6 THINGS THAT CAN IMPROVE YOUR MOOD

In a conservative estimate, one in ten people (adults and children) usually face mental problem in their lifetime.

Mental problems can affect us all and today they tend to be given the importance they have. If the problem is consequential, it is advisable to ask for help.

The first step is to go to your family doctor, who will know how to guide you and direct you towards a solution. But in the meantime, here are 6 things that can help you improve your mood.

A HUG

The goodness of feeling loved is inherent to the human being. But the fact that physical contact is as important in life as eating, or sleeping well, is not as well known.

A University of Miami study showed that regular contact promotes well-being, at any age, from infants to the elderly. Other research, published in the journal Psychological Science, showed that a hug reduces the secretion of cortisol, the stress hormone.

Man is a social being and there are many explanations for us to seek contact with others as a rule. It is not about taking to the streets to distribute hugs, as a recent series of viral videos showed.

But it is about that a hug with a family member or a friend. Surely you have someone close to whom you can say “hug me.”

EAT WELL

As a first measure, eating well gradually improves your body images, and that is good because we are all pleased to see our own image in the mirror. But it’s not just about that. A healthy diet influences the mood and has a role in triggering the intensity, and duration of depression.

People who go through depressive states tend to eventually stop eating, skipping meals; or, worse. Still, with the over consumption of “sweets” and very sugary things at first provide a pleasant sensation (we can say “euphoria”)but immediately cause a drop in mood soon.

The Indian Journal of Psychiatry published a study where they showed that a balanced diet, with slow-absorbing carbohydrates, essential fats, proteins, vitamins, and minerals, together with good hydration, greatly contributes to elevating mood.

CHAT

Do not set apart yourself in your own world, which is a natural tendency to be depressed. Staying at home ruminate our problems and make ourselfe isolated. You have to do the opposite, which can be, hang up with the friends and even ask for their help.

Talking with them will allow you to share your problems, emotions and experiences and will be enriching for both of you. It will also create the comforting feeling of belonging to a community. Loneliness, on the other hand, can contribute to serious problems.

A study published in the Journal of Affective Disorders found that socializing modify brain activity, decrease stress, anxiety, and depressive symptoms.

Related: Social Stress:: 20 TECHNIQUES FOR COPING WITH STRESS

SLEEP WELL

Even intuitively, we all are more or less aware that we must sleep well. But not so bad as insomnia is for mental health. The Lancet Psychiatry explains in a research paper that insomnia might not be the result of depression, but rather the opposite.

Insomnia could be the cause of you going through a depressed state. And not only that but it generates low energy levels, poor mental concentration, anxiety, depression, and other disorders.

A relatively high percentage of the population reports not sleeping well. And again, mental support should be sought. If this is your case, go to your family doctor to recommend the most appropriate in your case.

DON’T SIT STILL: MOVE

Shall we have to repeat how good exercise is? Not the readers of this page! The benefits for the body are innumerable and we are not going to repeat them here. But if you are in a low mood, try taking a walk at a good pace, like half an hour and you will see what changes -for the better- in your mood.

Neither this old aphorism is new to our readers: “mens sana in corpore sana”, which comes to say that a healthy body goes hand in hand with a healthy mind. Exercise releases endorphins, creating a pleasant sensation. And if practiced on a regular basis, it can be of enormous help to your mood and overall well-being.

GET OUT OF THE HOUSE

Again, it is science that supports the benefits of a good walk in the countryside for mental health. A study published in the “International Journal of Environmental Health” showed that walking in the countryside, preferably among trees, contributes greatly to bringing peace, lowering levels of anxiety and even serious depression.

It is increasingly accepted that the feeling of peace and tranquility that green spaces produce (as opposed to more urban environments) is the cause of improvements in depressive states. There are other studies that claim that it also decreases the level of cortisol and improves heart rhythms.

AND DO NOT HESITATE: IF YOU DO NOT IMPROVE, SEEK HELP

We return to the beginning of the article: if none of the above solves the problem, go to your doctor, who will know how to guide you. He will refer you to someone who can help you psychologically if he deems necessary.

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