hidden outdoor treasures a great way to boost your mood through the endorphins that come with exercise , it is also fantastic for physical health . So , if traditional workouts are not for you , why not get a full-body workout as you connect with nature ?
Getting creative
Numerous studies confirm that getting in touch with your creative side can increase feelings of positivity and minimise depression , while inspiring new ideas and solutions to problems . Art , writing or music are great means of self-expression which help to access and process emotions . They also evoke what experts call a flow state , where you become so immersed in what you are doing that the voices and worries in your head are silenced as you mindfully focus on the task at hand .
Eating right
If you are still fighting COVID-19 cravings , well , you are not alone . Being home more frequently has many of us regularly raiding the pantry . The problem with this is that your eating habits do not just impact your physical wellbeing , they are also connected to your mental health . An increasingly popular field , nutritional psychiatry suggests that our diets influence our emotions .
The food we eat fuels our brains , which in turn determines our mood . “ Eating highquality foods that contain lots of vitamins , minerals and antioxidants nourishes the brain and protects it from oxidative stress — the ‘ waste ’ ( free radicals ) produced when the body uses oxygen , which can damage cells ,” writes Harvard Health Blog contributing editor , Dr Eva Selhub .
If you are looking for guidance on which foods help to boost mind health , then ABP Live suggests the following :
• Walnuts
• Eggs
• Green vegetables
• Dark chocolate
• Pumpkin seeds .
Going to the office
For many , COVID-19 has increased feelings of loneliness , especially for those who previously enjoyed having somewhere to go and work every day . While remote working has certainly become more prevalent , some companies are adopting a hybrid model . Here employees have the option of coming into the office on certain days of the week – under strict COVID-19 protocols – while working from home on others .
If this is the case for you , it may be wise to ditch the tracksuit pants and venture back to the workplace at least once a week – restoring some form of routine . Not only will time in the office boost the chance for in-person social interactions , which are key to mental health – it will also help you separate work and home life – an increasingly blurred line which is seeing burnout on the rise , as well as stress and anxiety .
Dr Michael Mazius , a renowned American psychologist , told Real Simple magazine that returning to work can be highly beneficial . “ When we are in a social space , we expose ourselves to all kinds of wonderful , important and interesting possibilities . When we get out there , we take on challenges and thus , grow grit and self-confidence .”
Whatever strategies you choose to employ , if you are feeling low , making positive changes will undoubtedly boost your overall feeling of wellbeing . It all starts with taking the first step .
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