Around 16.2 million adults in the United States have at least one depressive episode a year. ¼ of those adults are in a constant state of depression. There isn’t one cure for depression and many people there isn’t a complete cure. But there are everyday activities that can help make each day feel a little better. Even though it isn’t going to make everything 100% better, sometimes you just want to feel a little bit of happiness. Not all depression can be cured alone most can’t, but there are things you can do alone that will help release dopamine.
Going outside and breathing in the fresh air is good at clearing out the brain. Specifically going into nature works the best. If you find a park or forest nearby then you could take a walk there. Even sitting against a tree or on the grass and just taking deep breaths can improve your mood. Bonus: bring a book. Reading can take your mind to a better place and help you get a little distraction from reality. Reading outside can give double the relaxation and calm the mind. Take a look at all the outdoor scenery and focus on the physical feelings around you. Think about the feel of the wind and the grass. It’s very good for your mental health.
Exercise also releases happy hormones in the brain. Hard exercise isn’t for everyone but there are many different types of exercise to choose from. From running to yoga, all forms of exercise can help your brain receive happy hormones. Additionally, if you have self-esteem issues exercise can boost your body positivity and the mental image of yourself. You can even increase your overall mood with a simple exercise set. It also improves your physical health because that’s the main reason for exercise.
Detaching yourself from technology is a very important step to improving mood and mental health. Technology tends to leave to negativity and removing that negativity, even for just a short time, is very beneficial for the mind. Plus stress is high enough in everyday life, adding the stress of FOMO and comparing yourself to others causes a big drop in mental health. If you remove yourself from that extra stress and negativity of social media and technology you’ll feel better. It can be as easy as shutting down your phone completely or logging out of everything on your phone.
Listening to music also helps improve your mood. Music has been proven to reduce stress, specifically listening to a song you like a lot. Listening to a song that’s connected to a happy memory can make you smile. Getting lost to a melody or the lyrics can help improve your mood and focus less on the stressors of life. Also, music improves motivation which can help reduce stress. If you are motivated with music you can complete the things that are stressing you out. Even singing off-key to your favorite song and laughing about it can improve mood.
Just improving your mood or reducing your stress can help today better than yesterday. There’s always room for improvement and that can even work with improving mental health. There isn’t a way to simple handedly cure depression but you can certainly feel happier and less stressed with some of these simple activities. Now depression is a serious mental health problem and if you are depressed or have suicidal thoughts you should talk to a trained professional. Therapists and doctors are there to help you get better. In the need of crisis call the suicide hotline: 1-800-273-8255. This is the U.S.A. number but a quick google search can find it for any other country