Mediating With Your Mental Health In Mind Series – Part 3

By Raheena Dahya, TFMS Roster Mediator

This series is designed to provide you with some tips and activities you can do to help manage your mental health while going through the family law process.

Contact a Professional

You can find a variety of professionals in your area here.

Get Some Exercise

 If you are able to, attempt to take a walk. There is some scientific evidence showing that physical activity can improve one’s experience of anxiety¹.

 Evidence has shown that:  people “who exercised for just 20 minutes had a significant improvement in their mood after 2, 4, 8 and 12 hours when compared to those who did not exercise”. 

As a Mayo Clinic publication stated: “ A lack of energy often results from inactivity…”² Even if you are tired, try to get up and take a walk or engage in a form of exercise that you find enjoyable.

Emily and Amelia Nagoski point out that: “Physical activities is the single most efficient strategy for completing the stress response cycle.”³

Breathe

Breathing techniques are used by a variety of first responders, including firefighters, police officers, and members of the military in order to manage distressing situations.⁴

Click here for a tip-sheet by Anxiety Canada on how to do diaphragmatic breathing exercises.

Alternatively, you can try out this this, 6 minute and 15 second, guided box breathing exercise tool. 

References:

1. Jorm, A.F., Christensen, H., Griffiths, K.M. and Rodgers, B. (2002), Effectiveness of complementary and self‐help treatments for depression. Medical Journal of Australia, 176: S84-S84. doi:10.5694/j.1326-5377.2002.tb04508.x
2. Rath, Tom, and James K. Harter. 2010. Wellbeing: the five essential elements. [New York]: [Gallup Press]  referencing Mayo Clinic. (2008.) Moderate Exercise. Mayo Clinic Health Letter , 26(1), 1-3.
3.  Pg. 15, Nagoski, Emily, and Amelia Nagoski. 2020. Burnout: the secret to unlocking the stress cycle, New York : Ballantine Books
4. Rosenberg, Julie. 2017. Beyond the mat: achieve focus, presence, and enlightened leadership through the principles and practice of yoga.