Mental Wellbeing Support
What can help with mood, stress and emotional regulation?
Welcome to our dedicated section for those seeking valuable resources to support mental wellbeing. Here, you’ll find a wealth of information, including:
- insightful blogs addressing strategies to improve mental wellbeing, mood and emotional dysregulation
- supportive supplements
- therapists who can offer invaluable one to one advice and support mental wellbeing.
Please read through the sections below, and feel free to explore them in any order that suits your preferences and needs. However, we strongly recommend initiating your journey with the diet, nutrition, and supplements advice, as food and diet are the foundation for good mental health and overall well-being.
1. Diet, Nutrition, and Supplements
A good diet is fundamental to mental health and overall wellbeing. We know that eating poorly is bad for our physical health, but poor nutrition is also bad for your brain. And what’s bad for your brain is bad for your mental health.
Our brains require up to 40% of the glucose and nutrients that we consume in our diet. Therefore, to make sure our brains function as efficiently as possible, we need to make sure we are feeding it what it requires.
The foods we eat affect gene expression and regulation. This influences all cell signalling throughout the brain and nervous system and so it is a key factor influencing mood, behaviour, and the ability to learn. So, improving your nutrition can be a simple and effective way to improve mental wellbeing. Learn more about this in our blog article: What constitutes a healthy diet?
There is abundant evidence from observational, experimental and clinical trials showing that nutrition and diet can affect:
- the mood and behaviour problems associated with ASD, ADHD and related conditions
- many of the physical health problems that co-occur with these conditions at significantly elevated rates – reflecting the established links between gut, immune system and brain health.
Read more about this in our blog article, written by the world-renowned Dr Alex Richardson: Why Children’s Diets Matter for their Mood and Behaviour
To understand how certain foods might affect your or your child’s mood, behaviour and sleep, try keeping a food and mood diary for a few weeks. You can use our food and mood diary template, a notebook, a dedicated app, or take photos of each meal to record this information. This information can offer insights for both you and your nutritionist to guide dietary adjustments aimed at enhancing mood and wellbeing:
Encouraging any child to enjoy a ‘healthy, well-balanced diet’ can be quite a task on its own. However, when it comes to children with ASD, ADHD, or related conditions, the added challenges of managing mood, behavior, and attention make this extremely challenging. To make this task even more difficult, feeding or eating disorders are thought to affect as many as 60-90% of ASD children [1], and almost one third of those with ADHD [2]. Therefore, professional help from a registered nutritionist or dietician may be beneficial to help support you, or your child.
Feeding or eating disorders, metabloic issues, or other factors may contribute to micronutrient deficiencies. Clinical and population studies show that dietary and tissue deficiencies in any essential micronutrients are more common in children with behavioural problems like ADHD or ASD than matched controls. Detailed US studies from a leading clinical centre have shown multiple essential micronutrient deficiencies in the blood of ASD children versus controls. Importantly, they have also shown that a comprehensive program of supplementation and dietary changes can improve nutritional status, general health, as well as mood and behaviour, in such children. Subsequently, supplementation may be of benefit to those who are deficient.[3]
Examples of common deficiencies include:
- Deficiencies of the long-chain omega-3 fats (found in fish and seafood, and vital to the normal structure and function of the brain and nervous system) are widespread, and associated with symptoms of ADHD[4][5], ASD [4][6] anxiety, depression, aggression and self-harm.
- Vitamin D deficiencies are also common in all children – but have repeatedly been linked with autism [6][7], ADHD [8], depression and related conditions, and with poorer motor, language and cognitive development in the general population.
View our list of supplements that may benefit individuals who are struggling with mood and behaviour issues. Please note that we recommend that you work with a registered nutritionist before starting any supplements to ensure the best results:
Articles that may interest you
The importance of micronutrients in relation to mental health
Learn more about how food affects mood, including information about the SMILES trial. This trial showed how adults were able to improve depression through a healthier diet, and in some cases put it into remission.
Understand the potential impact of ultra-processed foods on your mood, and simple swaps to help improve your mental wellbeing.
This article sheds light on the complex relationship between ADHD and two of the msot common mental health conditions: anxiety and depression.
Autism, Anxiety, and Depression
This article explores both depression and anxiety within the context of autism, drawing on key insights from public health information and research evidence.
2. Behaviour and Play Therapy
All behaviour is a form of communication. We all experience this and express ourselves in different ways, at different times, depending on our mood. Behaviour and play therapy can be used to teach social, communication, academic, and general life skills. It can also be used to support feeding and sleep issues, and to help reduce aggressive, and self-injurous behaviour.
Learn how behaviour therapy can help support mood and emotional issues:
Alternatively, if you require one-to-one support you can arrange a consultation with one of our behaviour therapists:
3. Mindfulness
When we are anxious or stressed, our body’s sympathetic nervous system triggers the “fight-or-flight” response, often leading to rapid breathing and increased heart rate. By engaging in specific breathing exercises, we can activate the parasympathetic nervous system, which helps to induce relaxation and a state of calm. Read our blog and discover how easy-to-learn breathing techniques can enhance improve wellbeing and reduce anxiety and stress levels:
Additionally, learn more about how MBCT (Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy) and MBSR (Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction) can help support mental health issues, including stress, anxiety, and depression in our blog post:
4. Occupational Therapy
Occupational therapists support individuals with various mental health conditions, such as depression and anxiety. They enable individuals to participate in daily activities that offer a sense of purpose and and promote recovery.
These therapists help people identify their personal goals and necessary activities. They assist in pinpointing areas where skill development is needed and evaluate how the environment either supports or hinders progress toward achieving these goals.
Occupational therapists can also assist with calming techniques to help at school, work and at home.
5. Reflexology
Clinical Reflexology is a holistic, non-invasive therapy, which can work independently or alongside conventional medical care to help the body to re-balance and begin its own healing process. Understand how reflexology can provide relief from stress and anxiety in our blog article:
Or, schedule a sesssion with a clinical reflexologist to help improve overall wellbeing:
5. Self-Help Guidance
Identifying and monitoring when feelings of anxiety or depression occur can be useful in coming up with solutions to minimise distress. For example, being aware of increased stress or depleted energy levels following social interactions might remind someone to recharge or take some alone time to engage in activities they enjoy.
There are also other self-help and practical strategies that might support someone facing mental health difficulties within the context of ADHD and autism, such as:
- Experiment with relaxation activities & self-soothing
Practicing relaxation techniques, such as meditation, progressive muscle relaxation, visualisation, and deep-breathing exercises can help reduce stress and anxiety by slowing the heart rate, reducing muscle tension, and boosting concentration and mood[xiii]. Engaging in activities that you enjoy, whether it is something creative like painting, or gentle movement like yoga, might help to self-soothe and buffer negative emotions. Learn more about relaxation techniques in our blog post: The Benefits of Breathing techniques for People with Neurodiverse Conditions
- Increasing physical acivitiy
Research has consistently found that exercise can lower symptoms of anxiety[xiv]. Activities such as playing sports or running can also serve as a valuable outlet for excess energy for individuals with ADHD, which might aid in improved focus and attention, and may improve mood by promoting the release of endorphins.
- Breaking down tasks
Splitting bigger tasks into smaller, more manageable steps may help to alleviate feelings of overwhelm that can contribute to anxiety. Taking this sort of action can also support productivity and promote a sense of accomplishment, which may in turn lift mood and even self-esteem and confidence. This method is relatively universal as it can be for any task, whether it is a large domestic chore at home, or a project at work or school.
- Daily structure and rountine
Using a visual schedule or an organisation mobile app may help buffer against issues of disorganisation that may contribute to mental stress. Introducing methods of time-tracking, or other tools to help individuals with ADHD effectively manage their time, can support time awareness and act as reminders to stay on task.
- Fostering a sense of acceptance
If you can help people to feel relaxed and comfortable being themselves, they are less likely to be consciously concerned about ‘masking’ their neurodivergent traits, which may reduce their stress. Facilitating training sessions or workshops to educate the public or employees about ADHD can also increase awareness around ADHD-related challenges, to foster empathy and understanding within both home and work environments. It can also reduce any stigma around the condition that may be contributing to their mental burden.
- Making adaptions to the environment
This could relate to facilitating the use of flexible work schedules or work-from-home options, which can help to accommodate for fluctuations in mood and energy levels and help individuals manage their workload during times of stress or low mood. Trying to have access to designated quiet spaces for retreat during times of overwhelm or anxiety, could also be useful, as could the use of comfortable seating, minimal noise and soft, natural lighting, to create a more soothing environment.
- Eating a healthy well-balanced diet
A balanced diet, which is rich in nutrients, supports optimal brain function and provide the essential building blocks for neurotransmitters important for mood regulation. Moreover, maintaining stable blood sugar levels through nutritious meals can help mitigate against rapid dips in energy, as well as buffer against mood swings or drops in attention and focus.
For further information please see point number one – diet, nutrition, and supplements
To continue reading this section please see our blog posts, written by nutritionist, and psychologist, Hazel De Maeijer:
6. Trauma Therapy
There has been growing recognition of the relationship between trauma and ADHD/ASD as cognitive and emotional difficulties occur with both. Children that have experienced trauma can present with a wide range of developmental issues, anger control and behaviour problems, anxiety, depression, and additional learning needs. There are multiple studies showing the inextricable link between ASD, ADHD and trauma, with trauma worsening ADHD symptoms and ADHD complicating the effects of trauma. To find out more about this please view our blog article:
References
[5] Konigs et al, 2016 Critical appraisal of omega-3 fatty acids in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder treatment. Neuropschiatric Disease and Treament. 2016 Jul 26:12:1869-82
[6] Mazahery H, Conlon CA, Beck KL, et al. A Randomised-Controlled Trial of Vitamin D and Omega-3 Long Chain Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids in the Treatment of Core Symptoms of Autism Spectrum Disorder in Children. J Autism Dev Disord. 2019;49(5):1778-1794.
[7] Siracusano et al, 2020 Vitamin D Deficiency and Autism Spectrum Disorder. Current Phamaceutical Design. 2020;26(21):2460-2474
[8] Khoshbakht et al, 2018 Vitamin D Status and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Observational Studies. Advances in Nutrition. 2018 Jan 1;9(1):9-20
Important – This information is for insight and educational purposes. Identifying with any symptoms or experiences mentioned should not be taken as a substitute for a formal or clinical diagnosis of these complex conditions, nor the specific support required to support a particular individual. Please talk to a qualified health professional or GP for specific support. If you are thinking about ending your life, please call 999 (UK) or go to A&E and ask for the contact of the nearest crisis resolution team.