Issue #33 ·
Mental Health Beyond Illness: Vivek Murthy on Healing
🧠 On what kind of stress is good for you, how to think about your mental well being, getting enough sunlight and whether saunas can help tropical people
This week in building health
Vivek Murthy - How to Be a Healer
Last week, I wrote about how loneliness is becoming one of the most damaging and under-acknowledged issues in our society today. I shared this big and extensive report on loneliness.
By pure coincidence, the author of that report Vivek Murthy showed up on my favorite podcast- On Being with Krista Tippett
Here are some of my key takeaways from it
There is a lack of language to describe the positive side of mental health
When we talk about mental health these days, it always goes to the idea that there’s something wrong.
Even though we were well-meaning in trying to help those who struggle, the language takes on a negative image.
We don't want to think that mental health is just the absence of distress. We don't even know how to talk about the other side of beyond just the absence of distress.
One term that I’ve been toying around with is ‘mental fitness.’
That way it can communicate being mentally strong and capable to do what we need to do.
Broadening Our Understanding of Mental Health and Well-Being
It’s also important to think about who’s responsible for mental health and well-being.
The way we think about mental health is a proxy for talking about severe depression and anxiety. And by extension, then, we think that all mental health problems just require having more psychiatrists and therapists, and then we would solve it.
Once again, the way our culture has boxed in mental health makes it seem like the problem for therapists and similar professionals.
But the truth is that everyone is responsible for building up mental health. It’s parents, coaches, friends, teachers, and classmates.
Just as we would sound the alarm if someone wasn’t taking care of their body, we all have to play a role for watching over the mental health of our community.
A better understanding of mental health
In the end, being mentally healthy means that you’re able to be a good member of your community.
Our mental health in my mind is the fuel that allows us to be and do what we do, to show up for our family, for our friends, for our workplaces, for our communities.
And if that tank is empty, you know, we may not have a diagnosable mental illness, but we won't be functioning anywhere near our full capacity.
We’ve lapsed into sadness, into despair, into anger.
It’s think this is richer than just asking “are you depressed?” and “do you need professional help?”
It’s a beautiful episode and I encourage you to listen to the whole thing in full
My favorite health things for the week
// one
The two sides of stress: distress and eustress
5 minutes | Anne-Laure Le Cunff
Not all stress is bad for you!
It’s tempting to try and eliminate all stress from your life, but that can limit your chances for growth, learning, and development.
Here’s an excerpt:
In short, distress results in anxiety; eustress is exciting. Distress leads to procrastination, while eustress is a source of motivation. Overall, distress has a negative impact on performance. On the other hand, eustress acts as a performance enhancer.
// two
How Vitamin D adds to Whole Body Health
11 minutes | Life Extension
As our lives become more and more digital, and more and more indoor, it’s not surprise Vitamin D deficiency is going up.
In the U.S., 35% of adults are vitamin D-deficient. This rate is even higher in the elderly and other high-risk groups, such as those with darker skin color.
One of the main reasons is lack of sunlight.
For the body to produce vitamin D, we need direct skin exposure to sunlight. The energy from the sun is the critical ingredient that converts precursor compounds into the biologically active vitamin.
A quick reminder to get your daily dose of Vitamin D
// three
Sauna Use: Implications for Aging and the Brain
7 minutes | Dr. Rhonda Patrick
I’ve bumped into this idea before, but it’s recently crossed my radar again.
It’s about the sauna and how using it can simulate the effects of exercising.
If you exercise regularly, you’ve probably recognized that the physiological responses to sauna use are remarkably similar to those experienced during moderate- to vigorous-intensity exercise. For example, during moderate-temperature sauna bathing sessions, your heart rate may increase up to 100 beats per minute. Turn the heat up, and your heart rate may increase up to 150 beats per minute, similar to the increases observed during moderate- to vigorous-intensity physical exercise.
It’s interesting, but also raises the question for me if this applies to people that live in tropical climates like myself.
Thanks for reading!
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Until next week,