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5 Easy habits to improve your mental health

31 July 2020
by Glynis Horning

Stress and depression may be a natural reaction to the anxiety of these times, but there are simple things you can do to cope better and push through the pandemic.

Take a walk on the wild side

"Exercise elevates your mood by releasing feel-good hormones", says Klerksdorp biokineticist Isabeau van Heerden. And exercising in nature has been found to be even more effective, so stroll in a leafy neighbourhood, or a park or nature reserve, now these are opening under level 3 lockdown.

A study in Frontiers of Psychology found walking for 10 minutes or more in nature, at least three times a week, cut levels for the stress hormone cortisol. Aim for 30 minutes, five times a week, and walk tall: a study in the Journal of Behaviour Therapy and Psychiatry found people who slouched experienced worse moods and remembered more negative things than positive ones.

Lift your chin, keep your shoulders back and swing your arms for positivity.

Go shopping

Money is tight, with lockdown affecting jobs, but treating yourself occasionally and affordably can give a quick mental lift. A retail therapy study in the Journal of Consumer Psychology found many people feel sad and afraid when they have limited control over their environment, as with COVID-19 and lockdown.

Shopping gives a sense of autonomy – you have control over where you go, what you buy. The researchers found this not only gives an immediate happiness burst, but may help reduce lingering stress or depression.

So indulge in a smart jacket for Zoom meetings, or just something small, like a fancy soap or stylish mask. Buy local to give other South Africans a lift too. Better still, buy something for someone else in need. In a study sponsored by the National Institutes for Health, MRIs of people who gave to charity showed that giving stimulated the mesolimbic pathway: the reward centre of the brain.

Get reading

Reading something you find engrossing, whether a book or a magazine, stimulates you mentally, lighting up different parts of your brain, and distracting you from worries. A study in the Journal of College Teaching and Learning found students registered in demanding courses who spent 30 minutes a day reading for pleasure had reduced stress.

Listen to music

Harvard researchers have found music can relieve stress and improve mood even in people with depression. In one study, patients played classical music while undergoing surgery under spinal anaesthesia had lower blood pressure and heart rates, and lower blood levels of the stress hormone adrenaline.

Classical, light jazz or easy-listening music, it doesn’t seem to matter much – choose whatever you find relaxing. And while it seems that upbeat music produces arousal, when it stops, blood pressure and heart rates drop to below their usual level, showing relaxation.

Cuddle a pet

Animal-assisted therapy has been offered at Joburg’s Life New Kensington Clinic rehabilitation unit for several years, to help patients with physical, neurological and cognitive injuries. "Dogs have no inhibitions and don’t judge, they just want and give unconditional affection", says animal behaviour specialist Charlene Kruger, the clinic’s case administrator. "Therapy dogs engage and break down barriers, soothe and cheer".

Cuddling a dog or cat has been found to significantly reduce the stress hormone cortisol, according to research scientists at Washington State University in the US. Why not adopt one of the many pets from one of our local animal shelters who require homes?

IMAGE CREDIT: 123rf.com