Mental Health

by Maureen Cromey

An Acupuncturist and Chinese Medicine Expert

“Because one believes in oneself, one doesn’t try to convince others. Because one is content with oneself one doesn’t need others approval. Because one accepts oneself the whole world accepts him or her.”  
- Lao Tzu

As part of our ongoing Insider Interview series, we regularly sit down with wellness professionals across our portfolio of resorts to for detailed insights into their specialisms and how they help their clients. Today we sit down with Dr Stefania Doria of Lefay Resort and Spa Lago di Garda to talk all things holistic mental health!

What does “being healthy” actually mean? With so many mixed messages alongside ever-changing diet and fitness fads, it can be hard to know where to start. Having worked with clients of various ages, shapes, sizes, and abilities over the past few years, I'm a firm believer in finding what works for you and staying consistent; we are all different, but one mantra that rings true for us all is that what we do with and put into our bodies can have a powerful impact on our mental well-being. With that in mind let us explore how a healthy body can help you to achieve a healthy mind:

By re-connecting your mind and body with the present, the practice of meditation and mindfulness can help to work through destructive thought processes. Although these should not be viewed as an alternative to medication or therapy, there is research to suggest that mindfulness and meditation retreats may be able to help treat depression.

by Lucy Miller

A Fitness and Nutrition Expert

Exercise can work wonders for your self-esteem. Even if you don’t feel like going to the gym or going for a jog, those feel-good endorphins released by physical exercise can make such a difference to your mood and confidence.

And if it feels too daunting to start with then why not set small, realistic goals? Even the tiniest accomplishments can help to boost your self-esteem, so set modest, short-term goals for yourself. Try turning your bigger targets into smaller, more tangible goals. Always hoped to run half a marathon? Start by challenging yourself to a 5K, then move up from there.

How are you feeling? No, really, can you pause reading this text for a moment and ask yourself what is going on inside of yourself? What is happening with you at this moment?

The key to your mental and spiritual well-being is to slowly but surely become your own therapist, your own guru.

The mind and body have an intimate bond – the way you think or feel can have a profound impact on your physical health. Your body has specific ways of responding to different emotions. When upset or under stress, your body reacts, telling you that something isn’t quite right. Call it evolutionary advantage; a physical manifestation waving a red flag when something inside you goes haywire. On the downside, when left unchecked, this opens us up to a number of health risks, with some more detrimental than others.

Of course, there’s always a way to cultivate and maintain a healthy emotional balance in our lives. Negative emotions cause negative effects in our bodies and in the same vein, good feelings and positive emotions have positive and therapeutic effects, with the potential to heal us and make us healthier and happier inside out. Diving deeper into the topic, we explore the mind-body connection and its relation to our health.

Slowly but surely, we as a society are removing the unfair stigmatism that surrounds mental health issues and those who suffer from them. According to recent statistics from 2020, one in four people in the UK will experience some form of mental health issue over the course of a year, with one in six suffering from a common mental health problem weekly. So, what are these mental health problems? Some of the main contenders include anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder to name but a few on a vast list of varying conditions. Today we want to shine the spotlight on the importance of mental health self-care, it is imperative that the conversation continues on this topic so that we might all live happier, healthier lives for body and mind.

Sometimes in life, it can all get just a little bit too much. You’re constantly trying to keep your head above water, battling with stressful situations, attempting to solve everyone else’s problems and all the while neglecting your own sanity. It’s time to stop. So relax, and take back time for yourself with our best healthy holidays for a mental detox.

Over the course of the last year, we have seen the engagements in our calendars rescheduled and eventually shelved indefinitely. From small everyday events like a cup of coffee with a friend or a trip to the gym to international events such as the Olympics, our routines came to a halt in an indiscriminatory way – nobody has been free from the effects of the pandemic. Given the frequently changing lockdowns and tiers, it’s easy to see how our perception of time has completely changed. It has meant many of us do not know where the virus year/s have gone. It is hugely down to the fact we separate time with distinguishing occasions – ‘the summer my son had his graduation’ or ‘it was the year we went to Dubai’… Without occasions, one day merely leans into the next, and the next, forming no memories.

On a slightly more optimist note, whether COVID-19 entered our lives or not, there are so many mental health and wellness benefits of having a holiday to look forward to which include:

Today we’re going to be looking at some of the best mental health retreats around the world for men. Primarily, how they might be able help you or someone close to you recover from or tackle any mental health issues they may be dealing with, for a brighter, healthier future. Did you know, The Mental Health Foundation found that in England around 1 in 8 men suffer from common mental health issues such as depression, anxiety, panic disorder or obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)? 

It is so often that we hear of people taking “mental health” days or breaks - but what does this actually mean? For some, this can mean a relaxing day on the couch or a simple day off! At Health and Fitness Travel, ourwellness holidays are structured and are multi-faceted. The purpose of a mental health retreat is to detoxify the mind and body of stress and tension, and each element of our retreats has a significant effect on your mental health.  

The past year has been like no other; social restrictions have distanced us from family and friends, we have been ripped from our normal routines and it often feels like we are fighting a losing battle. Anxiety levels are at an all-time high, as well as feelings of hopelessness and depression. Many of us have lost jobs and loved ones to coronavirus and it is easy to feel our mental health slipping as the effects of the pandemic impactanother year of our lives.

Nutrition, meditation, and exercise are all very effective methods of sustaining a healthy mindset, but it doesn’t work for everyone. Some can’t stay quiet long enough to meditate, others eat relatively healthy but still suffer symptoms. The diversity of the human race is our virtue, and sometimes this virtue calls for us to individualise our approach to health.

Everyone gets excited at the thought of a holiday, be it a sunshine escape to Spain, a winter break in Italy or an indulgent retreat in the Maldives, nobody’s going to refuse a break from the UK weather, are they? Although you might not need persuading when it comes to booking a wellness retreat, we’re looking into the reasons as to why holidays are important for our mental and physical health, and how an escape from your usual routine could be a wellbeing boosting experience that will solve your problems.