A lot of people go through feelings of unease, sadness, and disinterest in their everyday lives. Sometimes, these feelings are temporary and go away on their own. However, there are times when these feelings are symptoms of more significant mental health issues – like depression and anxiety.
Depression is a mood disorder that negatively affects the way you think, feel, and act. People who are depressed often feel sad, tired, and tend to lose interest in things they usually like or enjoy. They might also feel helpless, irritable, and even suicidal sometimes. Anxiety, on the other hand, is a normal emotion that people feel. Although, when a person starts to feel an inappropriate level of stress that begins to affect his daily routine, it can also classify as a medical disorder.
People suffering from anxiety disorders experience mild to severe feelings of tension, constant worrying, nervousness, fear, and panic. Like depression, anxiety disorders can significantly change how a person thinks and behaves. Both of these mental conditions are often brushed off as simple mood changes, but they are valid health concerns and require proper treatment, too.
Most patients of depression and anxiety disorders recover by seeking professional help. There are medical specialists knowledgeable in mental health issues that can help patients gain critical coping skills through various therapy sessions and the right medication.
While it is still strongly recommended to see a medical expert for assistance, some cases of mental health disorders can be treated without medication. The following are three essential yet simple self-starters on your road to recovery from depression and anxiety:
1. Get Enough Sleep
A lot of people underestimate the good that sleep can do for our body. People who feel depressed or overly anxious usually have trouble falling asleep, and the lack of sleep only adds to the negative toll on the person’s body.
Getting a better quality of sleep – which means regular, undisturbed and uninterrupted hours of shut-eye – is one of the easiest ways to start improving one’s mental condition. Try to set a scheduled time for going to sleep and for getting up the next morning. If you have difficulty adjusting your sleeping patterns, you can go for small adjustments like avoiding naps or making your bed or room more comfortable to sleep.
2. Fix Your Diet
Mental health conditions improve better the cleaner your system is, so staying away from chemical-filled and processed foods can do wonders for your brain. Focus on eating healthy by adding fruits and vegetables to your daily diet.
Some studies have shown that eating foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids (found in nuts, seeds and seafood like salmon, mackerel and tuna) and folic acid (found in beans, fruits and leafy greens like spinach) helped patients with depression recover faster while also improving their physical health.
3. Put in Exercise
Aside from the obvious physical benefits you get from exercising, it also helps improve your mental health. When you exercise, your brain starts producing feel-good hormones called endorphins, which cause an analgesic effect – they provide relief from pain while triggering a feeling of positivity in you.
Experts also say that regularly exercising has a way of rewiring our brain positively, which bodes well for getting through feelings of sadness and worry. Remember to exercise at your own pace, and you don’t need to push yourself too much. Simply making an effort to walk or jog three to five times a week can be a promising start.
There are other things you can do to recover from depression or anxiety disorders, so don’t feel limited by the suggestions mentioned above. Many people can improve on their mental health by getting regular sleep, eating healthy food and exercising regularly – but not everyone has the same way of coping. You might read managing anxiety naturally from Brain Wellness Spa – a mental health services provider that specializes in natural treatment for emotional and mental illnesses. If you feel that neither of those self-treatments is helping you, you can always visit a medical professional for further advice.
