Six essential holistic tips from Diana Danielle to boost mental wellness

MALAYSIAN actress and singer Diana Danielle believes that true mental wellness cannot be achieved through a one-size-fits-all approach as she advocates for a multi-disciplinary, holistic strategy—one that treats the body, mind, and soul as deeply interconnected.

For Diana, mental health is not a standalone issue. It is intricately tied to one’s physical habits, diet, environment, and even spiritual state.

As she asserted, a balanced, multi-faceted and holistic approach is more effective because the body and mind rely on all systems working together, neglecting one part can impact the whole.

This means that healing must come from all angles—physical health, nutrition, sleep, environment, and even emotional awareness.

Food, gut, and the psyche

Diana draws a direct line between dietary choices and emotional well-being. While many often separate mental health from food, Diana shares the dangers of overlooking this connection.

“The adverse effects of bad food is actually quite detrimental to your mental health if you really think about it.

"Having too much sugar, sugary food, salty food, spicy food, and processed food—they're all going to directly impact your psyche, because when your gut is impacted, your brain is also impacted,” she said.

She believes that good nutrition isn’t just about fitness—it’s crucial to maintaining mood stability, energy, and clarity.

An apple a day

While professional help is vital, Diana encourages people to not treat it as the sole solution.

“If you want to heal, you don't just look at the aspect of going to a doctor as the ‘be all and end all’ stop.

You need to look at all of these different habits and everything that coexist to make you who you are today,” she noted.

This includes lifestyle factors such as who you spend time with, the environment you live in, and your day-to-day routines. According to Diana, every aspect of your life plays a role in your mental state.

As Diana Danielle asserted, a balanced, multi-faceted and holistic approach is more effective because the body and mind rely on all systems working together — neglecting one part can impact the whole.

Movement as medicine

When dealing with emotional fatigue or mental fog, turning to physical activity is highly encouraged as a form of healing.

“Being aware of your body's needs and actually feeding it the love it needs will do you wonders rather than just looking at things in one perspective,” Diana said.

She shares how she transitions from walking to jogging and then to pilates and noting that this gradual progression in movement not only boosts her energy but also resets her mental state.

The role of sleep and structure

Many disregard healthy sleeping patterns in today's busy age where time is deceptively short, especially in indulging simple personal joys such as eating good and sleeping well.

As such, sleep is another key pillar of Diana’s holistic philosophy as she shares how poor sleeping habits have affected her well-being.

“If I'm the type that sleeps at 3.00am and I would have to wake up at 6.00am every morning, it's just not sustainable,” she clarified.

Recognising that fatigue negatively impacted her productivity and emotional balance, she made it a priority to change this habit—starting with small, realistic steps.

Faith and inner growth

As a practising Muslim, Diana also finds strength in faith and intentional living.

“As a Muslim, you are taught to be someone who thinks deeply and thinks with intention.

So if you apply that to being intentional about everything that you do, then you can really look at the and pinpoint all the things that you can improve on,” she said.

This reflective mindset, according to Diana, helps identify unhelpful patterns and allows space for healing and transformation.

One step at a time

In the busy era of today, many are quick to compare life journeys with one another, hoping to swiftly "catch-up" if they fee that they are being left behind.

However, Diana stressed the importance of patience in any healing journey.

“You need to be patient with yourself because how you got to where you are could be because of habits that you have probably cultivated or had since you were a child,” she advised.

She also recommended working on one or two habits at a time, especially those that directly affect energy and focus, such as reducing excessive carb intake or fixing inconsistent sleep cycles.

These minor changes, would ultimately make a major difference in how we function mentally and emotionally.