Psychologist Shamshurina explained how to maintain mental health.

      Mental health is as important a component of human life as physical health. It is given to every person at birth, but throughout life we can both strengthen and undermine it. Medical psychologist Svetlana Shamshurina spoke about which factors support psychological resilience and which, on the contrary, destroy it.

      Sleep and daily routine – the foundation of inner balance

      According to the specialist, the key condition for mental well‑being is a proper sleep‑wake cycle. Nighttime sleep should last at least seven to eight hours. It is important to fall asleep before midnight — ideally, the midpoint of sleep should fall between midnight and 2 a.m. The body should wake up naturally, without a sudden awakening by an alarm clock.

      If during the day you feel like taking a short nap, you should not resist it, since a brief daytime sleep of up to two hours will help restore energy. However, the psychologist emphasizes that sleeping in the evening, especially from 5 to 7 p.m., is undesirable: it disrupts biological rhythms.

      Movement and rest

      Svetlana Shamshurina notes that it is extremely important for mental health to combine mental and physical exertion. Regular physical activity helps maintain the balance between excitation and inhibition processes in the nervous system, improves circulation and the metabolism of neurotransmitters — dopamine, serotonin, norepinephrine.

      It was noticed even in ancient times that people engaged in physical labor recovered more quickly from mental illnesses. The most accessible preventive measure is daily physical exercise, at least 30 minutes twice a day.

      It is no less important to pay attention to rest. Even if work is not stressful, the body needs time to reboot. It is sufficient to take short breaks every one to two hours and to set aside at least one day a week for full rest.

      Inner growth and satisfaction of needs

      The psychologist emphasizes: spiritual development is an important resource for psychological resilience. Reflections on good and evil, searches for the meaning of life, acceptance of the inevitability of death, and questions of faith — all of this help a person relate to life consciously and strengthen their inner world.

      In addition, a person should satisfy natural, healthy needs: social interaction, work, education, family, intimate life, and experiencing pleasure. Ignoring or distorting these areas negatively affects the psyche.

      Svetlana Shamshurina also refuted the common belief that stress must be completely eliminated from life. According to her, short‑term stress, on the contrary, helps adaptation and strengthens the psyche. Only chronic stress is dangerous, when the body remains in a state of tension for a long time.

      What destroys mental health

      According to the specialist, everything opposite to the factors described above harms the psyche — disruption of sleep patterns, lack of physical activity, insufficient rest, and avoidance of stressful situations.

      In addition, the following have a negative impact:

      • use of psychoactive substances. Even small amounts of alcohol harm the nervous system, and smoking depletes excitatory processes in the brain;

      • use of drugs, which cause artificial mental disorders — from depression to schizophrenia;

      • information overload. An excess of new information first causes overexcitement, and then exhaustion of the nervous system;

      • lying, loneliness, destructive relationships, and ignoring one’s own needs;

      • refusal of preventive medical check‑ups.

      Shamshurina also drew attention to the fact that diseases of internal organs directly affect mental state. Diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and oncological diseases disrupt the functioning of blood vessels and brain neurons, and therefore affect the psyche. Therefore it is important to detect and treat somatic diseases in a timely manner. Direct brain injuries are no less dangerous — traumatic brain injuries, strokes, cerebral infarctions. They destroy neurons, which inevitably affects a person’s mental state.

      Earlier the psychologist advised residents of Nizhny Novgorod to breathe and listen to podcasts in traffic jams.

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