How to Improve your mental health 🤔
Depression and anxiety are complex disorders that are becoming increasingly common, a recent study showed that 1 in 5 people in the UK experience symptoms of depression at least once across a single year, a figure that has increased by 20% in as many years. Depression is more than just feeling down or upset for a few days, it can affect people in a variety of different ways and present with a number of different symptoms.
Some of the most common symptoms are:
Feeling sad, anxious or empty
Sleeping too much or too little
Difficulty concentrating or memory loss
Losing or gaining weight
Feeling restless or irritable
Headaches or stomach aches
So, how can you improve your mental health?
Exercise – An excellent way to reduce both anxiety and depression as it releases endorphins which are a powerful chemical that make us feel happy! A recent Harvard study showed that a 15-minute run or 1 hour walk can reduce depression by 26%.
Do something you enjoy! Whether this is baking, reading or watching your favourite Netflix series, find something you enjoy and make sure you find time to do it.
Eat healthily – A 2014 study showed that a diet high in saturated fats, refined carbohydrates and processed meats can be a contributing factor to depression particularly amongst children and adolescents. A well-balanced diet contained plenty of fruit, vegetable, nuts and fish with minimal alcohol intake can lead to a significant increase in mental wellbeing.
Talk to friends or family – Building strong relationships is really important and thanks to technology it’s becoming increasingly easy to reach out to loved ones. If you’re feeling down make sure to tell someone how you feel, they may even be feeling the same way!
Learn something new – Learning a new skill can be very rewarding and cause a release of dopamine and serotonin which are chemicals that make us happy. Try learning yoga, it’s excellent for relieving muscular tension and improving core strength which can reduce back pain and help you to relax.
Plan your day – Having a day with structure is really important, it prevents procrastination and allows you to fit in all of the activities that are mentioned above. There are many day planners that are available online to help with this!
