2023-11-05 22:16:00
From gratitude to creativity, these daily habits help maintain emotional stability and well-being (Illustrative image Infobae)
Between the pressures of everyday life and stress factors, it is easy to neglect your health. However, it is possible to take simple actions to take care of well-being, a key factor towards a quality life. Some of these acts take just a few minutes, an example is making a quick visit to nearby green areas or meditating without distractions for 10 minutes.
The importance of these positive habits in daily life has been the subject of discussion between different medical centers. The main recommendation is to raise people’s awareness of the benefits of mental health care, while public policies are also adapted to offer easy access to well-being and main health needs.
In this regard, an article from the Mental Health Foundation, a medical center in England, lists a series of key recommendations to protect mental health, which go beyond traditional therapies. These tips include time spent getting quality sleep, preventing illicit drug use, and managing personal finances. Regarding this last factor, the institution has identified a direct relationship with the causes of stress among adults, since debts generate high levels of anxiety.
Physical activity helps better physical and mental health. It also helps treat anxiety and depression. (Getty Images).
The relationship between the body and mind is usually closer than we think. To maintain good mental health, one of the most effective ways is physical activity. The benefits of exercising have a positive impact on the treatment of depression, even exceeding the effectiveness of counseling or medications used in the treatment of this mental condition by 1.5 times, according to a study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine. (BJSM).
The research, the most comprehensive to date in this area, took into account 97 previous reviews, covering 1,039 trials with a total of 128,119 participants. Findings indicated that exercise routines implemented over a period of 12 weeks or less had the greatest effect in mitigating mental health-related signs. On the other hand, the researchers emphasized that exercise should never replace pharmacological treatments or psychological therapies, but rather should be considered as a complement.
As confirmed in the study, taking care of the body and brain are essential for well-being. To maintain this relationship in optimal conditions, a healthy diet is necessary. Nutrient-rich options such as scrambled eggs and nutritious smoothies improve people’s mood. Dishes from the Mediterranean diet, with fish, fruits, vegetables, beans, whole grains and breads with high fiber content, and olive oil, help maintain stable mental health and reduce symptoms of depression, according to a article published in British Medical Journal (BMJ).
Fried food increases anxiety symptoms by 12%, and depression symptoms by 7%. (Illustrative Image Infobae).
For diet to have a positive effect on mental health, it is also necessary to avoid fried foods, no matter how attractive their taste may be. A study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) was applied to 140,728 individuals for an average of 11.3 years and identified 8,294 and 12,735 cases of anxiety and depression, respectively, following consumption of these foods. Fried potatoes and meat were associated with an increased risk of anxiety symptoms at 12% and depression at 7%.
A good complement to physical activity and a healthy diet are visits to green areas. Spending time in nature can help improve emotional and psychological well-being. Therefore, it is important that cities and communities offer access to nature for their residents, as this can help reduce mental health problems and inequalities. It also helps improve memory retention, according to a study published in the journal Science Advances.
People’s attitude also counts in caring for well-being. When daily problems overwhelm a person’s mood, meditation for 10 or 15 minutes a day emerges as a feasible way to protect emotional stability. This practice offers a series of benefits for emotional well-being and general health. By practicing it, you can experience a feeling of calm, balance and peace, which helps reduce stress and maintain tranquility throughout the day, according to the renowned Mayo Clinic.
Sleeping eight hours in a row is recommended to maintain good physical and mental health. Otherwise, you run the risk of suffering from cardiovascular problems (Getty Images)
Additionally, meditation can provide a new perspective on stressful situations, improve self-awareness, increase creativity, patience and tolerance, reduce negative emotions, and also has positive effects on heart rate, resting blood pressure and quality of the dream.
Regarding this last factor of rest, it is also important for health care in general. According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), not getting enough sleep, that is, less than 7 hours in a day, can have serious consequences for our overall health. This lack of sleep has been found to be linked to physical and mental health problems, as well as an increased risk of stroke, obesity, and high blood pressure. It is recommended to sleep 8 hours a day.
With healthy sleep, people tend to have a better quality of life. On the other hand, there is another access to this benefit that depends only on being grateful to others. In a scientific review of 19 studies with 2,951 patients, various benefits that gratitude has both on the mental health of patients and on the functioning of the body were identified. Carrying out this practice translates into a lower risk of developing cardiovascular diseases, heart failure and an improvement in the autonomic nervous system, according to the article published in the renowned medical journal Frontiers.
Gratitude keeps people in good spirits and prevents the development of mental illness. (Getty Images).
It was also found that the practice of gratitude had a positive effect on the nervous system and helped the organs maintain stable activity. This means that people showed a more relaxed and less stressful response, which is beneficial for the heart.
There are still other practices and habits that reinforce the proper functioning of mental health. Some of them are easier to do in environments with family, friends and pets. Interaction with animals, creative expression, and meaningful interpersonal relationships can improve both quality of life and emotional stability, according to the organization Mental Health America (MHA).
Time spent in the company of animals might be beneficial for mental health. This interaction decreases the production of cortisol, the stress hormone, generating an increase in oxytocin, known as the happiness hormone. Likewise, those without pets in their lives are encouraged to spend time with friends’ animals or volunteer at animal shelters.
Spending time with a pet is one of the most accessible sources of happiness in everyday life. (Illustrative image Infobae).
On the other hand, the MHA values creative expression as a strengthening element of general well-being. Suggestions such as trying a new recipe, writing a poem, painting, or embarking on a project of interest can be conducive activities to work on this aspect.
Finally, this organization highlights that having quality relationships, whether family, romantic, friendship, among others, is essential for a balanced and happy lifestyle. This is because the social component of human beings has a considerable impact on their mental health.
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