When we fall into a state of depression, anxiety, our appetite decreases or increases dramatically. If your appetite decreases, you will not want to eat anything, and even your favorite foods will lose their appeal, and you will barely maintain your physiological functions with very little food. Because the desire to survive decreases, there is naturally no motivation to provide energy to the body. However, the more you are in this state, the more important it is to pay attention to your adequate nutrition so that your body and mind can maintain the strength to function.
If there is a psychological problem, there may be a sudden increase in appetite, leading to overeating. This excessive intake of energy is not a normal energy supply because it exceeds the body's needs. Overeating not only disrupts homeostasis, but also weakens the body and mind.
In addition, there is a fatal drawback to overeating – the search for stimulant foods. When we become depressed, we look for saltier, spicier, sweeter foods, which can lower the body's immunity and make our fragile minds more vulnerable. Therefore, the more you break down, the more important it is to consume a healthy diet regularly.
For those who have lost their appetite, Rong Xinqi Psychology Studio usually gives them a "homework": prepare a healthy meal for themselves every week, even if it is a simple meal such as egg fried rice. This assignment implies the meaning of entertaining oneself with healthy food and giving oneself a gift.
Cooking is a lot of work, first thinking about what you like, what you want to eat, and then finding delicious recipes. When the ingredients are selected, they have to be cleaned and prepared, and then the finished product is finished and the finished product is put on a plate to show me. This assignment not only focuses on food, but also contains a deeper meaning.
Whether it is depression or anxiety, as long as there is an abnormality in the psychological aspect, sleep will immediately appear, that is, the psychological state will be manifested through sleep. Conversely, when there is an abnormality in sleep, the state of mind will also be affected.
In other words, when the mind feels burned out, it must have enough sleep to recover. What can I do to get a good night's sleep?Here are 3 ways to start!
①.Waking up time is more important than bedtime
The first thing to remember is that when your body exercises regularly, your mental health will also be stable. In other words, when the mind is disturbed, it is best to maintain a certain circadian rhythm of the body.
The so-called "circadian rhythm" refers to a 24-hour cycle of the biological clock. If the circadian rhythm is disrupted due to depression and anxiety, the sleep cycle will break down. For example, I usually go to bed at 12 o'clock, but now I can't sleep until 2 o'clock in the morning;I usually wake up at 7 o'clock, but now I can't wake up until 10 o'clock, which is because the sleep cycle has been pushed back. Sleep cycles can also become disorganized, sometimes falling asleep early, sometimes delaying until the early hours of the morning, so it is necessary to establish a regular sleep cycle.
Rather than "going to bed", we should focus more on "getting up", that is, it has nothing to do with the time to fall asleep, and fix the time of getting up. Whether you go to bed at 12 p.m. or go to bed at 4 a.m., you always let yourself wake up at 7 a.m. We often think that as long as we don't get a good night's sleep, we should get enough sleep, and we believe that we must sleep seven hours a day to stay healthy. Therefore, on weekends, in order to make up for the lack of sleep on weekdays, I often sleep until the afternoon. However, this habit can further disrupt the sleep cycle.
Our bodies are constant, and even if we don't get enough sleep for a few days, our bodies won't be affected too much. In addition, if you always go to bed at 4 a.m. and wake up at 7 a.m., sleep deprivation that requires insufficient sleep time can occur. In the event of sleep deprivation, the constant body sends out a message of "sleep deprivation", which automatically leads to sleepiness.
In other words, no matter what time you go to bed, as long as you wake up at a fixed time in the morning, your body will automatically adjust to get enough sleep. The more you restrict your sleep, the better you can sleep. So don't wake up late just because you go to bed late, wake up at a regular time.
②.Active during the day and sleeping at night
If you want to get a good night's sleep, falling asleep during the day is a no-no. The pattern of our bodies is to wake up in the morning, move around at noon, and then go to bed at night. If you sleep during the day, your biological rhythm will become disrupted, especially if your body thinks that sleep after 4 o'clock is equal to sleep at night. In other words, if you sleep during the day, you will be even more sleepless at night. For this reason, I usually advise patients with insomnia not to take a nap after 4 p.m., and if they do, to take a nap before 4 p.m., and not for more than 30 minutes.
If you're feeling drowsy during the day, it's a good idea to plan yourself a little more outdoors, as the more time you spend in the sun, the better it will be for a good night's sleep. Sunlight directly affects the circadian clock that regulates sleep, wakefulness and hormonal patterns, as well as melatonin, known as the sleep hormone. When the eye senses light, the secretion of melatonin is inhibited;And at night when the light is reduced, the secretion of melatonin increases, leading to sleepiness. In other words, if you enjoy more sunlight during the day, the circadian rhythm will stabilize and it will be easier to fall asleep at night. In addition, sunlight can also promote the production of "serotonin", known as the happiness hormone, which helps to synthesize vitamin D, which is also very helpful in reducing depression.
Stretching or meditation before bed can also help you fall asleep, and taking a foot bath or half-body bath two hours before bedtime is also a good way to help you sleep, as it can relax your body before bedtime. This kind of tension-relieving training is especially effective for people who are in a state of anxiety. Therefore, high-intensity sweating exercise should end at least 3-4 hours before bedtime, and avoid vigorous exercise before bedtime.
③.Even if you can't sleep, close your eyes and don't think you have to fall asleep
Studies have shown that if you close your eyes, you can have a sleep effect. From now on, instead of turning on Tik Tok when you can't sleep, it's better to close your eyes and rest;If you really have severe insomnia, you might as well get out of bed, read a book and go back to sleep.
We must get rid of the obsessive thinking that "you have to sleep", because this kind of thinking will make us focus more on insomnia, and then drive away more sleepiness. When I encounter insomnia, I often think backwards: "I can't sleep now, hold on!".In this way, the idea of resistance will arise and it will become easier to fall asleep. "Forced to fall asleep" is an irrational belief associated with insomnia. Therefore, if you always feel that you have to sleep, you should check whether you have irrational beliefs about insomnia.
Similarly, if you wake up in the wee hours of the morning, it's best not to look at the clock, because doing so is likely to start thinking, "How long have I been asleep?"didn't sleep for a few hours at all" and then forced himself to fall back asleep.
If you have trouble falling asleep because of your worries, it is advisable to turn your attention to other thoughts. As long as you think about worrying about something, your mind will drift and your worries will continue to come back. Many times, we toss and turn in bed for more than an hour because of this.
The most important thing in the face of this situation is to realize, "Ah, I can't sleep because of anxiety right now", and if you can find this, you can turn your attention elsewhere. If I have insomnia, I try to think about the recent pleasant events, and when I look back on what good things happened and what happiness I felt, I fall asleep unconsciously.