3. Seek counseling
Therapists and psychologists are here to help. Don’t let the COVID-19 blues or pressures that come with creating New Year’s resolutions take control of your life. Seeking therapy to learn to manage or cope with your feelings is not something to be embarrassed about. In fact, according to a poll conducted in mid-July, 53 percent of adults in the United States reported that their mental health has been significantly impacted due to worry and stress over the coronavirus. The CDC offers resources for those struggling with stress and anxiety due to COVID-19 or otherwise. Take control of your mental health just as well as your physical health.
4. Spend extra time outdoors
Megan Riehl, PsyD, gastrointestinal psychologist and clinical director of the gastrointestinal behavioral health program at Michigan Medicine, recommends readjusting our mindsets about quality time outdoors. She says, “We can significantly benefit from being outside in the winter. The emotional benefits of fresh air and sunshine, coupled with the physical activity of walking, hiking or cruising in a wheelchair, are a win-win situation.” So bundle up if it’s cold and take in the fresh outdoors.
5. Proactive Health Management
Routine physicals and testing are essential to health management. The “what I don’t know, won’t hurt me” adage is not conducive to living a long, healthy life. Rather than waiting for something to be wrong and then trying to fix it, maintain your health. The same way we get oil changes and routine maintenance on our cars, we must do the same for optimal body health.
Some of the signs of an unhealthy gut include irritable bowel syndrome, diarrhea, bloating, constipation, unexplained weight gain or loss and fatigue. If you present with any of these symptoms, or sleeplessness, anxiety or depression, seek the care of your primary care physician. Cyrex Laboratories offers the Array 10 – Multiple Food Immune Reactivity Screen™. This test measures reactivity to 180 food antigens, assisting in the early detection of dietary-related triggers of autoimmune reactivity. This test is highly recommended for anybody with unexplained symptoms, whether gastrointestinal, neurological, dermatological or behavioral in nature.
A healthy gut will produce the mood-boosting brain chemical, serotonin. A healthy brain will keep the gut happy. This gut-brain relationship is one that must be nurtured. Take notice and take care. Happy New Year!
