A Simply Healthy by Caroline FauselSample

MENTAL HEALTH

Having a thriving mental space is so important because what goes on in our minds affects nearly everything in our lives. Before we get too deep today, let’s get a definition of mental health so we’re all on the same page here. One definition is that mental health “includes our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It affects how we think, feel, and act. It also helps determine how we handle stress, relate to others, and make healthy choices.”

If you struggle with mental health, it’s important to realize you’re not alone. More than one in five adults in the United States live with a mental illness (that’s around 58 million people). So while it may be common, it is not an ideal state to be in. Let’s talk about some strategies to improve your mental health, because when you are the best version of yourself you not only feel better, you gain more confidence, and you can wholeheartedly love those God has put in your life and fulfill God’s purpose in your life with joy.

Stress is typically an emotional response to an external trigger—it comes and then goes. Anxiety, on the other hand, is an emotional response without a trigger, and often you might not even know what causes your anxiety. Jesus said, “Do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?” (Matthew 6:25, ESV). Our bodies’ fight-or-flight response was created to protect us from immediate danger. Unfortunately, our minds are powerful, and we can get stuck in a chronic state of stress even with perceived future stressors.

When it comes to stress, how you view it is actually extremely important. In one study, individuals who perceived high levels of stress increased the risk of premature death by 43 percent![1] It’s best to realize that the goal isn’t to get stressful circumstances in our life to zero but to view stress as a completely normal part of life that we are capable of dealing with in the name of Jesus. But how? Exercise is a really powerful tool because it releases a protein that counteracts the toxic effects of high stress.[2] You can also try slow, intentional breathing exercises. This helps activate your parasympathetic nervous system, which is nicknamed the “rest and digest” process.

You can also work to take your thoughts captive. In 2 Corinthians 10:5, Paul tells us to “take every thought captive to obey Christ.” You may suffer from a number of thought-related issues, like self-judgment and negative self-talk, judging others, ruminating on grudges, or the crippling fear of what other people think of you. All of these things can be renewed. Jesus says in Romans 12:2, “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”

How can you renew your mind? First, take inventory of your thoughts. Then take them captive by replacing them with the truth. Embracing these new practices can help you feel the freedom in your mental health that God wants for you! Which practice will you try today?

You can learn about these and other wellness topics from a Christian perspective in Caroline Fausel's latest book A Simply Healthy Life. You can learn more about the book here!

[1] Abiola Keller et al., “Does the Perception That Stress Affects Health Matter? The Association with Health and Mortality,” Health Psychology 31, no. 5 (September 2012): 677–684, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3374921/.

[2] Jennifer J. Heisz, Move the Body, Heal the Mind: Overcome Anxiety, Depression, and Dementia and Improve Focus, Creativity, and Sleep (Boston: Mariner Books, 2022).