While Türkiye is a wonderful place to live in, given it its stunning geography, majestic cities, spectacular natural settings and ideal climate to enjoy it all, let’s admit it, it can be a lonely experience as an expat, and the developments from wars in the neighborhood, for example, can be overwhelming for others overall.
After all, it has been a rough start to the year with the twin earthquakes that rattled the southeast, the high inflation, rental price hikes, and now a tension-filled election.
With all of this, coupled with the darker months of winter already known for bringing on Seasonal Affective Disorder referred to by the acronym of (SAD), raising awareness of mental health, and recalling tried-and-true ways of how they work, to overcome the “blues” is beneficial for us in Türkiye these days. Luckily, I have been doing some research.
Mental Health Awareness Month was actually coined by the U.S. in 1949, but it is also recognized in many countries, including the U.K. which has designated next week – May 15-21 – as Mental Health Week, focusing on the impact that the cost-of-living crisis is having on our states of mind. In other words, the mental health crisis is an issue that needs awareness in many nations throughout the world. For most, getting professional help can be a challenge if not near impossible. Some people try to compensate for their misery by abusing their bodies with unhealthy food for example or too much time in front of screens on their couches.
While this may seem comforting, it is anything but that. Thus there are ways we can strive to feel better and happier, that can go a long way in getting us out of the proverbial funk. From podcasts to bestsellers, the following is a selection of practices and outlets to make the darker days a lot brighter.
The most effective way to get back on track is to rectify any area of our physical health that we may be currently neglecting. This means foremost, getting enough sleep, going outside and soaking in the sunshine, exercising and a balanced diet.
Consuming too many carbohydrates, processed and sugar-heavy foods obviously have a negative impact on our bodies, but they also vastly affect our mental well-being. Studies in the bestselling book "The Glucose Revolution" by Jessie Inchauspe suggest that high blood sugar levels and rapidly rising and lowering levels like riding an emotional rollercoaster can make us anxious and depressed.
Meanwhile, certain nutritional deficiencies and other health issues such as hypothyroidism can also lead to depression. So it is important to have regular blood tests done to see if we have any hormonal imbalance.
Nutritional deficiencies, especially Vitamin D, B12 and Magnesium can all have negative effects on our mental state of being. Yet supplements such as fish oil with Essential Fatty Acids can be extremely beneficial in lifting moods.
Not getting enough sleep can be extremely detrimental to our health, leading to mental health issues and autoimmune and other diseases described in the book "Why We Sleep" by a renowned expert on the subject Matthew Walker. "Sleep Unplugged," is a podcast by author Dr. Chris Winter, that explores and suggests every way for improving sleep quality.
The human quest for happiness has always been an age-old question. However, there are more and more recent findings that point to a few more factors to having a happy mind other than only feeling physically fit. Concepts such as collective effervescence, which is the essence of taking part in a shared experience (such as a concert) can work to lift our spirits.
Another concept that evokes joy is the feeling of “awe” in the surroundings around us. In other words, going outside and discovering the world with a sense of childlike wonder and appreciating what nature and humanity have accomplished. Being grateful for what we have is a big one, and giving to others without thought of any outcome has also been proven to make us feel extremely joyous and satisfied with life. These methods and the doctors and authors who have written about them have been visitors on the podcast "Feel Better, Live More" by multiple bestselling's author and general practitioner Dr. Rangan Chatterjee, who has made it his mission to enlighten people on ways to feel good.
The common thread that most studies on happiness concur with is that social connection has the most positive impact on life satisfaction. This makes sense as after all, we are social animals that have inherently always lived in packs. Yet our modern lifestyles continue to make us increasingly self-sufficient, and thus we spent more time alone.
Sometimes it's challenging to find the right social environment and close-knit group of buddies, which any expat can attest to. However, fulfilling social interaction does not need to be limited to friends. Studies show that almost any form of social interaction, such as with local vendors, neighbors, or on public transport, for example, can greatly lift moods. So, get outdoors, go for a walk, or visit the farmers' market and seek opportunities to be chatty and cheerful with those you meet.
Social media, which many believe to be a relaxing endeavor is anything but that. Many studies on well-being attest to the fact that comparing oneself with others can evoke feelings of dissatisfaction with life. Unfortunately, social media has turned into a showroom for everyone else’s idealistic albeit edited lifestyles.
Not only can we be inactive for hours as we stalk other’s adventures, but we may be also comparing our lives to those who have carefully curated, if not creatively created the dream existence that may only exist online. Not only are we fixating on how others live, which may not even be realistic representations, but we consider the activity of scrolling as being restful or social, neither of which is true.
One of the most popular podcasts ever produced is the Huberman Lab, which delves into the chemistry in our brains and bodies on a variety of thought-provoking topics and is presented by Neuroscientist Andrew Huberman.
One of his tips on how to be happy is creating what is called “Synthetic Happiness," which involves setting up the conditions, such as your surroundings, environment, mindsets and activities that we know will make us feel better. Studies also showed that such self-curated happiness was found to actually make people feel even happier than any other form of the feeling. So, the bottom line is to raise our spirits. We can start by implementing these tactics that are readily available to us and known to make us feel better when times get tough.
