There are a large number of people today who are suffering from depression. However, you don’t actually need to resort to expensive treatments or take pharmaceutical products right away, as there are some strategies and lifestyle changes that you can do that will boost your overall mental health. These lifestyle changes can give you a more positive outlook on life and will help you to see the effects at work, in your relationship, or simply in how you live your life in general.
Reduce Night Screen Exposure
One of the reasons people can get depressed is due to not getting enough sleep at night, and one of the big reasons for this is exposure to gadgets. By reducing your exposure to screens at night, you can get your body conditioned to sleep. According to studies, exposure to blue light at night has the ability to disrupt sleep, because it has the shortest wavelength and therefore produces the highest amount of energy.
Get into the habit of packing your tablet and your phone away when you are about to sleep at night. In fact, keep it as far away from your bed as possible. The next thing you know, you’ll be getting a much longer and much deeper night’s sleep and this will allow your body to rest and recover ready for the next day.
Sunlight Exposure
Ever wondered why gloomy weather makes a person feel depressed? It is because of the fact that sunlight is not only known to increase your vitamin D, but it can also help increase the serotonin levels in your brain. Serotonin is the hormone that makes you feel happy; it is a mood-lifting chemical that can give you a more positive outlook. People who have reduced serotonin levels are more likely to suffer suffering from Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD).
Reduce The Amount Of Processed Foods
Though processed foods and junk food tastes good, these types of food have little nutritional benefit. According to studies, there are foods that you can eat that can help boost your body’s overall mood. Foods that contain complex carbohydrates and soluble fibre that can slow down the absorption of sugar are your best options. In addition to this, studies suggest that healthy foods such as those that have high amounts of fibre like oats and beans can help increase serotonin levels in the body.
Make Exercise a Habit
It is always a good idea to exercise regularly, but if you are worried that you can’t commit to such an active lifestyle, then perhaps you should think of ways to help motivate yourself. This way, you’ll be more likely to stick with it. You can either buy a year of gym membership or even take it up a notch higher by buying gym equipment for your home. You could choose something like a treadmill for your apartment that can come in handy for cardio workouts when you don’t feel like running outside.
Always Find Things To Be Thankful For
One of the most common reasons why people feel depressed is due to them comparing their lives to those of other people. Instead, focus on always remembering to count your blessings – an attitude of gratitude if you like. In doing so, you will realise that you have a lot of things to be thankful for and your worries are probably relatively petty compared to some other problems going on in the world.
Try starting this positive habit every morning when you wake and every night before going to bed. That way, you can start and end your day in a good mood. In the morning, you will be able to remind yourself of the good things that you have in your life and come the end of the day you can flush negative things that happened throughout the day.
Stay Away From Social Media Every Once In A While
Facebook has around two billion active users worldwide. And the thing is, Facebook isn’t the only social media out there. Social media platforms now range from Twitter to Instagram and countless others. Now, if you really want to improve your overall mental health, you would be best advised to stay offline and stay away from social media every once in a while.
Social media can be filled with hate and negative emotions used by some people to dump their frustration and anger. In addition to this, some people also tend to compare their life to other people because of social media. What they don’t realise is that there some people simply know how to package themselves in the digital world. Keep in mind that likes will never be a measure of your happiness.
Spend Time With People You Love
And lastly, you should think about how much time you spend with the people who you love the most. You will be surprised by just how much it can help boost your current mood. Make a point of relaxing with friends and family even for just one day every week and take note of how good you feel.
Conclusion
There are many things that you can do in order to improve your mental health. Just by following these tips, you will be able to see a big difference even in just a short period of time.
Author Bio
This post is written by James Hood from FitnessAbout. I’m a vegan bodybuilder and a passionate blogger from Detroit. He believes in holistic development and likes to cut the BS promoted my media about health.
