Abbey Road Dental – Shining The Spotlight On Mental Health
Looking after your mind and your body
Here at Abbey Road Dental our focus is on providing exceptional dental treatments and support to all our patients. During the pandemic it is important that we continue to provide support as best we can whilst we follow the guidelines given to our industry.
We will try to help you as much as possible over the ‘phone and on our blog we continue to provide as much information as we can to help you stay healthy and happy.
Although a huge amount of what we do focuses on physical health, we think it’s important to also shine a light on mental health as it directly relates to your oral health. Studies tell us that those with mental health struggles are more likely to suffer from dental disease like gum disease, erosion and decay.
During the pandemic we are aware that anxiety and mental health problems are likely to see a surge in numbers. It’s such a challenging time for all of us. So what can be done about mental health to ensure that you feel more able to take care of your teeth and your overall welfare?
As mental health awareness week has just finished, we thought that drawing attention to this year’s MHA week theme – kindness – would be helpful for our patients.
So how are you kind to yourself and how can you support your mental health at home?
Let’s take a look at some easy-to-access forms of self-care that you can try, to promote better mental health for yourself and your family:
Exercise
Exercise is known to be great for mental health. There are so many reasons that this is the case as it helps with many things including (but not limited to):
- Better sleep
- Better sex drive
- Lower stress
- Better ability to cope with stress
- A better mood
- High levels of energy
- Less overall tiredness
- An overall better ability to cope with mental health issues.
You can find out more about the science behind exercise and mental health here.
It doesn’t have to be lots and lots of exercise either. It can be ten minutes strolling, or an hour gardening. The fact that you’re moving your body and increasing your heart rate is great news for your mental health.
Therapy
If you can afford private therapy it could be something to consider when it comes to your mental health. We spend so much money on clothes and coffees, but many of us don’t prioritise our mental health, when it’s what we need to maintain a great quality of life. If you cannot afford private therapy then you may wish to enquire with your GP about local free services available to you. There are also lots of reasonably priced online services to consider too.
The fact is that everybody can benefit from talking to somebody to help with their overall mental health. Even if it is just once a month, it’s something to think about.
Reaching Out If Things Are Particularly Tough
If you are finding things particularly tough with your mental health then it is important to reach out. Speak to your GP, or even just your trusted family and friends. You should not be suffering alone, and you don’t have to. It may even be that you haven’t realised things have deteriorated, as it doesn’t happen overnight. According to charity Rethink, some common signs your mental health has deteriorated are:
- Being anxious
- Feeling like you want to cry regularly
- Being irritable
- Having issues with not sleeping, or sleeping a lot
- Struggling with memory
- Struggling with concentration
- Having regular mood changes
- Being low in mood for prolonged periods
- Feeling paranoid
- Feeling suicidal
- Thinking loved ones want to hurt you in some way
- Becoming withdrawn
- Seeing or hearing things that aren’t there
- Spending lots of money you don’t have
If things have started to go out of control please do seek help.
Nature
Getting out into nature is known to be great for mental health. Clearly during lockdown it hasn’t been so easy to do that and things aren’t quite back to normal just yet. The great thing is that you can enjoy nature from anywhere. Even if you don’t have a garden there is always some level of nature you can enjoy. Studies in the past have even shown that mere images of plants and outdoor scenes can be beneficial to us so there’s always a way to connect with nature.
If you can, get out and try and spend some time listening to a podcast or just enjoying the sounds of the outdoors. Try and notice the leaves, the flowers, the insects. If you are limited to your garden then try bird watching or even looking closely at the macro world. Spiders, ants and other creatures are so interesting close up, we just don’t often take the time to notice.
If you are more restricted with your access to nature, how about checking these amazing webcams that look at different natural hotspots across the world? Our favourite is the Anacapa Island kelp forest webcam.
Meditation
Meditation is something that can be beneficial for a few minutes a day, it doesn’t have to be hours. There are many guided meditations available for free online to try and allowing your brain time to breathe could really help with your mental health.
Yoga
Yoga is known to be fantastic for mental health. It doesn’t have to be high intensity either, to be beneficial. Even 10 minutes of gentle stretching and giving love to your body can have a huge impact on your mood. Maybe try out Yoga With Adrienne on Youtube, who lists many free videos with a focus on finding what feels good. Her humour and gentle nature help yoga feel accessible to anyone.
Podcasts
Podcasts are an amazing way to take in information without having to read, or even focus all that much. There are podcasts on mental health, podcasts on plants, on the news – anything you can think of. They’re a really great way to take your mind off things and even learn something new.
Self Care
Self care is so difficult when your mental health is struggling, but it actually helps you feel better overall. Basic self care like brushing your teeth, brushing your hair and taking showers are an important part of your wellbeing. Cleaning your home is another important aspect of self care. Struggling to maintain your home’s cleanliness and tidiness because of how you feel can be a sign your mental health is struggling.
“What mental health needs is more sunlight, more candor, and more unashamed conversation.” – Glenn Close
We really hope that you can continue good self care and good mental health. Please do reach out to your GP if you are struggling. You are not alone.
Here at Abbey Road Dental in St John’s Wood we will continue to support all our patients with their oral health needs and we will be ramping up our services soon. If you are struggling with your mental health and you think it is impacting on your oral health, please let us know at your next appointment. We can suggest a different treatment plan for you, perhaps with more regular hygienist appointments and tips on the best products for you to use.
Our NW8 clinic is here to support your oral health as much as possible, so please do get in touch via the website if you have any enquiries and we will do our best to help you.
