Knowledge

A healthy and balanced diet has a demonstrably positive effect on the psyche. Because with the right diet you can:

• optimize your nutritional status,
• strengthen your immune system,
• prevent or counteract inflammation,
• improve your quality of life,
• improve your bodily functions, e.g. strengthen bones, improve wound healing.

For a healthy and balanced diet, you should follow the recommendations of the German Nutrition Society (DGE). These state

• It is best to drink water 
• It should be colorful - eat lots of fruit and vegetables 
• Eat legumes and vegetables regularly
• Give preference to whole grains
• Give preference to vegetable oils
• Consume milk and dairy products every day
• Eat fish every day
• When it comes to sausage and meat, less is more
• Avoid or reduce your consumption of sweet, salty and fatty products
• Enjoy your meals and eat with care
• Exercise regularly and watch your weight

Humans are designed for movement. The positive influence of exercise on the psyche and well-being has been proven in several studies. For example, exercise promotes the reduction of hormones (e.g. adrenaline, cortisol) that are released during stress in order to trigger the intended emergency program “flight or attack”. However, the human reaction to stress today is rarely to flee or attack. And so we do not adequately reduce hormones, which in turn can have negative effects such as high blood pressure, cardiac overload and/or anxiety. It is therefore immensely important to exercise in order to break down hormones and keep hormone levels in balance. Exercise has also been shown to improve mood and relieve anxiety. Another important finding is the regulation of the protein BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor). This protein is produced in the brain (more precisely in the hippocampus) and plays an important role in long-term memory and abstract thinking. Burnout and depression show that the BDNF serum level is reduced. Exercise has been shown to increase BDNF serum levels and is therefore an important part of therapy.

The national recommendations for physical activity and exercise promotion for adults are as follows:

• at least 150 minutes/week of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity 

or

• at least 75 minutes/week of higher-intensity aerobic physical activity 

or

• aerobic physical activity at appropriate combinations of both intensities 

and

• plus muscle-strengthening exercises twice a week.

In addition, long, uninterrupted periods of sitting should be avoided or regularly interrupted. The target group of older adults aged 65 and over should also integrate coordination and balance exercises three days a week.

We all know that a good night's sleep promotes mental well-being. However, it is also clear that the quality of sleep often suffers during periods of mental stress. In this respect, we should regard poor sleep quality as a warning signal for our mental well-being and at the same time take the old saying “sleep is the best medicine” to heart. We need sleep to regenerate our body and mind. Sleep strengthens our immune system, even promotes wound healing processes and is important for metabolic processes in the body. Sleep is also important for our cardiovascular system. Our body recovers during sleep and we become efficient again. Important bodily functions drop during sleep: body temperature, respiratory rate, pulse and blood pressure. However, our brain remains active during sleep. During sleep, daily events and learning processes are processed, sorted and consolidated. Learning success increases with a good night's sleep. We are much more forgetful when we sleep poorly.

Pay attention to your sleep hygiene for restful sleep. Here are a few tips:

• You should have eaten your last meal two to four hours before going to bed. A full stomach disturbs your sleep just like alcohol, cigarettes and coffee etc.
• Also avoid electronic devices near your bed - especially cell phones, tablets, etc.
• Avoid sporting activities such as jogging, cycling etc. immediately before going to bed. A short walk can in turn increase the quality of sleep.
• Make sure you have fresh air and ideally a room temperature that does not exceed 18 degrees. A good sleeping environment also promotes sleep quality.
• Do not save unnecessarily on your mattress. A good sleeping place also promotes good sleep.
• Make sure your sleep is regular. A rhythm that is as consistent as possible creates an internal clock that prepares the body for active phases and rest phases.
• Pay attention to darkness. Light is a stimulus during the day. The natural twilight also leads to the release of the sleep hormone melatonin, which slowly prepares the body for sleep and also helps you to fall asleep. If you are unable to darken your bedroom, sleeping goggles can be a good help.

Even the ancient Greeks recognized the importance of thoughts and how they affect our mental well-being. Epictetus once said: “It is not the things themselves that worry us, but our ideas and opinions about them.”

Nevertheless, negative experiences and thoughts such as failures, suffering, sadness, disappointments etc. are also part of life. This is completely normal. The important thing is to deal with them well! You will no doubt have “failed” an exam when you were at school. Do you remember the thoughts that went with it? Behind such thoughts are very often so-called beliefs that have a very deep impact on us. These could be, for example:

“I'm just too stupid, I just can't manage to be good.”

“I always fail when it counts!”

Such thoughts are negative beliefs. Beliefs sometimes have such a strong influence on us that they can become a self-fulfilling prophecy. Fortunately, this is how most of us react to this failure:

"I just didn't study enough. Next time I'll prepare better and get a better grade."

"That was very hard work. Just bad luck! It will be better next time."

Such thoughts are not negative beliefs. If something is bothering you, your first step should be to collect the negative thoughts and write them down. You will find that these thoughts very often conceal negative beliefs.

Below you will find a selection of typical thinking errors associated with negative beliefs.

• Overgeneralizing: A general rule is created from an individual experience. Example: “I will never give a good presentation.”
• Catastrophizing: Every event that occurs directly represents a catastrophe. Example: “I'll be fired if I don't get this done by tomorrow.”
• All-or-nothing thinking: Only the extreme is seen and there is no middle ground. Example: “I never do anything right!”
• Either-or thinking: If it's not perfect, then it's a disaster and a complete failure. Partial successes are not recognized.
• Divination: It is assumed that every event will end badly before it has even taken place. Example: “We're going to lose anyway.”
• Mind reading: It is assumed to already know everyone's thoughts and opinions, even though they have not been asked. Ex: “I know exactly what she thinks of me.”
• Emotional reasoning: It is assumed that something must be true because you yourself have the feeling that it is. Ex: “They're all laughing because they think I'm stupid.”

We all know the forces that important goals can ignite in us. And that is precisely why it is important to regularly (e.g. every six months) review and question your personal goals. We often hear from middle-aged adults: "I've achieved everything: a great family, a nice house and a good job. I don't really need anything more - I've already arrived." There is a great danger here. Because an important source of energy can be lost here, namely the goal. The model of the four areas of life offers a good method for constantly setting new goals:

• Achievement, profession (career, professional success, voluntary work, etc.)
• Art, self-realization, senses (music, literature, art, etc.)
• Health and body (illness, exercise, nutrition, etc.)
• Social relationship / closeness (partnership, family, friends, etc.)

It is worth reflecting on the four areas. The area of “performance and career” often takes up a lot of space and the other areas of life suffer as a result. Check the distribution of the individual areas of your life and set yourself goals. This could be, for example, intensifying a neglected friendship, playing an instrument or going to concerts. One method of setting goals and implementing them is the Zurich Resource Model (ZRM):

1. Outcome goal: Concrete, measurable goal - e.g. lose 5 kg in three months.

2. Behavioral goal: Concrete actions to achieve the goal, e. g:

• Jog for 45 minutes on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays after work
• If it rains, use an exercise bike
• If unable to do so, make up the training on the following day

3. Attitude goal (motto goal):

• Emotional attitude that supports the goal - e. g. the image of a lion for strength, dynamism and confidence.
• Motto goals have an unconsciously motivating effect and strengthen goal commitment.

Tip: Use “if-then plans” to establish routines and overcome obstacles.