Dealing with the Blues: How to Improve Mental Health Without Medication
Your mental health has a major impact on your daily life, and should be given the same attention as your physical health. In many cases, it can be helpful to take medication to help improve mental health. Of course, there are also many other alternative methods that can help you find relief.
Mindfulness Practices
Mindfulness is the act of being fully present in the moment. Through mindfulness, you can focus on what is going on around you without reacting to it. There are many ways you can practice mindfulness. Most commonly, people will do meditation or deep breathing exercises to help them center themselves and be fully aware. When doing mindfulness, you allow yourself to reflect and pause. Mindfulness helps to reduce stress, decrease the symptoms of depression or anxiety, and positively impact your overall health. Mindfulness is something you can incorporate into your everyday life, and it can help you create positive new patterns.
Brain Stimulation
There are treatments available, aside from medication, that can help you improve your mental health. According to TMS Clinics of Canada, transcranial magnetic stimulation, also known as TMS, targets the mood regulation center of your brain. It stimulates your brain cells in order to ease symptoms of depression, but it can be helpful for many other conditions as well. TMS therapy is a non-invasive treatment that has been clinically approved. You receive several sessions and can expect to see significant improvement after a few weeks of treatment.
Care for Your Physical Health
As Verywell Mind points out, our mental and physical health are often intertwined and caring for your physical health can help you see improvements in your mental health. Exercise is extremely beneficial. It releases endorphins, also known as the “feel-good” chemical, and it gets the blood moving throughout your body. If you exercise outdoors, you also have the added benefit of exposure to vitamin D which helps improve your mood. Getting plenty of sleep is also necessary. Sleep is when your body rests and recharges. You want to make sure you get the right amount of sleep as well as high quality sleep. Lastly, make sure you pay attention to your nutrition. Eating a balanced diet can help you get all the nutrients you need so your mind and body function well.
There is a lot you can do to benefit your mental health. It may take some changes to your daily habits or even the introduction of some new treatments. Try some new methods to see what will benefit you the most.
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