'I have a very old car. It goes, which is good because I know little about what is actually under the bonnet. However, I do notice when fuel is running low it doesn’t run for long, or when the coolant is too low – steam starts coming out of the engine, usually when I am far from home! Apparently, if you run out of oil your engine gives up altogether. Does that sound like you at times? Are there aspects of our physical life that we need to maintain to protect ourselves from physical and mental illness? What physical factors make us more vulnerable to negative feelings, depression and anxiety?
Well, I can tell when I’m hungry before I feel it (so can my friends and family) – I get very grumpy. Lack of sleep makes me very unstable and I almost cannot discern reality from my feelings when I’ve been sleepless for a while. Lack of sleep is exceptionally destabilising for my Mental Health.
It sounds simple, but the Bible tells us that God created us and we were ‘very good’ (Genesis 1-3). It also tells us that we are ‘fearfully and wonderfully made’ (Psalm 139). We are finely tuned beings and for all of us our physical well-being and our mental and emotional well-being are very closely intertwined. If we are struggling with mental illness it seems that our physical well-being can be the difference between stability and instability. It’s just the way things are for any number of reasons.
So what can we do? Well, when my car is completely broken down, it’s too late for me to do anything useful, I need the help of a professional and so it is with us. There are times when we need the help of those who understand what’s going on under our ‘bonnet’. However, in between visits to the mechanics I do have to put petrol in the car, make sure there is enough air in the tyres etc., etc., otherwise I will have more visits to him than I (and my wallet) would welcome (or cope with)!
There are basic essentials that we need to stay alive as human beings. Without these elements in balance we would not be able to lead productive lives. I have come up with five of these essentials:
1. Air
2. Water
3. Food
4. Sleep
5. Shelter
There are many examples in the Bible about how God cares for our physical needs: Elijah was fed and watered when he was exhausted (2 Kings 19), Jesus thought about how hungry his audience was when he fed the 5000, he also made sure there was enough to drink at the wedding in Cana – and he cared that the wine was good quality! What about rest? The Bible tells us that from the very beginning God built in times of rest, not because he wants us to be forced to go to church on Sundays, but because resting one day a week is good for our well being. The concept of Holy Days or Holidays is God ordained. He did not rest after Creation because God needed to rest, no, it was to establish and example for us to follow in order to maintain life in balance. We all know about the modern epidemic resulting in people seeking to find what is called 'work-life' balance. Even before we are able to look at the factors of timekeeping and lifestyle, we need to look at how we care for the machinery of life.
There are three physical factors which directly impact our mental and emotional health.
1. Water. How much water do you drink every day? Do you notice any impact on your mood when you are thirsty? How often do you think about how much water you drink every day.
Did you know:
• An adult needs a minimum of 2.5 litres per day (that’s one large plastic fizzy drinks carton worth or nearly 5 pints) and more when it is hot.
• You have become dehydrated long before you feel thirsty.
• Dehydration can cause headaches and nausea and can kill.
• Caffeinated Coffee, tea and fizzy drinks will not provide you with ANY of your 2.5 litres per day, as they may quench a thirst but they do not deal with dehydration.
2. Food. Often people tend to eat emotionally. It is difficult to maintain a routine when you are depressed as time often doesn’t mean much. Here are some ideas about how to manage so that you don’t eat too much or too little each day.
• Keep to a basic routine even if this is the only thing you achieve each day. Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner at roughly the same time.
• Try to keep store cupboard standbys that are easy to make and eat – soups, ready meals for example (I try to make large batches of my favourite meals when I am feeling well and am able to freeze these and keep ready meal costs down)
• Don’t be too proud to let friends know that you are not eating regularly. Often good friends making meals even on a weekly basis is the start of a good eating routine.
• I find shopping online helps with my panic attacks when I am feeling low and also allows me to control the menu, what I am buying and how much I am spending.
• Follow government guidelines for fresh fruit and veg. I often fall into the junk food trap which is unhelpful emotionally and costs a lot of money. Set a limit of a maximum of once a month if you really don’t feel you can do without this as a treat.
3. Sleep. Shakespeare said that ‘sleep is the season of the soul’. This is probably the most important way in which people with mental health issues can help their own emotional stability.
No one wants to rely on medication to maintain sleep patterns indefinitely, so ideally, once a crisis has passed what is called good ‘sleep hygiene’ is important. It is easy to get out of good sleep patterns but FEELS more difficult to get back to. Here are some tips on good sleep habits:
1. Make your bed and bedroom for sleep only. Make sure your curtains cut out any light from outside. Is it cool enough? Remove all electronic distractions, including TVs and Computers. Do not work in your bedroom.
2. However tired you feel during the day do not succumb to napping otherwise, of course you won’t sleep at night.
3. Start to prepare you mind and body for sleep well before you get there. Turn off the TV/Computer/mobile/playstation.
4. In the last hour before bedtime do something which relaxes mind and body. A gentle walk, reading, a bath (not too hot), listen to gentle music, pray.
5. Avoid caffeine – everyone will have a cut off time for this – mine is about 5 p.m. and beware of soft drinks which have hidden caffeine.
6. Do not eat at least two hours before bedtime – we all know that feeling of coming back late from the restaurant having eaten later than usual and lo and behold no sleep!
7. I have a rule which says I will not speak to anyone about their problems or mine after 11 p.m. Everything does seem worse in the middle of the night and you know what? Most problems do look better in the daylight. Guard your bedtime.
OK so that’s the plan but what happens when you still cannot get to sleep?
Try the following:
1) Do not lie there tossing and turning, if you cannot fall asleep get out of bed and stand beside it in the dark – do not dwell on any worries, but just let them go, I find it useful to pray and as I pray to tell God each thought that is worrying me and in my mind’s eye hand it over to him. Don’t focus on the worries, think about good things from the day – something seen, heard, tasted - Stand still until you feel sleepy then return to bed.
2) Or, get up and leave the bedroom (remember it is to be kept for sleep) try to do something quiet like reading– do not put the TV/computer etc. on or make a stimulating brew (remember no caffeine)
You may have other solutions that have worked.
Above all else remember that you have developed a sleepless habit and breaking it will take time and effort so persevere with your bedtime routines. Also remember to be realistic about how much sleep you need. You will know how much sleep means you work at your optimum. For me it’s between 7 and 8 hours – one or two hours either way and I am a nightmare to live with! And Maggie Thatcher and Churchill famously only needed four hours each.
For Christians there is often a neglect of the basics of life, when tackling emotional problems. We tend to over complicate what essentially is the result of being human, in favour of complex, guilt ridden, spiritual pronouncements. We fail to rest in the knowledge that Christ's sacrifice for us on the cross was once for all, God completed it as he himself proclaimed from the cross 'It is Finished!'. Our salvation does not depend on feeling 'triumphant' or 'victorious' all the time. Such lack of nuance denies the reality of living in this fallen world. When we look after our physical well being we are better able to manage our minds and emotions so that they can be renewed by the Holy Spirit as we feed them with God's Word. The importance of looking after the basics is most important for those of us who have long term complex mental health conditions. It is easy to believe I have displeased God, when my feelings are out of control, but if I live in obedience out of love for God, then such anxiety is not the truth we find in the Bible. Instead, I can see examples of men and women who serve God faithfully, but when they grow tired, hungry and thirsty their perspective on God in their lives becomes distorted. Why should I be any different.
Christ has triumphed over death, but we remain living in a fallen world. When you feel low in mood, ask first, have I had enough to drink, eat or have I had enough sleep? When I got my first car I was advised by my friends to check the following: fuel, tyres, battery before I considered calling a mechanic. In the same way, it makes sense to look after 'the bodywork' first, if that doesn't help, then you know you need more expert care.'
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