quickly the task needs to get completed, with no thought as to whether these tasks match the individual’s values. Placing too much emphasis on priority and not enough on values leads people to focus solely on the top priority items, often ignoring their values and lower priority items. This can have short-term benefits, but often has long-term damaging effects because the individual’s values are being constantly ignored.

A healthier, more balanced approach to time management is to incorporate priorities at work or school as well as at other places in an individual’s life. To do this, make sure to set aside time that is for work or school, and time that is for other areas of your life such as responsibilities at home. Another way to approach time management in a healthier manner is to take regular breaks and vacations when you are able to. According to Oxford Learning, here are some tips on how to take the most productive break:

• Take regular, short breaks. Setting an alarm for every 20–30 minutes (15–20 for younger children) will help the body and mind become more receptive to learning.
• Move during these breaks. Simply switching browsers will not make you as productive; get up and stretch, go for a short walk, have a short exercise routine, or anything else to get the body moving during the break.
• Have a nutritious snack and water. Food will give the body energy to keep learning and water helps the mind remain focused, so keep a glass of water near while working or studying.
• Aim to work or study at the same time everyday. While this may not always be possible, having a routine helps the mind and body prepare to work. Also try to avoid having this time be later at night, as the body needs an adequate amount of sleep.
• Listen to music instead of watching television during breaks. Music can help to increase energy levels and reduce anxiety so you can get back to work or studying with a clearer mind.
• Stay off of social media during your break time. This is a time to get moving and get your energy levels up!

Here is some information about about teenagers and sleep from the American Psychological Association:

• Roughly 24% of teens report that their sleep is poor to fair.
• 35% of teens have reported that stress keeps them awake at night.
• For teens who regularly get less than 8 hours of sleep per night, 42% have reported that their stress has increased within the past year.
• For teens who regularly get 8 hours of sleep per night, 23% have reported that their stress has increased within the past year.
• 36% of teens report feeling tired within the past month because of stress.
• 39% of teens report feeling more stressed at school if they do not get adequate sleep.
• Teens report getting less than the recommended amount of sleep per night (8.5-9.25 hours). On average, it was reported that teens get roughly 7.4 hours of sleep on a school night and 8.1 hours of sleep on a non-school night.
• 23% of teens report feeling unmotivated to take care of responsibilities when they do not get enough sleep.
• 90% of teens who report a relatively low level of stress get the required amount of sleep per night, at minimum.
• 61% of teens who are very stressed report feeling lethargic or lazy.
• 54% of highly stressed teens admit to being irritable.

• Take a time-out to do something relaxing, such as getting a massage, yoga, or the relaxation techniques from Unit 2.
• Eat healthy, balanced meals and keep nutritious snacks near.
• Limit caffeine and alcohol intake as both of these can increase and actually trigger anxiety and panic attacks.
• Make sure that you get adequate sleep.
• Exercise frequently to maintain health.
• Accept that you do not have control over everything. Wanting or needing control puts added stress or anxiety on your mind and body; try to put your stress in perspective by asking yourself, “Is it really as bad as I am thinking it is?”
• Welcome humour. Laughter has been shown to reduce levels of anxiety and increase endorphins.
• Try to maintain a more positive attitude by making an effort to replace negative thoughts with positive ones, or at least questioning where negative thoughts are stemming from.
• Volunteer or get involved in the community in another way. This expands the social support network and helps to reduce everyday stress levels.
• Learn anxiety/stress triggers by examining when your levels seem to be higher than other times. Look for patterns so that you can better counteract the anxiety.
• Lean on your social support network. Let them know when you are feeling overwhelmed and what helps you when you feel this way. Make sure to speak to a professional if your anxiety is persistent or affects your life in a daily manner.

Social support networks are extremely important in mental health. The MayoClinic has listed some benefits that social support networks have:

• Helps to improve with the ability to cope with stressful situations because the person is not facing the situation alone.
• Alleviates the effects of emotional distress.
• Promotes lifelong mental health by learning to relate and rely on others.
• Increases self-esteem.
• Lowers cardiovascular risks.
• Promotes a healthier lifestyle.