Going to the doctor, exercising and eating healthy all help to take care of your body, but did you know they are also good for your mind?
While we don’t talk about it enough, taking care of your mental health is just as important as taking care of your physical health. In honor of National Mental Health Month, here are some additional strategies to support your mental well being.
Move your body. In the words of the great legal scholar Elle Woods, “Exercise gives you endorphins and endorphins make you happy.” You don’t have to run marathons, but you should make it a priority to move your body whether that is going for a walk, doing yoga or swimming.
Turn off the screen. A study of teens by the National Institute of Health found a correlation between unhappiness, depression and the amount of time spent in front of a screen. Instead of surfing the web at night pick up a book, go for a walk or do an art project. Use the 5-2-1-0 strategy and try to limit screen time to at most two hours.
Head to the park. Stanford researchers found that spending 90 minutes outside in nature helped with symptoms of depression. You don’t have to go to the forest, even the park down the street will work.
Struggling with feelings of depression or anxiety? Find someone in your life to talk to. This can be a trusted friend, someone in your religious community, your medical provider, or a therapist. The important thing is to reach out and know that you are not alone!
*No content on this site, regardless of date, should ever be used as a substitute for direct medical advice from your doctor or another medical provider.