Written By: Bhakti Paun Sharma | Published : November 18, 2015, 12:27 PM
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Did you know Indian employees top the ‘most stressed’ list in the world, according to the Asia Pacific edition of the Staying@Work survey? Stress can further lead to other mental disorders like insomnia, depression and feelings of insecurity and anxiety that eventually hamper your physical well-being too. These tips will help you beat stress and boost mental health for your overall well-being.
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Meditate: According to a study published in the Journal of American Medical Association, mindful meditation has the same effect as taking an anti-depressant. A mindfulness-based stress reduction program was designed by researchers at St. Vincent’s Hospital in Melbourne, Australia and studied 60 individuals. The results revealed that depression and anxiety scores of participants had reduced significantly.
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Laugh: In the book Laughology: Improve Your Life with the Science of Laughter, psychologist Stephanie Davies explains how laughter has a profound effect on our mental health. Laughter releases the 'happy hormones' which relax the brain and make it more efficient and alert. Laughter yoga, a popular form, has a positive effect on your brain and helps de-stress, according to Dr Madan Kataria.
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Hobby: Nurturing a hobby gives you the time to relax and deviate your mind from the mundane activities. Research scholar and art therapist Archana Singh says that arts therapy can help improve mental health and reduce sorrow. Indu Bansal, senior consultant, oncology at Paras Hospital, also suggested that arts and hobbies can help heal many ailments by bringing peace to patient’s mind.
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Music: Now considered an alternate therapy, music has healing effects. According to scientists at the Cambridge University, listening to hip-hop can help depression and schizophrenia patients. German composer and yoga instructor Alecia Sheilah says that music helps listeners find inner peace, and thus de-stress. In fact, neurophysican Dr J S Kathpal, suggests that music can help treat many brain ailments and can be used as an adjutant therapy.
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Exercise: A study published in the Journal of Applied Psychology showed that physically active individuals were less likely to undergo mental health deterioration. A minimum of 150 minutes of exercise per week is all you need to stay mentally fit.
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Time management: Managing time effectively is the first step to living stress free. Experts dealing with anxiety, stress and depression of students appearing for their board exams have also suggested that lack of time management is the cause of this condition. Planning the day or week well can help you stay positive and help boost mental health.
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Positive thinking: Several studies have indicated that people with negative thoughts are more likely to suffer from stress and depression than the ones who have a positive approach to life. Avoiding negative thoughts of failure, rejection, powerlessness can definitely help reduce stress levels.
