David Johnson’s 7 Tips to Manage Your Mental Health

Though not nearly as taboo as they were in past decades, mental health disorders remain an invisible threat to everyone — no matter their age, gender or stature. Recognizing the early signs and knowing how to combat them could make a large difference in someone’s life.

As Mental Health Day approaches on Friday, October 10, local therapist and bestselling author David Johnson sat down with The Banner to share seven tips people may take to protect their minds and manage mental health disorders, including depression, anxiety and bipolar disorder.

1. Consider Medical Attention

Sometimes, feelings of depression or anxiety can arise from a larger medical issue. Hormonal imbalances and thyroid issues, for example, can cause symptoms that mimic depression. Johnson recommends making an appointment for a physical and blood work to help dispel the source of these symptoms.

On the flip side, if these feelings are the byproduct of mental health disorders, Johnson advises people to seek proper medication.

“I understand people are reluctant to take medication,” he said. “I don’t like taking medicine. Nobody likes taking medicine.”

He has found, throughout his tenure as a therapist, that sometimes symptoms can be so high that no amount of advice can affect his patients’ willpower. Medication helps bring symptoms to a level at which people can finally cognitively try the different suggestions that they talk about in therapy.

Medical prescriptions are not always a life sentence, Johnson adds. While some patients diagnosed with mental health disorders do need to take medications for the rest of their lives, some only go on medications for one period of their lives and never need to take them again. Some go on medications for different periods of their lives, when the need arises.

If prescribed medication for a mental health disorder, Johnson advises staying on the medication until cleared by a doctor.

2. Make Healthy Eating Choices

The food we eat affects everything we do. If experiencing symptoms of a mental health disorder, Johnson recommends changing up your diet.

“You know, you need to watch what you eat, watch what you drink, don’t smoke, get a little exercise. That can go a long way,” he said.

Through his research, Johnson found a connection between people’s gut health and their mental health. He recommends cutting down on processed foods and sugars to manage mood swings, depression and anxiety.

3. Exercise

Johnson likes to tell people who are depressed to get a little exercise — and he doesn’t necessarily mean they need to join a gym.

“You can just go for a walk in your yard, just around your house,” he said.

When depression sets in, Johnson said many people tend to lose motivation for physical activity. He advises fighting through the lack of ambition.

Oftentimes, getting out in the sunlight also has a major effect on a person’s mental health. Even as the days grow colder entering the winter months, Johnson suggests sitting outside or in your car on a sunny winter day to take in the sunlight if it’s too cold to take a walk.

4. Manage Your Caffeine Intake

Johnson targeted everyone’s favorite morning pick-me-up: coffee.

“Pay close attention to caffeine,” Johnson heeded. “There’s a direct link between caffeine and anxiety. Caffeine affects the part of the brain that produces anxiety.”

Johnson said he has seen a dramatic difference in patients with anxiety when they scale back or quit caffeine altogether.

While quitting caffeine cold turkey would likely cause what he referred to as “caffeine headaches,” he advises caffeine-dependent people to slowly taper down on their caffeine intake. He especially warned against ingesting energy drinks.

5. Don’t “Feed” Your Depression

This is a phrase Johnson often uses with his patients, but what does it actually mean to “feed” depression?

“You feed your depression by doing what your depression wants you to do,” said Johnson, “which is isolate, sleep a lot and avoid people.”

When you do these things, Johnson said you are doing exactly what your depression wants you to do. These actions can make depression symptoms elevate, making you feel worse.

People must make an active attempt to fight these urges in order to overcome their depression symptoms.

6. Build Intentional Sleep Habits

For people struggling with bipolar disorder, Johnson advises there is one important thing, even more important than taking medication, to pay attention to: your sleep.

“Getting too much or too little sleep will destabilize your mood and create the risk of having an episode,” Johnson said.

Johnson advises getting a healthy six to eight hours of sleep every night, even when your body begs to stay up late or hit snooze.

7. Ask What You Can Control

Johnson’s last piece of advice is to step away from your circle of influence — your family, your friends, your television, your phone — and ask what is going on that you can actually control.

A lot of the time, people see their symptoms spiking when they focus on external factors like social media, issues between friends or family, or current political situations.

“No situation is hopeless,” Johnson said. “Your feelings are real. What you feel is how you feel, but sometimes our feelings are not based on what is real. Focus on what’s real, what you can control.”

Although feelings of anxiety can make everything feel like the worst possible scenario, taking a step back and asking what can be controlled is the first step to overcoming your anxious feelings.

*Johnson is a full-time mental health counselor at Hometown Health Clinic. Also an international best-seller, Johnson has published 21 books about flawed characters overcoming complicated circumstances. Johnson’s latest book, “Ransom’s Surprise,” releases November 8.