How to fight 3 habits that leave us silently exhausted | Psychological health

You may have already followed the classic advice: eat a balanced diet, exercise and get enough sleep.

However, there are certain daily habits that can affect your stamina, and you may not even suspect it.

Among these silent energy saboteurs are old acquaintances, such as sitting in the wrong position or postponing meals.

There is, too Things we do without realizing it, like breathing incorrectly when we have too many things on our mindas psychologist Uma Naidoo referred to in the Huffington Post, or You have many tabs open on your computeras explained by neurologist Rana Mafi in the same publication.

There are even some elements that can be considered unexpected among these spoilers. To explore it, we spoke with psychiatrist Leela R. Magavi, MD, regional medical director of Community Psychiatry and MindPath Care Centers in California, US.

1. TV series, movies and news

Watching movies or series is something we do to relax, so we asked Magavi why experts like these include activities like these in their list of potential mental exhaustion factors.

“As human beings, we are emotional creatures, and many of us are empathetic and recognize the feelings of characters in TV shows and movies,” he explains.

“They can remind us of traumatic experiences in our lives, any kind of disability, vulnerability, loss or insecurity, all of which can cause many associated emotions such as sadness, anxiety, fear and anger, which can affect us even though they are in,” he adds.

“So when you watch a lot of these TV shows, even if you don’t feel like you’re thinking about it in public, those feelings will still be under the surface. And while you’re working, while you’re with your family, this huge amount of feelings can take a toll. Take care of you and make you You feel drained all day without noticing,” he says.

Something similar can happen after watching or reading the news, Magavi says, “because it makes you think about what’s going on in the world.”

But she makes clear that doesn’t mean watching TV or reading newspapers is a bad thing.

“What I recommend to combat this fatigue is, after reading or watching something, address it, either through a journal or expressive writing (writing down your thoughts and feelings to understand them more clearly), or talking with a friend or family member.”

“It allows the emotions to go out, so you don’t absorb them and use up your energy.”

But you do not always have time to take care of yourself so much … Is there a simpler way?

“It’s a good idea to do a mental ‘check’ of yourself: What feelings did you make me feel in this article or TV show? This can be very quick and easy.”

“For example, if you just watched The Lion King and felt sad that your father died, it might make you worry about the people you love dying. But by doing a mental ‘check’, you can remember that everyone around you is doing their best to stay healthy. “.

“Something short like this can help you to not internalize those feelings and not allow yourself to bombard them.”

Read stories in physical booksHowever, It can have the opposite effect of screens.

“Not only do you not get blue light from the screen, which causes eye strain and headaches, but when you read, you have to use your imagination, so many people find reading, even if it’s very emotional, therapeutic and reassuring.”

Sport can be seen as a recreational thing, and a break away from routine, but it can also be a detrimental component of energy in some ways.

“Fanatics can immerse themselves in sports a lot and accept gains and losses as their own, and get very sad, frustrated or exhilarated.”

“Any intense emotion is often stressful: extreme happiness can exhaust many circuits of the brain; deep sadness can be related to anxiety, which overburdens the brain and makes you feel very tired.”

“The important thing is to be aware of how you’re feeling,” says the expert.

“If you’re very emotional, ask yourself: Do I need to take a break, have a snack, or take a quick shower…what should I do to calm down now?”

“Take a deep breath, stretch and walk a bit,” he advises.

Planning is a way to control reality, organize life, and contain chaos.

But then again, something we instinctively put in the bundle of things that causes comfort may only cause stress.

In this case, the statement (almost) that anything excess is bad applies again.

Layout is very useful – up to a point.

Constant exposure to a busy schedule can increase anxiety and negatively affect memory and information processing speed.

“Some people spend so many hours organizing schedules and lists that they are unable to live consciously and enjoy their lives. They’re always worried, because they’re late for this, they’re not up to date It’s really, Do not feel self-compassion and gratitude for the things they were able to achieve that day.”

“This can cause a lot of feelings of sadness, frustration or fatigue.”

“In some people, it ends up in their dreams.”

“I have adult patients who dream that they are going to be late for school, that they haven’t finished the task…the next morning.”

“I always recommend spending just five to ten minutes thinking about the main goals for the day, and at the end of the day, even if they haven’t been achieved, don’t spend too much time thinking about them,” says Magavi.

The psychiatrist also recommends not making plans too much in advance, “because life is always evolving, and it’s important to be flexible.”

“When people plan for the long-term, they simply expect that everything in their unknown world will run like clockwork to reach that goal in time.”

“But if something changes in their family, friends, and work and they can’t achieve that goal, they feel completely overwhelmed.”

One trick is to plan the essentials – meetings, appointments, family parties – and leave the rest of the time as free as possible.

The text was originally published in . format https://www.bbc.com/portuguese/geral-62144907