Mental health is at last getting the focus it deserves and people are taking it seriously. Just like we all need to exercise, we all need to focus on keeping our mental health top notch too and these tips are here to help you do so.
Develop A Social Network
Don’t fret over the time you spend on social media. There are much-touted statistics regarding time online and how it contributes to poor mental health, but it should honestly ping your radar. The correlation of Internet use with depression was based on studies done in 1998, long before social media took over and became integral to personal relationships.
Cyber Psychology and Behaviour discovered that chat sessions involving anonymous users actually left participants with less feelings of isolation, to a substantial degree. The right social networking with many current acquaintances wards off loneliness and enhances self-esteem. Connect with others to get the monkey off your back.
Return To Nature
The British Journal Of Sports Medicine had a 2014 study linking depression to sedentary lifestyles, so you might want to consider dialing back binge-watching and going for a walk instead.
Give yourself bonus points for finding a tree. Health Promotion International is a journal which discovered that human contact with mother nature and its pastoral settings proved very effective in combating depression and other mental health issues. The study also determined that minimal or no contact with the larger natural world means losing physical health, so jogging in a park can really do two things at once.
Go Zen
Were you expecting a meditation spiel? Here it is, but look for facts and don’t wait for anti-New Age scoffing.
Cognitive Therapy and Research ran a study which found that two-month courses in stress reduction and mindfulness techniques were able to substantially reduce what is called ruminative thinking, which is a negative thought spiral that ends in depression. This happens by encouraging focus on present day rather than feeding future events your anxiety. The study determined that individuals who did the eight weeks of this course were approximately 10 percent less likely to go back into depression that even individuals who had been prescribed anti-depressants. Go for your inner Yoda, and become one with the Force to feel great.
Find A Hobby
Playing an instrument, starting a new form of exercise, or doing woodwork in your basement: when you fill your time with activities meaningful to you that aren’t work, you keep your brain happy and sharp.
The Journal of Occupational and Organisational Psychology analyzed both unemployed and employed participants, finding that social leisure activities instead of solitary variants were responsible for a decrease in both psychological distress and depression. Try group activities like five-a-side, for instance, which are a great combination of working out and team-building.
Go Big
Cardio is great to generate some activity and get outdoors, but a robust lifting session might be just as well for keeping your mind proper. The Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology ran tests of lifting compared to steady-state running, and discovered both were successful in substantial boosts in a person’s mood.
Find Help
Social Psychiatry ran an Australian study discovering that over two-thirds of mental health cases in their sample population had actually delayed treatment for a minimum of a month due to lack of education or anxiety about mental health professionals and authorities. Aren’t sure who you should turn to for help? Consult a primary care physician such as Clarity Clinic , and they can take care of it.
All of these tips will help improve your mental health and stay on top of things and feeling well.
