Simple yet effective ways to improve your mental health at home

Ever since Covid-19 took the world by storm, people everywhere were subjected to lockdowns across the globe. As a result, many were placed in a foreign environment which led to repercussions like the decline of mental health.

According to a Health Tracking Poll run by the Kaiser Family Foundation, many adults reported negative effects on their mental health, such as experiencing difficulties in sleeping or eating, increases in alcohol consumption or substance use. In addition, worsening chronic conditions because of constant worry and stress over the virus was also found in the study. Mental health is important to preserve and maintain, as it holds great effect over our daily lives. Here are some simple tips anybody can follow in order to improve their mental health at home.

• Waking up an hour early. According to a study published in JAMA Psychiatry, waking up one hour earlier than you usually do has been associated with a 23% lower risk of depression. The lead author of the study, Iyas Daghlas, states that it’s easy for people to understand that sleep length can impact a person’s health.

(Caption : Waking up early.)

“But most don’t realize sleep timing — when a person goes to bed or wakes up — could also be an important disease risk,” says the Harvard Medical School student. The research fellow from a lab studying genetic bases of sleep and circadian rhythms, also mentions that evening people, and likely intermediate people would benefit from going towards morning preference.

• Being active and exercising. According to The Global Health and Fitness Association (IHRSA), people who are more physically active are happier, experience greater levels of excitement and enthusiasm, are more satisfied with life and have higher self-esteem. A study in Brazil found that people who got more than 30 minutes of moderate, or more than 15 minutes of activity a day had lower odds of having depression or anxiety.

(Caption : Exercising.)

“Exercising and keeping myself up and moving around the house definitely has improved my mood overall, and makes me feel good about myself,” said Pooja Anbalagan, a student subjected to a painstakingly long lockdown since March 2020.

• Maintain communication with friends to overcome feelings of isolation. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, calling your friends is important during the ongoing pandemic. The author of “Friendship: The Evolution, Biology, And Extraordinary Power Of Life's Fundamental Bond,", Lydia Denworth, explains why friendship is important in improving mental health. “It affects your level of social integration, cognitive health, mental health and even the rate at which your cells age,” said the science journalist. Even simple phone calls, video calls and texting a friend aids in increasing positive effects on the mind.

(Caption : Virtual communication)

According to Lydia, hearing the voice of someone you care about can reduce stress levels, and holding video conferences on Zoom can make you feel connected, which releases oxytocin. “And even a text from a friend that makes you laugh is going to trigger endorphins, which also have a sort of positive effect on your health,” she added.

These were some simple, basic tips on how to effectively improve your mental health during a period where everyone is advised to stay at home. It is important to ensure that our mental wellbeing is in as good a condition as it could possibly be, since it makes up a large part of who we are.