6 lifestyle changes for depression and anxiety
Among the many mental health illnesses, anxiety disorder is the most prevalent. More than 40 million adults (18 years and older) in America have this disorder. Anxiety disorder causes people to experience fear and apprehension.
Similarly, depression causes people to lose focus, feel weak, and be unsure.
People feel anxious in an interview or on the first day of their job—which is normal. People with anxiety disorder have these feelings even in non-stressful situations.
Lifestyle changes have a substantial effect on curing the symptoms of anxiety and depression. Therefore, along with the treatment, specific lifestyle changes are always recommended for people looking for a cure. Below have a look at them.
- Cut the sweetened drinks
Packaged juices, fruit punches, soda, sweetened tea, etc., leads to anxiety and depression. According to a study in Australia, those who consume more than 16 ounces of soda daily have a 60% more chance of being depressed and even experiencing suicidal deliberations than those who do not.
Drinking just two cans of soda daily can elevate your risk of experiencing type-2 diabetes by 26%. Therefore, if you want to live a long and happy life, staying away from this vice is better.
- Turn to ketamine
Often you need to pair your stress-relieving efforts with treatments and cures; ketamine is one of them. It is an off-label treatment, initially approved by FDA as an anesthetic, now helping people with anxiety and depression, especially in cities like Chicago where residents are battling with mental health disorders.
As a result, on the governmental level, funding for mental health services has increased from $12 million (2019) to $89 million (2022).
Ketamine is being offered to the residents by experienced doctors. Find the ketamine clinics Chicago contact details online and book your appointment at the earliest. Various clinics are performing IV infusions; hence this treatment is gaining popularity.
For some people, standalone ketamine infusions are enough to relieve them of the symptoms. Others need it in combination with other treatments and medications.
Many people who fail to get any results through various other therapies find ketamine to have the potential to improve their quality of life.
- Eat a healthy diet
Eating a healthy diet is at the forefront of treating mental health issues. Various foods contain nutrients with stress-relieving properties. Making them a part of your daily diet help elevate your mood and reduce stress.
On the contrary, certain foods that are not good for stress management are those high in sugar and saturated fats.
Healthy foods you must make a part of your diet plan to keep anxiety at bay are the following.
- Fatty acids found in fish, nut butter, avocado, olive oil, nuts, etc
- Amino acids found in high-protein foods
- Micronutrients such as zinc, magnesium, calcium, B6, folic acid, and so on
- Fresh food such as veggies and fruits
- Don’t take sleep for granted
There might not be a strong connection between your genetic makeup and depression, but you cannot say the same about sleep. It is strongly related to mental health issues. Adults need at least eight hours of sleep to stay focused and have a proper sleep and wake timetable, even during holidays.
Lying awake in bed with a brain racing endlessly to find peace indicates that you have a mental health issue. Lack of sleep also results in fatigue and leads to irritation and anxiety. So, sleep is an important element in your depression cure plan.
Have a bedtime ritual; Change into sleepwear, have a nighttime skincare regime, turn off the light, and ensure no obnoxious sounds are filling your surroundings.
If you find sleeping difficult after a particularly hectic day, listen to calming bedtime music to soothe your nerves.
According to the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, there is enough evidence to corroborate the mind-relaxing effects of music. Relaxing bedtime music have found to improve sleep quality in adults by slowing their heart rate and lowering blood pressure and breathing.
- Meditate everyday
Meditation is focusing your mind on a particular object, scene, or activity to calm your mind. However, you must remember that meditation does not involve draining your mind.
You just need to focus on the present and concentrate on your thoughts and emotions. This practice helps empty your mind of all the negative feelings about the past and future.
Meditation aims to train you to focus on your emotions, feelings, and sensations even when you stop meditating formally. This way, you can be awake, openhearted, and aware of your surroundings and filter your mind from negative approaches.
It has proved to be effective for stress relief and curing depression. Meditation enables you to purge your chaotic thoughts, causing stress. This is how you attain a calmer and emotionally clear mind.
- Recognize and manage stress
Eating a healthy diet, exercising, spending time with family, etc., are all part of the ways that can prevent you from experiencing depression. But one thing you must not forget is recognizing and managing stress.
Stress is an inevitable part of life; once in a while, you will be stressed about something. Stress buildup is what leads to its more dangerous form—depression.
You cannot ignore stress, especially if you have depression. Even strain from trivial everyday events can trigger anxiety too. Therefore, even when you feel slightly frazzled about something, immediately work on its cure. Stress management is much easier than you might have thought. Though its management varies from person to person, some ways to combat stress include:
- Spending time and laughing with your friends
- Planning a movie night together
- Cooking
- Practicing a hobby
- Playing with your pet
- Listening to calming and soothing music
- Engaging in a sport of physical activity
- Reading your favorite book
Conclusion
There is no straightforward connection between anxiety and depression and genetics. Still, diet, life events, and an individual’s activities can often trigger these issues. So, there is a possibility to cure these issues with the right lifestyle changes.
Above mentioned are some lifestyle changes with the potential to relieve you or your acquaintances from the symptoms of anxiety and depression. These ways do not demand making drastic changes in your life but can be helpful when combating anxiety and depression.
