Eat, sleep, move, repeat: The best lifestyle medicines for mental health

Counselling isn’t the only evidence-based way to support your emotional wellbeing. While we can support you for an hour each week, the rest of the time is an opportunity for you to create healthy habits that improve mood, regulate distress and mitigate stressful moments.

Sleep – 7-9 hours a night

There’s almost nothing else better for our minds and bodies than getting good quality sleep. Supporting everything from memory consolidation to cell regeneration, healthy adults need 7-9 hours to function at our peak. But can we sleep our way happier as well as healthier? The evidence says we might be able to. Adults who sleep for between seven and nine hours every night and go to bed and wake at regular times (no more than two hours difference) are less likely to experience mental health conditions such as anxiety and depression. 1 The reasons for this are complicated but experts believe that getting enough high quality sleep supports other healthy behaviours such as the ability to exercise, productivity at work, engagement with others and time spent outside. You can start to improve your sleep quality and quantity by having regular sleep and wake times, avoiding alcohol, caffeine and screens for a few hours before bed and creating a calm, quite cool environment in which to sleep.

Exercise = 30 minutes a day for at least five days a week

As well as being one of the most powerful ways to reduce your risk of some chronic illness, including heart disease, stroke, diabetes and even some cancers, doing moderate to vigorous exercise each day for at least 30 minutes has been shown to improve emotional wellbeing and mood. The evidence is so strong that UK doctors now prescribe sessions with a personal trainer or exercise physiologist in place of medication for symptoms of mild depression, with exercise showing the same benefits. If you’re new to exercise, start slowly and safely with regular walks, building up to a brisker pace as you feel able. Always consult a doctor before starting any new exercise and consider seeing a trainer or physiotherapist to make sure you stay injury-free.

Eat a well-balanced diet – every day

Thanks to its inflammatory effects on the brain, and its supportive function aiding good sleep and cognitive function, a healthy diet is linked to a lower risk of depression. Foods that are rich in essential vitamins, minerals and other nutrients can reduce our risk of memory loss as we age and lower stress, both factors for mental wellbeing. Fruit, vegetables, legumes, nuts and seeds, as well as lean proteins such as eggs, chicken and fish are all on the healthy and happy list. Include these foods where you can and limit refined sugars, red meat, processed meat and foods high in saturated fats and salt.

This is not medical advice. Lifestyle medicine is a great way to support emotional wellbeing, but it would be dangerous to imply that all mental health conditions could be “cured” simply by incorporating the elements discussed here. Always defer to your doctor’s medical advice.