Are you looking after your mental health?

In Dr Andy’s latest blog, he talks about how lung health and mental health go hand in hand, and why it’s important to pay attention to them both.

So, tell me, how are you? How are you really?

Since the start of the pandemic, when we’ve all faced a year of lockdowns, self-isolation and not being able to see our loved ones, we have all become more aware of our own mental health. Because of the constant negative news, the worry about the safety of people important to us and missing so many bits of our usual lives, it’s not surprising that we are noticing more depression and anxiety.

In my surgery, and on the Asthma UK and British Lung Foundation helplines, we speak to many people whose lung condition is causing a problem for their mental health. This could be because of how their lung condition, and the treatments for it, makes them feel, and how it impacts their lives and those of people around them. Or it could be that low mood and anxiety is having an impact on their respiratory health. Either way, lung health and mental health go hand in hand and it’s important to pay attention to them both.

How can I get my mental health back on track?

A good first step is to read up a bit on how your mental health may be impacting on your physical health.

The BLF page on dealing with your mental health has some great hints and tips on what you can do to get your mental health back on track. Keep a diary of your symptoms alongside how you feel. It may show a link between your mood and any increase in lung symptoms.

It could help you recognise that you need to do your best to address any stress or anxiety, which may be triggering your symptoms. Or it could show you that you need to keep a closer eye on your symptoms or follow your self-management plan, if you have one.

It’s useful to learn what your triggers are. For example, if anxiety makes your symptoms worse and you know that a particular situation makes you feel anxious, you can either try and avoid that situation, or at least be more prepared for it when it does happen.

Focus on what you can control

Many people notice depression or anxiety symptoms when they are dealing with something out of their control. We can’t control everything that happens to us. But what we can do is pay attention to those areas of our life where we do have some control. And these can support our mental health.

I encourage people to start working on some basic areas of your life where you can start to take control:

Keep a good routine and make sure that you get enough sleep.
Eat and drink healthily – we all underestimate how important this is. Alcohol and foods that are high in sugars and fats are commonly turned to when people get stressed, but they aren’t much good for managing your lung condition or your mood.(1) If you gain weight, it can be more difficult to breathe (2), while losing any excess weight can help to improve your symptoms.

Quit smoking – people often turn to cigarettes as a way to relax when they’re stressed, but this isn’t a good idea. Smoking is bad for your lung health and quitting will make you feel better.
Build time into your routine to switch off. We all have different ways of doing this, but we need to dedicate some protected time to relax, meditate, do mindfulness exercises, listen to music, or watch a favourite TV show.
Stop multitasking, as it is much harder for our brains to relax when we are doing many things at once. Turn off any distractions for at least some of each day (mobile phone, social media).
Exercise is a great way to start improving our mental health. Any exercise can help, though I find getting out in the fresh air (and change of scenery) more useful.
Connecting with others is important. We are naturally social people (some more than others) so speaking to others is important for our mental health. Talking about how you feel can help get you through a tough time, but even chatting about something totally different can help. You might find it helpful to post on the BLF HealthUnlocked forum, where you can talk to other people with a lung condition.

There are loads of ways you can get help with your mental health, which you can read about on our health advice pages. The NHS website Every Mind Matters and Let’s Talk Loneliness also have excellent resources, which you might find useful.

Don’t forget your GP too. We are used to helping people with a wide range of problems and it’s easier to help people earlier, rather than later.

How good mental health can benefit your lung condition

Living with a lung condition can affect both your physical and mental health. It’s a cycle – if you’re not managing your lung condition well, this could affect your mood and how you cope. This could then make your symptoms feel worse or harder to control. (3)

It might feel like it’s difficult to break this cycle, but one way you can do this is to manage your condition well. However bad you feel, make sure you continue taking your medicines as prescribed and following your self-management plan, if you have one.

It’s important to look after your mental health and physical health equally – the two can be very closely linked!

(1) https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/nutritional-psychiatry-your-brain-on-food-201511168626

(2) https://www.blf.org.uk/support-for-you/eating-well/maintain-a-healthy-weight

(3) https://www.blf.org.uk/support-for-you/dealing-with-your-mental-health/your-mental-health

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