Natural Mood Boosting Strategies
Hormones, nutrient stores, and personal biochemistry plays a huge role in anxiety, depression, low stress tolerance, and insomnia. Your mood is not just about your environment - let’s peek under the hood to see what else might be going on.
Ohhhhhh mamas. The mental health strain on everyone is so high right now. Let’s talk about what we can control in this time of total uncertainty.
(If you’re reading this at some point in the future of my dreams where the world has opened up and life has returned to an improved version of normal - this post was written during COVID-19 drama-for-your-mama)
First thing’s first - It's completely expected, normal and ok to be moving through various mental and mood states as we all try to navigate this crisis together.
And while I can't speak more highly on the benefits of talking to a therapist at this time, and taking time out for mindful self care and practice what mental health practitioners call “radical acceptance” - we ALSO want to look at other elements that are within our control and can have a deep impact on our mood.
Because your mood isn’t just about what’s going on outside. Yes, the current climate is impacting all of us MASSIVELY. But there’s more going on behind the scenes. Focusing on the biological contributions to mood changes is something that we can do right now, and it’s perhaps more important than ever.
Here we go - my top 6 lifestyle changes to improve mood, even during a pandemic.
SLEEP
Ugh I know! This is so not sexy to talk about. But sleep is one of the most meaningful hormone balancers and mood boosters! And I know that so many of us are not getting what we need. Actually I know that 57% of new moms report insomnia, and a huge percentage of us just aren’t going to bed early enough and/ or are being woken up by our little ones. Cue the brain fog, easy anger and anxious thoughts.
The facts: Bad sleep quality, or not enough hours lowers our serotonin and progesterone, and raises cortisol. When those 3 are out of whack we can expect more anxiety, less stress tolerance, and lower moods. We need a total of 7.5 to 9 hours of uninterrupted sleep to make our hormones happy. Even if you are verrrrrrry far away from that, every step in the right direction will give you a mood boost.
Work on it: 1) go to sleep 30 min earlier tonight. For real!! If your bedtime is past 10 pm, I need to give you a stern talking to 😉 2) skip the wine before bed. Even though it feels like a nightly night cap can relax you and help you go to sleep, alcohol messes with sleep quality and quantity AND depresses your mood. A small amount might be ok (like a glass or less of wine a few times per week) but more than that = mood drama. 3) insomnia your thing? check out my free Exhausted New Mom workshop to get some of my best tips.
Them HORMONES
Always up to something, those hormones. Low estrogen often brings with it low mood or higher risk for depression. Low progesterone is correlated with more anxiety. Funky thyroid hormone can bring low mood or a ramped up anxious state. And that stress hormone... oof it can really do a number on us!
The facts: After delivering your baby, hormones like estrogen and progesterone go from a super high to a menopausal-like low. In time they both do start to climb back up, but it can take several months or sometimes years to go back from whence they came especially if our diet and lifestyle isn’t supporting their balance. Postpartum hyper- or hypo-thyroidism is super common in the first year postpartum, estimates are around 10% of moms experience a (mostly) temporary thyroid impact after pregnancy. Lack of sleep + stress causes fluctuations in cortisol (the stress hormone) and this can bring with it any mood issue from anxiety to mommy rage.
Work on it: Hormones respond really quickly to diet changes, so that’s the good news! To get started, 1) Take my postpartum hormone quiz (yes, even if your "baby" is double digits) to see what your priority should be. 2) eat a hormone healing diet focusing on good quality starches, proteins and fats. 3) work on cortisol reducing activities like meditation and SLEEP. For those wanting more personalized help with their hormones, I do offer functional hormone testing for my private practice clients and my Radiant Mama members. Reach out for more info.
SUNSHINE
I mean, there’s gotta be a reason behind why it feels sooooo good to enjoy some time in the sun, right?! During quarantine it is vitally important to make sure to take breaks from sitting inside the house and get outside in the fresh air. Your immune system AND your mental health will thank you.
The facts: Not only do we get Vitamin D from sunshine (obvs), which is shown to have a mood brightening effect, but sunlight also increases the brain's release of serotonin which helps regulate mood (oh and SLEEP. Serotonin helps regulate sleep).
Work on it: 1) go outside! as much as you can. Take calls and play with your kids in the yard if you have one, and go out for a walk as often as is realistic. 2) No outside space and limited options for going for walks? Consider a home sun lamp like this one (<— there are way cheaper options out there, but I thought that one was pretty)
NUTRIENTS
You knew I’d get here eventually, right?! Food is not just calories, and is truly medicine. The magic I’ve seen from “just food” over my decade-long career as a registered dietitian has been nothing short of mind-boggling.
The facts: There are tonnnnnnsssss of studies and clinical evidence connecting nutrient deficiencies to various mental health outcomes. Our brains and neurotransmitters need vitamins and minerals, and when we are depleted we can for sure have mild to moderate mood issues as a result. This is one of the main reasons I believe postpartum mood disorders to be so common - nutrient depletions from pregnancy, birth and lactation PLUS the dramatic hormone shifts in the days and months after delivery sets the stage for anxiety and depression and low stress tolerance.
Work on it: nutrient dense diet is king here! Making sure to get all of our macronutrients (ie not cutting out carbs, fat or protein) and plentiful vegetables sets the stage here. Focusing on brain minerals like magnesium and zinc in food or supplement form has also been shown to help clinical symptoms of mood disorders. We burn through more B vitamins when we are stressed and sleep deprived, so adding in a good quality B complex is never a bad idea. Functional nutrient testing is available to all of my private practice clients and Radiant Mama members. Book a free call with me to learn more.
MOVEMENT
Exercise is not just about burning calories, flexibility or gaining strength. While I know it can feel like the very last thing you want to do when feeling down, the impact movement has on our minds is tremendous!
The facts: In clinical trials comparing exercise to standard pharmaceutical drugs for depression, it was found that regular exercise had just as much benefit compared to drugs in many subjects. Thank you endorphins! This doesn’t mean throw your pills out if you are being treated for clinical depression (talk with your doctor about any medication changes), but it does mean that regularly moving our bodies can have a big impact on improving mood.
Work on it: There is definitely some individual variability here, but I find that a combination of slow mindful movement like yoga (my fave youtube yoga channel here) or hiking plus some more intense exercise like HIIT or running can be a great combo throughout the week. This checks off our needs for relaxation, endorphins and sweat.
ESSENTIAL FATS
Fat is where it’s at. Did you know that our brains are made up of about 60% fat? We want to make sure our diet is supporting the right fats that contribute to mental wellness.
The facts: Deficiencies in essential fatty acids are widespread throughout the globe. During pregnancy, healing and lactation we use WAY more of these compared to baseline. So many (MANY) of my mom clients are actually severely deficient in essential fatty acids like omega-3s. Our babies need these for brain development, and steal from us if our intake isn’t enough. We also need these fats for healthy brain functioning, and so this all sets the stage for a problem!
Work on it: 1) eat high omega-3 fish like salmon and sardines twice per week. 2) take a fish oil supplement like Nordic Naturals. While there are vegetarian sources of omega-3s available, this is not a biologically active form and does not have the same clinical benefit.