Editor’s Note: This story is Part 1 of a 2-part series recapping our favorite health tips from 2024. Part 1 focuses on tips for enjoying an active lifestyle.

Ring in the New Year with a fresh focus on mental health with these tips from local providers.

Talk with your provider: If you’re struggling with anxiety or depression, your primary care physician can be a good place to start. Treatment often includes a mix of medication and behavioral health therapy.

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“A lot of people are embarrassed and don’t want to go on medication. I like sharing the data with them that more than 10 percent of patients are on mood medications at some point,” said Dr. Catherine Marmillo, a family medicine physician and a member of the medical staff at UCHealth Yampa Valley Medical Center. “We know how to help you. It’s nothing to be ashamed of.”

Know how to deal with crisis incidents: During a crisis, the sympathetic nervous system takes over, readying the body for a fight, flight or freeze response. But that stress can continue even after the crisis passes, showing up as a range of symptoms, such as headaches, increased heart rate, fatigue, confusion, withdrawal from others and intense anger.

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“That can be a pretty difficult place to live for a while,” said Molly Lotz, a licensed clinical social worker and crisis support counselor at UCHealth Yampa Valley Medical Center.

But there is hope: little steps such as connecting with a friend or loved one, drinking a cold glass of water, squeezing the back of the neck, spending time outside and practicing deep breathing may help regulate the nervous system.

“If we’re in fight, flight or freeze, our body doesn’t allow us to take deep breaths,” Lotz said. “If we can cue the brain to breathe deeply, it helps us feel safe.”

Most importantly, don’t hesitate to seek additional help if symptoms start impacting your regular life.

Foster a positive relationship with food: While it may be tempting to start the year with lofty weight loss goals, Skylar Weir, a clinical dietitian at UCHealth Yampa Valley Medical Center, encourages patients to focus on building a more positive relationship with food. To start, avoid labelling foods as either “good” or “bad.”

“Many people think carbs are bad, veggies are good, proteins are safe, and fats are scary,” Weir said. Instead, she encourages them to see carbs as energizers, vegetables as support, proteins as builders and fats as protectors.

“Switching our perception that foods are either good or bad, and instead viewing them as neutral, allows us to more intuitively choose foods based on how they make us feel,” Weir said.

Weir also encourages patients to focus on “nutrition by addition” — instead of restricting foods, find ways to increase overall nutrition, such as by adding fiber, antioxidants, healthy fats or proteins.

By boosting the quality, nutrition and enjoyment of their meals, people interested in weight loss or weight management may be surprised to find more success than with restrictive diets.

“Usually I get feedback like, ‘Wow, I feel like I have more energy, my mood is improved, I feel more connected to my community and am more present,'” Weir said. “Joy is a nutrient, too. Food is a big part of being human, and we want to remind ourselves it’s OK to feel a sense of joy from food.”

Keep tabs on mental health in pregnancy: “Depression and anxiety can occur both during and after pregnancy and have been stigmatized in the past,” said Miranda Salky, a certified nurse midwife at UCHealth Women’s Care Clinic in Steamboat Springs. “Now, people are much more open to talking about it — we want them to realize they are not alone.”

One in eight parents may experience post-partum depression, which may result in overwhelming sadness, difficulty completing everyday tasks, difficulty bonding with the baby or others, persistent anxiety, lack of interest in anything and more. Salky encourages patients to share any concerns with their provider.

“While there are certain contributors that put people at a higher risk, we know it can happen to anyone and there’s no shame or judgment in it,” said Salky. “We want to get people the help and support they need. One of the first steps is being open and willing to share what’s going on during a pregnancy.”

Susan Cunningham writes for UCHealth Yampa Valley Medical Center. She can be reached at cunninghamsbc@gmail.com.