Although often overlooked, mental health is
a major factor when it comes to your overall health. Most people think they can
tell if someone is healthy or not by their outer appearance, but it is much
more complicated than that. You can eat right, exercise, and keep your life
organized to a T, but if you’re constantly stressed out or depressed, you need
to address that immediately. If you’re like most people, you feel stressed from
time to time, but if you are in a constant state of anxiety, the long term, and
even short-term effect can be damaging.
On a day-to-day basis, it is always
important to be selfish in the matter of taking care of yourself first. For
those of you who need some quick advise to ease anxiety and stress in your
life, here are my top 5.
Deep Breathing
When you’re caught up in the moment, it’s a
good idea to take a step back and breath. Chances are, if you’re overcome with
emotions, your breathing has increased rapidly, and the easiest way to get in
control again is breath in through your nose and out through your mouth. This
will help you calm down and grasp the situation.
Get Active
When you’re having a bad day and nothing is
going your way, take some time to get active. Exercise releases endorphins in
the brain, which naturally puts you in a better mood. It takes about 22 minutes
for you to start feeling the effects of endorphins once you start working out.
Why not test it out right now to see?
Go Outside
When you go outside, you are exposing your
skin to vitamin D, which most of us in todays society is very much lacking.
When one is deficient in vitamin D, they feel “blue”, so to speak. The Virgin
Islands is sunny all year round, but in places like the Midwest, many may
experience something called “seasonal depression”. One of the greatest factors
of this phenomenon is the lack of sunlight everyone is getting due to the cold
weather. So, even during the winter, try to make a habit of going outside and
even take advantage of those sunny winter days!
You could always plan a mid winter trip
down to sunny St. Thomas too. ;)
Do something you enjoy
This may sound obvious, but when you’re not
feeling yourself, one of the best things you can do is do something you enjoy.
If you enjoy painting, video games, trying new restaurants, movies with
friends, anything that tickles your fancy, just go do it! Even if you have to
work, try doing something fun before or after, or in extreme circumstances,
take a personal day.
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| Like Kayaking or SUP Boarding |
Get enough sleep!
I know when I don’t get enough sleep I can
be pretty crabby the next day. You can stay up later and have a fun night, but
just keep in mind what time you have to get up in the morning. Getting enough
sleep is important for your body and if you don’t get enough of it, you wont be
able to function to your full ability. Most studies show 7-8 hours is enough,
but everyone’s body is different, so try to do what feels best for you.
These tips are quick and easy fixes for
every day anxiety and stress. For those of you who suffer from chronic anxiety
or depression, don’t hesitate to consult with a doctor. Mental health should be
taken very seriously and contrary to some people’s beliefs, it’s not all in
your head.
Thank you for checking out our blog series
“For the Health of it”. For those of you who missed out on a previous article,
check out the links below to read more.
