At Osana, we focus on emotional well being as much as physical health. We use a validated mental health survey called the K10 score in all our members, repeated every 6 months. Any deterioration in symptoms results in proactive support by our team of GPs and psychologists, together with our Health Assistants, coaches, exercise physio, dietitians and allied health clinicians. Overall we have seen K10 scores increase (get worse) during Covid.
K10 scores are correlated with mental illness, obesity, diabetes, cancer, autoimmune disease, heart disease and high blood pressure.
Here is a diagram of research-backed ways to manage stress and improve mind health in order to reduce K10 scores: Mind health
In addition to seeing your GP, a psychologist and using medications for mental illness, the following lifestyle measures have been proven to help:
- Music
- Mindfulness
- Longer and better quality sleep (without sedation)
- Yoga
- Accupressure (physical pressure on accupucture points in the body)
- Daily exercise
- Self-management (identifying sources of stress and problem-solving ways to reduce) – here’s a guide
- Gardening
- Sex
- Friends
- Prayer
- Gratitude
- Hobbies
- Having a dog
- Reading
- Singing
- Forest bathing (ecotherapy – getting back to nature)
How are you spending time in lock down?
References:
- https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/stress-management/in-depth/stress-symptoms/art-20050987#:~:text=Common%20effects%20of%20stress&text=Stress%20that’s%20left%20unchecked%20can,heart%20disease%2C%20obesity%20and%20diabetes.
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5137920/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4232115/
- https://www.racgp.org.au/download/Documents/AFP/2009/June/200906manocha.pdf
- https://www.mja.com.au/journal/2015/202/10/changes-psychological-distress-and-psychosocial-functioning-young-people
- http://fallsnetwork.neura.edu.au/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Williams_Meehan__Stepping-On-With-Recovery_Falls-Forum-_notes-FINAL_A-4.pdf
- https://www.orygen.org.au/Training/Resources/Brief-interventions/Toolkits/Orygen-Brief-Interventions-in-Youth-Mental-Health
- https://www.researchgate.net/publication/299539413_Individualized_yoga_for_reducing_depression_and_anxiety_and_improving_well-being_A_randomized_controlled_trial
- https://www.racgp.org.au/afpbackissues/2007/200704/200704malcolm.pdf
- https://cphce.unsw.edu.au/sites/default/files/publication_related_files/Blignault%20et%20al.%20%282019%29_Arabic%20Mindfulness%20CD.pdf
- https://www.mja.com.au/system/files/issues/195_03_010811/hid10903_fm.pdf
- https://www1.health.gov.au/internet/publications/publishing.nsf/Content/mental-pubs-m-mhsrraev-toc~mental-pubs-m-mhsrraev-7~mental-pubs-m-mhsrraev-7-2#f20
- https://www.researchgate.net/publication/324606747_Intentional_music_use_to_reduce_psychological_distress_in_adolescents_accessing_primary_mental_health_care
- https://ro.uow.edu.au/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?referer=https://www.google.com/&httpsredir=1&article=4003&context=hbspapers
- https://cphce.unsw.edu.au/sites/default/files/publication_related_files/Hasan_Access%20to%20Allied%20Psychological%20Services%20Program.pdf
- https://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12889-019-7770-5
- https://www.mentalhealth.org.nz/assets/ResourceFinder/evaluation-primary-mental-health-initiatives-summary-report-jul09.pdf
- https://academic.oup.com/milmed/article/181/11-12/e1581/4158564
- https://www.jamda.com/article/S1525-8610(19)30005-2/abstract
- https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/20428301111140930/full/html