Stress is becoming more prominent in the daily lives of most people, especially those that are working five to eight hours a day. The stress that they get from being overworked or having problems in the office may often cause deteriorating mental health. This stress may eventually lead to more serious disorders like anxiety and depression.
Taking a break after a very stressful day at work or in school is important, as it allows you to forget about problems at least for a few hours and let your mind rest for a while. There are a lot of activities that you can do during your break or rest days, although only some considered to be effective in improving or taking care of one’s mental health. Here are several activities to do to unwind during your free time and promote mental wellness.
Yoga
If you are going to ask people what is the best activity to do for mental wellness, most of them would probably tell you that it is yoga. Multiple studies have shown that yoga can help alleviate stress, relieve anxiety, and even reduce inflammation in the body. Yoga is also a great way for your physical health to be taken care of as well since the activity is considered an exercise. You can do yoga every day during your rest days, or you can also do it after work at night or in the morning if you have a nightshift schedule.
Exercise
Besides yoga, other forms of exercise are also great for improving mental health, as they help to increase mental alertness and reduce the body’s stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline. You can exercise at home by doing sit-ups, push-ups, and others, but you can also do exercise outside by walking, running, riding a bike, or swimming. As long as you can stimulate your body’s endorphins, which are the chemicals in our body that act as mood elevators, your mental health will benefit from any form of exercise you do.
Have Stress Relievers
If you don’t have a lot of time to unwind during or after work, you can just have stress relievers on your desk like stress balls, fidget cubes, and other fun toys to play with during short breaks. You can squeeze a stress ball or press buttons on the fidget cube to express your frustration without actually taking it out on a coworker, or even worse, a superior. These stress relievers also allow you to control your frustrations, which is often one of the factors for having stress.
Take Care of Pets
Most animal lovers would tell you that having pets at home will surely brighten up your day after a stressful day at school or work, and several studies also support that claim, as they show that the companionship that a pet provides for their owners is effective in reducing stress and anxiety. Even though pets can’t talk to you, they can usually read the body language of their owners for them to know when you need more comfort. Dogs are known to be better companions than cats for mental wellness, as dogs are clingier and are more affectionate to their owners. However, before owning a pet, make sure that you have the time, effort, and energy to take care of it as well.
Talk to People
Communication is often a good way to cope with problems in life, as talking to a loved one can serve as an outlet to release frustrations, stress, or sadness. If you are experiencing stress, don’t shut out your family members or friends and tell them that you don’t feel angry or frustrated; instead, you should let them know how you feel in the moment, and they may be able to help you alleviate any negative thoughts that are filling your mind. Because it can help you release your emotions and not keep them to yourself, talking to people you care about is good for your mental health.
Consult a Psychiatrist
If the stress is becoming too much that it is affecting your life even outside of work or school, then it may be best to consult a psychiatrist for advice. By going to a mental health expert, you will be able to know how to cope with your stress and see if there are underlying problems with your mental wellbeing. In addition, a psychiatrist can also prescribe medications that can help treat mental disorders if ever you have one. So, if you feel like any activity doesn’t help improve your mental wellness, then you should go to your local psychiatrist. To learn more about the many duties of a psychiatrist, go to BetterHelp.com to read articles related to mental health and psychiatry.
Sleep
Although many considered sleep to not be an activity, it is still a task that your body does. It is important for you to get at least eight hours of sleep a day, as it is actually proven that getting ample sleep can enable you to be more alert and experience less stress. In addition, your body will also get a much-needed rest that is needed for them to recover from any physical or mental activities.