Foundations of Wellness: A Scientific Guide to Self-Care

The time to repair the roof is when the sun is shining

John F. Kennedy

As we approach the end of another long year which is 2023, one cannot help but reminisce that it has been one that threw us all into a whirlwind of highs and lows, somehow simulating a rollercoaster. Thankfully, I am here writing this post, and you are here reading it, which is a great testament to our resilience. Congratulations! You deserve some well-earned relaxation. For many of us who are still in university, you are probably showing up at home for the holidays after a three-month (or even longer) hiatus. Are the people at home noticing any differences or tell-tale signs of the year that has been? For me, much to my dismay, my mother’s first remark when she saw me was, “Oh, sweetheart, you look exhausted!” after a very long hug. I was donning the stress of completing a full academic year and beginning a new one in twelve months like a medal and this did not evade her keen eye.

Thankfully, the holiday season provides much-needed time for reflection and self-preservation. While the temptation to stay in bed bingeing Netflix or to leave the house for some bread and milk only to encounter many side quests that will have you coming back home on January 2nd may be strong, I would like to propose a different approach to rest. To guide you towards meaningful relaxation, let’s delve into the scientifically- backed six pillars of self-care, ensuring your rest days are truly rejuvenating. These are sleep, light, nutrition, movement, social connection, and stress control.

1. Sleep

Undoubtedly, this is one of the most fundamental aspects of self-care. Most people require around 6-8 hours of quality sleep every night to wake up refreshed and ready for the next day’s activities. This however is age-dependent, as people at the extremes of age tend to need more sleep. It is important to experiment and figure out what works for you. Strive at getting the best quality sleep you can most nights of your life. Think of sleep as something you can work on improving, much like physical fitness, and therefore should be constantly investing in. You can do so in the following ways:

1. Maintain a fairly consistent sleep routine: sleep within 1 hour of a predetermined bedtime every or most nights, and wake up at the same time every day if possible.
2. View morning sunlight (we’ll discuss this further down below).
3. Delay caffeine intake 90-120 minutes after waking up, and stop caffeine intake before 4 pm each day. Avoid bright lights in the evening, including on screens.
4. Avoid alcohol!

This is not a comprehensive list but it will go a long way in improving sleep hygiene.

2. Light

Anyone who has had the pleasure of interacting with the popular neuroscientist Andrew Huberman’s content online might be familiar with one of the main concepts he has popularised of viewing morning sunlight. He advises that we should aim to view sunlight as soon as possible after waking. Ten minutes on clear days and 20-30 minutes on overcast days should suffice. So why exactly should you add this to your morning routine? It has been shown to play an important role in mood regulation, focus and alertness, and nighttime sleep through various endocrinological and biological pathways. I have to emphasize; do not stare at the sun. You can practice offsetting your gaze a little to the left or right of the sun up to where your eyes will be most comfortable.

It is also beneficial to get outdoors and get sunlight throughout the day or to stay under very bright lights if you are spending the day indoors.

It is equally as important to have darkness at certain points of the 24-hour cycle- during the nighttime. The benefits of doing this are much better mental health outcomes, and the fascinating part is, that this works independent of daytime light exposure and sleep you are getting! Around 8 hours every 24 hours is sufficient, aim to be in very dim light or completely dark environments during this time.

3. Movement

Movement is not only great for your body but also elevates mood and mental health. Aim for 180-200 minutes of zone 2 cardio, which means that you can sustain a conversation during the exercise but exerting yourself further will make it difficult to do so. Some examples of this kind of exercise include hiking, jogging, or cycling. This helps to improve basic endurance and promote healing. Another important form of exercise is VO2 max training, where you aim to reach your maximum heart rate. You can do this at least once a week. For daily movement, it is important to alternate between cardiovascular and strength training.

4. Nutrition

This can be a complicated topic as it is influenced by various factors such as culture, accessibility, socioeconomic status, and religion to name a few. However, we should all aim to consume sufficient amounts of quality calories, regardless of diet. This means obtaining most food sources from unprocessed or minimally processed foods. Find a balance, avoid over- or under-eating, and consider the importance of mindful eating and hydration in maintaining a healthy diet.

5. Social connection

Similar to the other pillars, it is important to prioritize quality over quantity in social interactions. As much as it may be out of our control, we should aim to limit social interactions that stress or vex us. Your nervous system not only regulates itself but it is also regulated by interactions with other nervous systems (both human and non-human) in our immediate environment. It is therefore very important to pay close attention and understand the effect of our social connections in our lives. The effect can be categorized into bringing net savings, being neutral, or being taxing.

A net savings effect means that the interactions result in a positive mood, and you tend to feel happier and relaxed during and after they happen. These interactions give resources that make us feel more capable and give a sense of elevated mood and improved mental health even when we are not engaging with those people. Taxing interactions lead to developing a negative effect, and may leave you ruminating even days after they happen. It is important to reflect whenever you hang around others whether the interaction can be categorized into one of these categories. Are there any individuals and groups that leave you feeling taxed?

6. Stress management

Life is filled with stressors, and it is always a matter of what you do when they do happen. There is a lot of debate in the psychological realm of whether stress should be conceptualized as good or bad. On one hand, it can be used to harness mental and physical resources which allow us to perform better than we would otherwise. However, chronic stress is bad for memory, the immune system, and general well-being. It is therefore important to have readily accessible stress management tools that work the first time and every time. Avoid any activities that could be harmful to your health, such as drug and alcohol use. Below are two examples of effective stress management tools:

1. Practicing the physiological sigh– this refers to a pattern of breathing we naturally do in our sleep or periodically during the day to calm us down faster. It is very simple: take a big inhale through your nose, sneak in another brief inhalation to maximize the capacity of your lungs- then do a long extended exhale through the mouth. The best part about this tool is that it works in real-time to reduce your stress levels.
2. Increase stress threshold- this can be achieved by deliberately increasing levels of adrenaline and noradrenaline, and learning to anchor your mind to remain calm in these situations under safe conditions. A great and easy way to achieve this is by taking cold showers or deliberately putting yourself in cold environments. In this situation, use breathing or distractions to be able to stay calm. This tool works every time and will increase your catecholamine levels, even if you love taking cold showers. You can do this at least one day a week or even every day. It is a practice that will translate into a better ability to control your internal state.
3. Meditation and mindfulness- this is a practice that one builds over time, training your mind to essentially be where your feet are. This means that you reduce stressing over events that happen in the past and those that are yet to in the future, allowing you to focus on the present moment.

Conclusion

In conclusion, these are the cornerstones of improving mood and mental health that you can implement at no extra cost to ensure that you have a rejuvenating holiday and that will prepare you for the new year ahead. These habits can be built and modified for use even after the holiday ends and it is time to get back to our busy lives. Tend to these pillars every single day, and you are guaranteed to feel better more generally. Please feel free to share any tools that I have left out and that are beneficial to you in the comments! As we bid farewell to this year and anticipate the challenges of the next, let these habits guide us toward a more balanced and fulfilling life.