The book, The Healing Power of Exercise: Your Guide to Prevention and Treating Diabetes, Depression, Heart Disease, High Blood Pressure, Arthritis, and More states, “A universal finding in exercise studies is that people experience a greater sense of wellbeing.” In the book, it is explained, “Our cardiovascular system, endocrine glands, muscles, and bones still function best when the body is challenged by regular
bouts of exertion.”

Exercise enhances your mood in many ways. Although exercisers exercise for a wide variety of reasons, the most powerful reasons are psychological, not physical. Exercisers have found exercise makes them:
feel good. more optimistic. more mentally alert. feel an enhanced sense of well-being. feel more confident. better able to cope with stress and more energetic.

Moreover, some people report they overeat because they are depressed. For many, moderate depression tends to cause overeating while severe depression tends to cause undereating. One large study of overweight individuals found depression was the number one reason for overeating, ahead
of stress.

“A vigorous five-mile walk will do better for unhappy, but other-wise healthy adults than all the medicine and psychology in the world.” – Dr. Paul Dudley White

Over-working, over-stressing, expectations of perfection, a critical and complaining cynical spirit, focusing on the negatives in life, feeding a sense of hopelessness through what you read and listen to; all this and more spins many of us out of control and into a depression.

Exercise and depression has been the focus of many scientific studies and research has repeatedly shown that exercise really does help.

What kind of exercise helps depression? Depression and exercise don’t like to share the same life space. If you move exercise into your life, depression will move out. This is true for many kinds of exercise. There is about a 23% chance that someone will suffer some depressive symptoms in his or her lifetime and for those with such symptoms there is a good chance they will reoccur again. Fortunately, for most, these symptoms last for very short periods of time and usually clear up.
“The relation is very close between our capacity to act at all and our conviction that the action we are taking is right.” “Just do it.”

Q: My husband insists he has good vision because of all the carrots he is fond of eating. Is there any truth to this? A: Nutrition is important for eye health, but there is much more to vision than that. If you’re worried about your husband’s vision, urge him to get tested. A standard test will measure his visual acuity, focusing, and general eye health, amongst other things. Carrot consumption does not guarantee good vision in anyone! If your husband does need vision correction, Rizal Optical offers hundreds of innovative and eye-catching styles of frames to choose from.

Exercising outdoors seems to be even more effective.
Exercise seems to give you a better sense of control of yourself that in turn gives you more confidence to deal with other aspects of your life. It also seems to alter your brain neurotransmitters (dopamine, serotonin, norepinephrine) in some complex and yet not well-understood way. Of course, like Prozac and St. John’s wort, exercise doesn’t work for everybody. The only way to know is to try it. You’ll probably feel better.

How exercise works
Exercise is an excellent way to alleviate mild to moderate depression. By exercising you
can expect: about a 50% drop in your depression. an immediate impact (unlike medication
which takes many weeks to take effect). no unpleasant side effects. Almost any exercise will do if you maintain it for at least 20 to 30 minutes and exercise at 69% or more of your Maximum Heart Rate
Capacity (i.e., at least moderate intensity).

If your friend or loved one is trying to quit smoking, there are many ways in which you can support them on their journey. Familiarize yourself with the reasons quitting can be so difficult by reading articles, brochures, and other information. Understand your own relationship with smoking and ensure you are celebrating their successes, being supportive, and avoiding being too critical. Be positive when the person you know who is quitting wants to talk about their goals, setbacks, and other aspects of the process. Helping to distract your friend or loved one, or helping them to de-stress, can also be a great way to offer support.

Twelve years ago, when I walked into MDAM I was looking for a reason not to end my life. A volunteer found a quiet space for us to talk, he let me talk, cry, say all the fears, past traumas all the things that I had been terrified to say out loud. He didn’t judge me or try to fix me, he just let me talk until I got it all out. Then he gave me a list of meetings they had going on and told me I was welcome to attend whenever I was ready or drop in just to talk one-on-one with someone. No pressure, no false promises, just a place to go. I started going to groups, made some friends, eventually started to volunteer. MDAM saved my life and changed my life.

Practicing self-care is a simple way to support positive mental health. Bradley University explains, there is a direct connection between physical and emotional health, it should come as no surprise that many everyday self-care activities support both.

Sleep
A lack of sleep has been associated with memory impairment, irritability, mood swings, and an increased risk for developing anxiety or depression. That’s why it is so important to develop a nightly routine that helps encourage falling and staying asleep. Avoid technology and bright lights for an hour or so before you head to bed. Turn the thermostat in your bedroom down several degrees. It sends a signal to the body that it’s time to slow down.

Stress Reduction
Establishing a daily stress relief practice is a great way to feel better both physically and emotionally. Mindful meditation, which has been shown to reduce stress and relieve anxiety, has become a prevalent choice. There is also evidence that it can help moderate depressive symptoms and the effects of ADHD.
Time management is another part of stress relief. Think about it for a minute: If you are constantly running from one thing to the next, do you really have time to care for yourself?
Learn how to tactfully say no to requests on your time that will cause undue stress. You might be surprised at how empowering it can be.

Proper Nutrition
Food is the best way to get your nutrients, making eating a balanced diet is one of the most important self-care practices you can adopt.

Natural Remedies and Supplements
Many people turn to natural remedies to alleviate stress and anxiety, both crucial to maintaining mental health. For example, CBD is widely used to boost moods, melatonin encourages better sleep, and turmeric reduces inflammation. Remember that despite being natural, many of these products are also quite powerful. Be sure to talk with your health care provider about any possible interactions if you currently take medications.

Self-care is a critical component of maintaining mental health. By incorporating activities such as taking a supplement, eating a balanced diet, and getting enough sleep, you can help reduce the effects of stress on the body. These strategies can also help boost mental health by mitigating symptoms such as anxiety and depression for many people.