The current coronavirus pandemic seems to have brought the entire world to its knees over the past two years. On personal levels, millions of people worldwide have been negatively impacted one way or another – from the loss of loved ones to losing jobs and businesses and heightened fears of financial insecurity. All these combined led to rapid rises in symptoms of depression and anxiety by 400%, especially for adults aged between 40 and 70 years.
And although there appears to be some light at the end of this dark, long tunnel with the presence of vaccinations and countries cautiously easing restrictions, there is still a lot you need to do to protect your mental health. So, have you felt under pressure in any way for the past couple of years? You need to avoid making these mental health mistakes to shield yourself from the symptoms of depression.
Overloading yourself with the pressure of work
Your physical health is closely connected to your mental health. If the past months have taught us anything, it is the fact that nothing should replace our health and the love of our dear ones. It’s understandable that you have goals, that you need to make a reality – but not at the expense of your mental health. When you push your body to its limits, it will naturally break down, meaning you will not even be able to enjoy the fruits of your labor.
Not taking time to destress
As mentioned earlier, constant grinding will impact both your mental and physical health. So take the time out to relax, destress and pamper yourself as often as you need to. If it is safe enough to visit a spa for a rejuvenating massage treatment, don’t deny yourself the pleasure. You can also try yoga and other forms of meditation to help your mind relax and let off steam. If certain recreational activities can help you relax, you can also enjoy them. Recreational smoking, for example, can help you with controlled breaths. But for serious smokers, you can try using rigs for dabs to help you feel relaxed.
Not getting enough sleep
Sleep also has a direct connection with mental health. Indeed a lot of mental health issues are the result of lack of proper sleep. Always make enough time to get at least seven or eight hours of uninterrupted sleep at night. If that is impossible to achieve, you need to ensure that you find regular snooze periods during the day. Also, ensure that you exercise enough and adopt an active lifestyle.
Not putting a structure to your way of life
No matter how free you want to live your life, you should add some structure to live. The brain prefers to have some type of routine, and as some people have said, chaos in your life is only a reflection of chaos in your mind. So, give structure to your life; set a regular time to wake up and go to bed. Be productive during the day, rest at night, eat healthily, and share the company of your loved ones.
