On any given day, your brain is inundated with a variety of stimulating activities and experiences. While activity can be healthy, it is also essential to find a way to give your brain a break.
That break can help you reset, gather your thoughts, and better manage stress. While you cannot usually just step away from life to focus on your mental wellness, some simple daily strategies can provide the healing, recovery, and support your brain needs.
What Are Holistic Approaches to Mental Wellness?
When we talk about holistic care, the focus is on providing the body and brain with the support they need to reduce stress levels, improve overall function, and restore healing without the use of substances or other invasive therapies. Over the years, science has learned that holistic therapies like the following are incredibly impactful in supporting brain health and improving quality of life.
- Mindfulness
Mindfulness is the process of focusing on what you are doing in the present moment. When your attention is fully present, you don’t have as much room for anxiety about what happened earlier or what will happen tomorrow. When you practice mindfulness regularly, you’ll start to realize that it feels good to let all of your worries go and attend to the task at hand. You’ll start sleeping better, decrease muscle tension, and feel less stressed.
- Meditation
Meditation is a more concentrated form of mindfulness. While you can practice mindfulness while washing the dishes or completing a task at work, meditation involves sitting quietly and doing nothing but focusing on your breath. You learn to be still and calm even as stressful thoughts and feelings arise. Instead of getting caught up in the mind’s activity, you observe it without judgment and let it pass. Meditation does not eliminate the stressors in your life. However, it gives your brain a chance to calm down and refocus.
- Yoga
Not all of the strategies for improving mental health come from brain-focused activities. Getting your body involved in the process can be quite rewarding while also being highly effective at reducing stress. Yoga is the perfect example.
Yoga is about balancing not just inner body strength and movements but also about focusing your brain and thought patterns. The movements you engage in are designed to stimulate healing, reduce tension, and get rid of the stress hormone floating through your bloodstream. At the same time, you’re so focused on your yoga practice that you cannot focus on the stressors in your life. This creates a sense of inner peace.
Other Complementary Strategies for Mental Health and Detox
There are many other ways you can stimulate the body and brain’s natural ability to heal. Finding the best treatment option for your needs is important. Some examples include:
- Massage therapy: This method helps to stimulate the body’s natural ability to heal. It also reduces tension and inflammation that builds up in your muscles and tissues due to stress.
- Acupuncture: An ancient method of stimulating the body’s immune system and improving the flow of energy through the body, acupuncture is a strategy that may offer improved peace of mind.
- Biofeedback: Another process that involves the regulation of bodily functions is biofeedback. By controlling and reducing heart rate and breathing rates, it is possible to improve overall health.
Finding the Right Balance of Care for Your Needs
These holistic approaches to mental wellness are powerful tools. They do not take the place of professional help for mental health conditions or addiction. Rather, consider them an additional layer of help that can improve your quality of life.
Contact Willow Creek Behavioral Health today. Find out how our team in Green Bay, Wisconsin, can help you find the best holistic approaches and professional care for the mental health challenges you are facing.
