The REAL cause of most of our sleep woes. Emotional and Mental Health

The REAL cause of most of our sleep woes. Emotional and Mental Health

‘A tortured mind will always struggle to sleep’

For most of my life, I considered the word mental health to be something that affects others, not me. 

The reality is, many people need to have a breakdown until they finally take their mental health seriously.

I see time and time again Emotional wellness (mental health) is the leading cause of poor sleep. 

Yet despite this. How many times do you see 'sleep experts' talking about mental health?

In short, very rarely.

Why?

  • It's not sexy
  • It doesn't get clicks
  • It's hard to explain and is very subjective

Even if you are convinced you have no issues with your mental health, I ask you to explore this possibility. 

Mental health isn’t something you have or don’t have.

It’s a scale from 1-10.

Mental Health curve

The distribution on this scale is like the above, it is a bell curve. Nearly no one is a 10 and nearly no one is a 1.

If you want a funny comparison, think about attractive people. The reality is most people are a 4,5 or 6. Not many people are a 10 and not many are a 1. Our mental health will have a similar distribution.

Now accept the possibility that this scale isn’t set in stone. You will move across it during your life, both up and down. Based on what you do and what happens to you.

With this in mind, unless you are sure you are a 10, ie, you had the perfect childhood, perfect genetics, your life is perfect (likely not if your sleep isn’t great) and your health is perfect. Then I hope I’ve convinced you to take this chapter seriously. 

More interested in long-form video content? This might be for you.

3 Common issues when it comes to addressing mental health?

  1. The boomer/older generations and more conservative cultures that don't recognize mental health and see a stigma around it.
  2. People who just say 'See a psychologist'. It's the safe answer. But let's be totally honest. When has a psychologist ever asked you about your diet, exercise, given you a hormone test, looked at your sleep, looked at your genetics or looked at your goals?
  3. The opposite side that say mental health isn't real and therapy is a con. Ie Andrew Tate 'Just lift some weights bro'.

My opinion? We need a holistic approach if we want to address the real problems of mental health.

1st practical step.

See mental health as a benefit. No matter what you want in life, I guarantee you will get more of it if you have better mental health.

Looking good? Better mental health makes dieting and working out easier and more enjoyable.

Making money? Better mental health means better decisions, being seen in a better light and people will more likely trust you.

Getting the attention of the opposite sex? Better mental health will make you come across better, be more charming/witty and give you a chance to keep this person as a longer-term partner. 

The benefits are endless. 

Common signs that your mental health is affecting your sleep?

  • You’ve recently had a traumatic event.
  • You had issues in childhood that were never fully explored.
  • You have a high amount of stress due to work or family commitments.
  • You are often worrying about things before sleep or when you wake up.
  • You find you have a lot of inner dialog during the day of which a lot of it is negative.
  • You feel a deep sense within you that something isn’t right. You can’t quite understand what it is, but it’s a daily feeling or sense within you. 
  • You are often waking up in the middle of the night and then struggle to get back to sleep.

What can impact your mental health?

Your:

  • Diet
  • Sleep
  • Exercise
  • Therapy
  • Thoughts
  • Hormones
  • Limiting beliefs
  • Relationships and social skills
  • Position in the social hierarchy
  • Security and financial well-being
  • Attachment style and childhood traumas

Practical steps?

All of the above can seem very overwhelming. But remember.

'We are not looking for perfection, we are looking for improvement.'

If you can do a tiny step forward on any of the above. That is a tiny but meaningful step forward to improving your mental health.

I share more depth on this in this video.

Next newsletter I will delve more into the practical steps.

If you found this valuable, please share with others who might need it. I certainly could have done with it 4 years ago!

It's refreshing to see someone tackling the real issues that affect our well-being head-on. Mental health is often swept under the rug, but it's crucial for our overall health and productivity. Looking forward to gaining some valuable insights from your upcoming newsletters and YouTube videos! Keep up the great work in spreading awareness.

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Addressing mental health openly and honestly is indeed rare in our society, often overshadowed by more tangible or sensational topics. Yet, its significance cannot be overstated. Understanding the intricacies of mental health requires a nuanced approach, one that acknowledges its complexity and individuality. Breaking the stigma starts with conversations like these, shedding light on the importance of prioritizing mental well-being.

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Penney J Holmlund

Are you a New Mom Struggling with Breastfeeding and transitioning in becoming a New Mom? Do you wish things could be different? Let's see how I can best support you. See my link below to have a Mommy Oasis Call.

8mo

Thanks for your content, looking forward to more. Your right it may not be a " sexy" topic but most medical, important topics may not be

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Heikki Siltanen

Helping companies with Strategic Financial Planning and Resource Allocation 💹 Finance Professional 💎 Social Entrepreneur 🎤 Speaker & Trainer

8mo

Sleep is grossly underrated way of improving health and quality of life. What makes things worse are the attitudes; people sound proud when they tell how badly or little they have slept

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Andrew Rusher

High Performance Trainer | Former Accountant | Fitness Model

8mo

I struggle to sleep a lot of the time because my mind is in overdrive with work etc.. so been focusing on finding ways to wind down before bed and this helps. Sometimes it’s inescapable but good to know 🤝🏼🙌🏼. Well highlighted!

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