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How mental health can be improved by staying at home

How mental health can be improved by staying at home
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By

Suraj Iyer

Published: 25 Jun 2020 12:48 PM GMT

Depression is an epidemic that has existed for many years across the world. Therapy and other forms of treatments for depression are slowly becoming more approachable as many famous personalities are opening up regarding it and trying to eradicate the stigma associated. Lockdown has taken a toll on people already suffering from mental health issues as well as those who have to stay home. This is resulting in an alarming increase in people suffering from depression and burnout, possibly due to work from home that was imposed in lockdown.

There are some ways people can maintain good mental health and improve their wellness. The first primary factor contributing to depression is stress. Stress is a somewhat a misunderstood concept as people associate stress with negativity. Stress is actually of two types, eustress and distress. Eustress is a beneficial stress that leads to an increase in productivity and wellness whereas distress is the often connotated negative stress that affects one’s mental health. Both are necessary for a balance.

Mental health

Stress can be managed by practising meditation at home. 10 minutes of mindful meditation will allow one to relax and create that specific time as a period of mental healing and contemplation. The human brain is highly adaptive and any change, even for a duration of 10 minutes every day will result in a good chance for the mental wellbeing of a person. As previously discussed in an article, yoga is also an efficient way to keep stress away at home. There are several YouTube channels and online communities and websites that offer free routines and courses at home that one can take to practice at home.

Food and lifestyle habits also play an important role in mental wellbeing. People who sleep roughly 7-8 hours a day are more likely to be productive and energetic due to the good night’s sleep which will also benefit their emotional state. One should eat food for health and for feeling good as diets may be restrictive and possibly harmful as one may have cravings and end up eating more than necessary which will then lead to a hazardous spiral. Eating good homemade food which is nutritious will automatically boost health as the person will no longer have cravings and will gain the energy to proceed with the day’s tasks.

Lifestyle habits play an important role. People may indulge in harmful habits such as smoking and drinking too often, or any form of addiction, which may lead to greater abuse due to staying at home constantly and needing a coping mechanism to deal with stress. Various organisations and supportive communities offer help online, which will be of help to such individuals.

Last but not least, creative expression is a great way to deal with stress. Working individuals who previously didn’t have time to focus on their creative aspects such as writing, painting, practising music or any other artistic outlets due to time constraints and commute can now freely utilise the time at home to work on those skills and possibly use it as a method for dealing with stress.

Work from home allows them to make a safe space at home and practice these skills which will reduce stress and boost creativity and productivity. This will end up boosting mental health in the long run. It is also a solution for those suffering from addictions, to replace their habits and obtain happiness in other ways of expression.

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