There’s no question that anxiety and depression are at an all-time high. The onset of the Covid-19 pandemic worked to exacerbate pre-existing conditions that sent mental health conditions through the roof. Men, women and children have begun to feel the weight that Covid-19 has taken. Whether you’re looking to combat the effects of anxiety and depression or simply want to boost your mood, here are a few lifestyle changes you can make during your day.
Stay Active
Activity is an important factor to maintaining happiness and a positive mood. This may mean engaging in exercise daily, trying new hobbies or simply leaving the house. Staying active can have many physical and emotional benefits for your body and brain.
Staying active helps to release an important hormone in the brain called endorphins. Endorphins are considered a “feel good” hormone. They can help you not only combat chronic fatigue, but also put you in a better mood. If you know what type of hormone you are lacking, then that can be great information to act on. Learn how to balance hormones naturally with a quick peek at this guide.
Exercise is the best way to get a positive rush from endorphins; however, this doesn’t mean that you have to be running every day. Simply getting moving and getting out of the house with some physical activity, maybe like walking or swimming, can help release these endorphins as well.
In addition to the feel-good mood booster that staying active can be, it can also help to keep your body healthy. Staying active strengthens your muscles and ligaments. This can help you stay happy and healthy both physically and mentally.
Eat a Well-Balanced Diet
Eating a well-balanced diet can do wonders for your mind and body. Your body is like a machine. If you put the correct types of fuel into it, you can increase its performance. Putting bad fuel in will result in problems or low performance.
Avoid Fat and Sugar
Eating lots of fatty foods or junk food can actually wear you down significantly. This can happen for a few different reasons.
First, eating foods that are high in sugar and caffeine causes an energy rush, which is inevitably followed by a crash. Although sugar and caffeine may feel and taste nice at the time, there are always consequences for them. After their effects wear off, you will be left feeling more tired and groggy then you would have with the proper nutrition.
Second, eating junk foods or fatty foods can lead to long-term health conditions, such as digestion problems, obesity or diabetes. Health conditions can in turn impact overall happiness and mood. For example, being overweight may lead to lower self-esteem, resulting in lower amounts of happiness. Other health conditions may impact happiness or moods by increasing stress levels about the health condition or be directly related to well-being from day to day.
Eating Healthy Foods
To avoid negative impacts from an unrestricted diet, you should eat a balanced diet each and every day. This doesn’t mean that you can’t have a sweet or salty treat from time to time, but it does mean that the number of healthy foods you eat should outweigh the junk food.
Avoid fried foods, especially those that are deep fried. Limit the amount of sugar that you intake, especially those found in sugary drinks and candy. Be sure to eat lots of fruits and veggies. You can also substitute fattier foods, like a burger or steak, with leaner meats or quinoa.
In the end, the key to a well-balanced meal is moderation. It’s ok to have a piece of candy, french fries or sweet treat here and there, but if they are a main source of nutrition, you may want to take a second look at what you’re putting in your body.
Invest In Others
Building relationships and taking time to invest in others can also have a positive impact on your happiness and mood. Humans are meant to be relational beings. It’s important that they spend time and effort connecting with others, even though they may not feel like it.
Everyone needs their alone time and you should definitely respect the alone time your body needs. However, it’s also important to spend time with friends and family to help your mood.
Spending time with others can give your life a sense of meaning, especially if you’re investing deeply in relationships. Just finding one person to develop a relationship with can do wonders for your mood.
Summary
There is no question that our world has become plagued with sadness. Especially during the time of the Covid-19 pandemic, people have become isolated from others, barely leaving their houses except for groceries and emergencies. However, there are a few simple lifestyle changes you can make to improve your happiness and mood. Taking time to invest in relationships, engaging in physical activity and staying active can help to improve physical and mental health and boost your mood.