What a holistic approach to mental health looks like
One of my favourite parts about the therapeutic process is unpacking the mind, body, and lifestyle model with clients. It’s amazing to see the lightbulb go off as they bring awareness to areas of their life that have been on autopilot for too long. Similar to a car with lights showing areas in need of assessment and intervention, we can all sense when red lights start flashing in our own internal dashboard. What matters more than the red lights themselves are how we address them.
Do we cope in healthy or unhealthy ways?
Do we ignore them?
Do we seek support or do research to resolve them?
How much power do we give those lights? What do we believe they mean about us as a person?
In the lifestyle category, we look at relationships, sleep, habits, nutrition, and exercise. Within the mind, we look at trauma, beliefs, and spirituality. And with the body, I encourage clients to talk with their doctor about gut issues, metabolism issues, immunity, detoxification, and other health concerns that could be contributing to presenting mental health symptoms. These include depression, anxiety, brain fog, inattention, headaches, irritability, impulsivity, mania, to name a few. Our busy lifestyles lead can make us feel like we are always under pressure.
The first step to relieving ourselves of this pressure is to take a step back and see the big picture of what’s going on, break down the different components, and begin removing what isn’t working and installing habits that will serve us better instead. Try doing a self-review by looking at just your past 24 hours.
When and how did you wake up? How was your previous nights’ rest?
What did you do right after waking? How were you feeling about the day ahead? Record any thoughts you had.
What did you eat for breakfast? Lunch? Snack? Dinner?
How was your connection with Allah? Prayers and du’as in the day?
How was your work, family, and social life in the day? Record anything notable.
What about your health – Record any medications, supplements, physical activities.
Did you make time for mindful meditation? Fun? Or a creative outlet?
How was your mood in the day? What kind of tone and communication did you use most in the day?
These are sample questions to help you jumpstart your own self-reflection. When you are ready for deeper work, consider accessing therapy or doing this exercise regularly to encourage healthy changes.
