Tag: mental health

Is your home stressing you out?

Is your home stressing you out? | H is for Home

Your home should be a place that you love. After all, not only is it where you spend the vast majority of your time but it should also be your fortress from the stress of the outside world, as well as the place where you and your family spend time together and make memories. However, for many of us, our homes can end up causing a great deal of stress. Of course, in the modern era, the last thing many of us need is any more stress in our lives. With that in mind, here are some things that you can do to make sure that your home isn’t stressing you out.

Hired house cleaner using a vacuum cleaner

Hire some help

Keeping your home cleaned is an essential part of many of our lives but it can often feel close to impossible to find the time to actually get any of the cleaning done. After all, between work and family commitments, as well as the need to rest and relax from time to time, things like cleaning can often fall by the wayside. If that’s something that’s happening to you, consider hiring a cleaner so that your home is still a pleasant place to spend your time without you having to exhaust yourself keeping it clean on top of everything else that you have to do.

Pure white, minimal interior

Go minimal

If you feel stressed out every single time you enter your home then there’s a good chance that it’s because the place is far too cluttered. Being willing to get rid of the junk in your home and embrace a minimalist style is one of the best ways to make it a more relaxed and pleasant environment. If you’re constantly being bombarded with stimulus all through your home it can often create this kind of underlying level of stress that leaves a lot of people feeling tense and frustrated at home without even really knowing why.

Plumber fixing the tap on a hand basin

Keep it maintained

There are few things in life more stressful than something going wrong. From a burst pipe to an issue with your heating, household disasters can throw your entire life into chaos. Because of that, you want to be sure that you’re keeping your home well maintained. Having the number of a plumber or heating engineer on hand for emergencies is great. However, you also want to be sure that you’re getting your appliances checked over semi-frequently, even if they seem to be working just fine. That way you’re going to be able to avoid any problems before they ever materialise in the first place.

Of course, there are always going to be things in life that cause you stress, both at home and away. That’s something with which most of us just have to come to terms. However, by minimising the amount of stress that your home causes you, you’re in a position where you have somewhere to go and escape from all of the frustrations that so often come with trying to get by in the modern world.

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Combat seasonal sadness and feel healthy

Combat seasonal sadness and feel healthy | H is for Home

Seasonal sadness is most definitely is a thing. Many people will testify to the mental struggles encountered at certain times of year – problems that are much more openly discussed now than in days gone by. Seasonal sadness comes around when the nights draw in, weather gets colder, rain is more frequent…and things just seem more gloomy. The days of sun filled happiness and a sense of optimism seem a long time ago. The lack of sunlight means that the mood just dips – sometimes quite suddenly or creeping in gradually over a period of weeks.

It then becomes harder to keep your health in check, as the temptation to just slob around grows. Eating junk food is far more appealing, and that ambition for a summer bod goes out the window. So, rather than letting your health dip, here are a few ways in which you can combat the seasonal sadness you’re feeling and stay healthy, both physically and mentally. Keep on reading to find out more!

Junk food

You might be weighing your body down

This is something that a lot of us will be able to relate to. The more junk you put into your body, the more you’re going to be weighing your mind and body down. Even if you have a super-fast metabolism and your body doesn’t react weight wise to junk food, your mind will. You’ll feel sluggish and weighed down, and you might not even realise that until you go clean with your diet for a few weeks. So, we recommend doing just that; going clean with a diet that you’re actually going to be able to stick to. One that you could try is the Paleo diet. It cuts all of the processed rubbish out of your diet, and focuses on food that will have come from the land. You could even follow the diet just 80% of the time, and have a treat the rest of the time. That way, you’re not suffering from the effects of a bad diet, and you’ll be benefiting from the Paleo side of things!

Lit cigarette

Cutting out health risks

We’re so bad for adding little health risks into our life, that even if we’re not feeling the effects of at the minute, we will further down the line. One of them is smoking, a habit which so many people get into. If you are a smoker, we would definitely recommend that you look at an ecig store to see what replacements you can get out of it. You’ll most likely be able to find a pen that suits you, and the flavours are now better than ever, meaning you should far prefer it more than you do a normal cigarette. Think about the long term effects of not giving this a go!

Positive thought table sign with pair of glasses

A bit of PMA

Sometimes, all you need to get you started in the morning is a bit of PMA. Positive mental attitude is so important, simply waking up with enthusiasm for the day is going to be so much better than dragging yourself out of bed and having a negative emotional outlook to the start of the day.

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Medicine for the mind: can gardening help beat depression?

Medicine for the mind: can gardening help beat depression?

If you’re feeling depressed and under pressure, you’re not alone. Nearly a fifth of adults in the UK experience depression or anxiety. That statistic is according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), which also states that more women report that they suffer from the conditions than men. With over-thinking and major life events such as family bereavement, leading to depression; anyone can be at risk of the illness. However, certain genetic variations may make some more prone to the condition than others.

While many are prescribed anti-depressants to help cope with depression by acting as a ‘mood enhancer’, they don’t work for everyone. But, can gardening help us battle depression? Many believe so, with reports suggesting 87% of people who garden for more than six hours per week feel happier. But why and how is this the case?

Child shelling green beans

Garden with your family

Suffering from depression can drain you of all your confidence, so gardening as a family can be a great way in which to socialise within your comfort zone. Most kids love the garden – and spending time with you – so by creating fun tasks to improve your garden, they’ll instinctively have fun which will help lift your spirits. Why not try to grow a batch of dahlias with your little ones?

Certain friendly bacteria that’s found in soil can also work in a similar way to anti-depressants by boosting the immune system, according to scientists.

Someone wearing gardening gloves handing over a bowl of tomatoes

Grow your own produce

Why not try to grow your own vegetables? It’s believed that producing your own food can help you reconnect with our planet, its seasons and rhythms. Not only this, but tending to your crops will provide enough light exercise – at your own pace – to boost your endorphin levels.

With one of the primary causes of depression being a sense of feeling out of control, growing your own fruit and veg can help give back some of that power. It’s also thought that folate-rich foods, such as kale and spinach, can help lift your morale. So, what better way to boost yourself than growing it yourself?

Harvesting our own crops can also release the ‘pleasure chemical’ dopamine into the brain, triggering a state of bliss. This release can be caused by sight, smell and actually plucking fruit, so be sure to plant as many different edible options as possible and get that dopamine flowing!

Garden spade stuck into the ground

Keep busy

Gardening is a great way to keep your mind and body busy while not partaking in anything too strenuous. Tasks such as digging, mowing and planting can keep you occupied for hours on end and always thinking, while being outdoors can increase serotonin in the brain. On top of this, the relaxing ambience provided by being outside can leave you feeling rejuvenated.

Dr Sheri Jacobson, a psychotherapist and clinical director from Harley Therapy, agreed with the benefits that being outside hold in combating depression. She is quoted in the Huffington Post as saying:

While I haven’t come across anyone claiming that gardening has single-handedly overcome their depression, as part of a wide set of tools, gardening can be beneficial in the battle against depression.

Being in the outdoors in more natural surroundings can help lift our mood as it brings a sense of simplicity and tranquillity which is therapeutic for many people.

Sprig of rosemary and half a cut lemon

Plant scented flowers

Scientists in Japan claim that inhaling scents released by plants such as lavender can alter gene activity and reduce any stress or depression you may be feeling. Aromatherapy, for example, is used as a form of alternative medicine and relies on scents such as this.

Other plants that are recommended for your garden include jasmine – its fragrance is supposed to help you sleep – and rosemary, which is said to improve air quality, memory function and banish anxiety.

Of course, for some, the thought of getting up and gardening may be a struggle. However, with so many potential benefits, it’s clearly worth trying to get into this hobby. Remember though, you’re not alone in your struggle, so be sure to talk to professionals and those closest to you if you’re depressed. There are many people out there with whom you can discuss your feelings.

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