A number of books I’ve read in recent years have described the relationship between behaviour and wellbeing. The most recent of these being The Health Fix by Dr Ayan Panja which describes how behaviours impact physical systems and problems with physical systems can give rise to symptoms.

If our systems are out of whack then we may start to experience symptoms. But if we change our behaviours, this can change how our systems work - thereby resolving our symptoms. Dr Ayan Panja in The Health Fix

This idea seems to stem from the lifestyle medicine movement which recognises behaviour change as a way to support good physical and mental health.

Lifestyle Medicine is evidence-based clinical care that supports behaviour change through person-centred techniques to improve mental wellbeing, social connection, healthy eating, physical activity, sleep and minimisation of harmful substances and behaviours. British Society of Lifestyle Medicine

The specific things we need to manage in our lifestyle are:

  • Exercise benefits every system in the body
  • Exposure to sunlight is important for both our mood and physical health
  • Stress is a well known contributory factor to illness across the board
  • How, what and when we eat and drink are important
  • Sleep is a key factor in health
  • Our environment encompasses all external factors, from mould in the home to sense of purpose in life
  • Social connection

This post describes my personal lifestyle prescription that I’ve developed over recent months as part of my continuing efforts to manage my mental and physical health.

My lifestyle prescription

Avoiding harmful substances and behaviours

Things I take for granted as having been excluded from my lifestyle for years are that I don’t smoke, drink alcohol, gamble or engage in other compulsive behaviours. This includes reading the news or using social media, both of which I found to be detrimental to my mental health.

Our brains react automatically and beyond our immediate conscious control to things that go on around us. Our five senses act as input devices without any filters and our brains react in a matter of milliseconds by releasing a cocktail of neurotransmitters.

Exercise

A few years ago, I discovered what a significantly positive impact exercise has on my mental health and well-being. I then learned that I could actually exercise a lot, only to later discover there’s an upper limit to its benefits: too much exercise leaves me feeling exhausted and miserable.

I’ve been amazed at the positive impact participating in RED January has had on my wellbeing and mental health. I now believe that the ideal level for me is daily exercise for between 30-45 minutes, with perhaps a 60/40 split between sessions at the gym and running.

I plan my exercise for the week on Sunday evening and use the Fitbod app to guide my gym workouts with a goal of increasing strength. I have a less structured approach to running but try to always have a race in the diary.

Sunlight

Getting natural daylight early (and frequently throughout the day) will release more serotonin. Sunlight is also important for Vitamin D. I make a point of getting out of the house every day - and, in particular, to make the most of sunny days.

How, what and when we eat

I eat a plant-based diet having stopped eating all meat, dairy and animal products in 2017. I try to maximise my intake of whole foods and minimise processed foods. I track my food consumption with the Nutracheck app and have a ‘days since’ tracker to support consistency.

I also supplement with:

  • VEG1, a multi-vitamin developed by The Vegan Society to provide a reliable source of vitamin B12, vitamin D, iodine and selenium
  • Waitrose Vitamin B and Vitamin D effervescent tablets
  • Optibac friendly bacteria gummies
  • Spatone iron rich water

Fluids

I drink water continuously throughout the day, monitoring my intake using my smartwatch to achieve a goal of at least 2.5 litres of water.

I drink coffee, mostly instant, usually having two caffeinated drinks in a day (never more than three). I also rarely drink coffee after midday, and never after 1pm.

Sleep

To support good sleep I manage caffeine and have a “down timer” for screens after 9:30pm.

I monitor my sleep using the Advanced Sleep Monitoring feature of my smartwatch. This provides a daily sleep score and insights into sleep duration, time awake and time spent in the different sleep stages.

Our environment

A small but happy home

I life with my family (of four) in the same two-bedroom flat my wife and I moved into before we got married more than 20 years ago. We’ve had to learn a lot about how to make the space work for us and now have systems in place to ensure the home stays well organised. We are all settled and happy.

Being in the office is good for me

I’ve always known that work and contact with others is important to my wellbeing. Before the pandemic, I already knew there was a correlation between taking holidays and mental health; anything more than a week of holiday would result in a significant dip in my mental health.

I make a point of going into the office at least one day each week, treating this as a bit of an “outing”, getting a takeaway coffee and falafel at lunch.

No news and social media

To support good mental health, I severely limit my news consumption and do not use social media. In the context of health, the mechanisms of both significantly impacted my mood and motivation. I also since realised that some documentaries have a similar impact on how I feel.

Today we know that in fact our brains are constantly being reshaped, with nerve cells routinely breaking off old connections and creating new ones. To be more precise, the sensitivity of the receptors in the synapses changes. If we allow ourselves to be overwhelmed by a new cultural phenomenon such as the torrent of news, it reshapes our mental apparatus. It literally brainwashes us. This adaptation takes place on the level of biology. News rewires us. As a consequence, our brain works differently even when we’re not actively reading the news. Differently, and – you’ve guessed it – not for the better. Rolf Dobelli in Stop Reading the News

To free yourself, to be more authentic, to be less addicted, to be less manipulated, to be less paranoid … for all these marvellous reasons, delete your [social media] accounts. Jaron Lanier in Ten Arguments for Deleting Your Social Media Accounts Right Now

Social connection

I’m very fortunate to have a happy marriage, close relationships with my children and to spend time with my family every day. I’m aware that these relationships aren’t static and need care and attention, so I make a point of actively working on them.

For a long time I’ve been focused on family and work, so I’d like to develop my friendships. This is something I’ll be investing in going forward, though I have to work out exactly what that means.