Depression is an increasingly common illness that globally affects more than 350 million people worldwide. It is said that, on average, 1 in 6 people will experience some form of depression at some stage of their lives. With stress and anxiety levels on the rise this is hardly surprising. However, it doesn’t have to be all doom and gloom. There are some natural ways to help you prevent depression from rearing its ugly head without having to take a single pill.
Getting a bad night’s sleep can make anyone cranky, but there’s a little more to it than that. Researches have found clear links to depression caused by circadian rhythm disturbances. Melatonin supplements and light therapy have been said to help resynchronise circadian rhythms and therefore produce an antidepressant effect.
It’s really important to get yourself into a regular routine when it comes to sleep. Try to go to bed and wake up the same time each day, and aim for around 7-8 hours of sleep. You should also avoid watching TV, using mobiles, and tablets before bed as they can make it more difficult for you to relax. Also avoid eating 2 hours before you got to bed and be sure to stay away from caffeine!
Not only is exercise great for keeping you in shape, it’s also great at lifting your mood. So leave your business goals and work aside for a few hours and go ahead and exercise more. When you exercise your body releases endorphins, which are the feel good chemicals that alleviate your perception of pain and make you feel happier overall. Exercise also helps to reduce the stress hormone cortisol, so you’ll feel a lot less tense and a lot more relaxed.
High sugar consumption is said to link to depression. A blood sugar spike with an inevitable crash is bound to put you in a bad mood, so avoid reaching for those sugary snacks! Instead, you need to eat regular healthy meals and snacks in order to balance your blood sugar. According to dental experts clinica dental Donostia, avoiding sugar will not only help you improve your mood, but will also benefit your oral health.
You should make sure that you get enough Omega 3s. Omega 3 is the ultimate brain food that is said to greatly reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety. You can find them in fish, such as: salmon, trout and sardines, and also in walnuts and flaxseeds.
In conjunction with a healthy diet, sufficient exercise and sleep, it’s also important to have something to motivate you. Paint a vision of something that you want to achieve in life and aim to achieve it. Or set a holiday calendar as a goal to motivate you, perhaps travelling to a sunny destination like the north of Spain, where you could find accommodation in San Sebastian apartments and enjoy the beautiful coast, could be an exciting goal or purpose. Nothing makes life more fulfilling than having a purpose to live it, and that’s exactly what goals do. It is said that people who have a sense of purpose live up to 7 years longer than those who don’t. So go out there and try new things, whether there’s an instrument or a language you’ve always wanted to learn, or even a country that you’ve always wanted to visit, just find a goal and aim to achieve it!
