With mental health disorders like depression and anxiety on the rise in the US, we’re reaching a crossroads in how we approach matters of the mind. In a conversation on Times Radio, Professor Sir Simon Wessely of England’s National Health Service noted the steep uptick in younger generations’ willingness to talk about their mental health, in contrast to their parents and grandparents, who were far less likely to open up.
“I went to every medical school, spoke to 40 different groups of students, and invariably they reported much higher rates of poor mental wellbeing and mental health problems,” he said. “But actually, when you push them a bit, they weren’t talking about the kind of disorders that we’re talking about—depression, anxiety and so on. They were talking about loneliness, homesickness, exam stress, academic pressure, concerns about climate change, which we probably wouldn’t really classify as mental disorders because they don’t really respond to the kind of psychological treatments we give.”
Whatever your mental health concern, there are lifestyle amends—fully supported by science—that can help ease your symptoms, and make the world feel like a lighter, brighter place.
On World Mental Health Day, here are three of them:
Connect with other people
It’s easy to isolate yourself when you’re having a bad time mentally, but making it a mission to see a friend, family member, or fellow human being can be transformative. Humans are wired to be around others, and subsequently, there is much research to show that feeling connected can have a positive effect on our physical and mental health, from better blood sugar control to decreased risk of cardiovascular mortality and symptoms of depression. In fact, one study found that participants were 50% more likely to survive when they had stronger social relationships. Conversely, feeling disconnected can increase our risk of depression and death, too.
While the internet promises to facilitate higher levels of connection, actually the opposite seems to be true, with research linking internet addiction with loneliness. So make time for your friends, join a club or community group, and make time to see your family, it’s never a waste of time, it really, genuinely, helps improve your mental health.
Move your body
According to a 2023 study in BJM Sports Medicine, physical activity is 1.5 times more effective at reducing mild-to-moderate symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress than medication and therapy in most people, including those with diagnosed mental health disorders. While many of us instinctively know how good a little exercise can make us feel, the author of the study, Dr. Ben Singh, believes it is nonetheless “often overlooked in the management of these conditions.” Instead of being overlooked, endorphin-boosting activity needs to be part of a mainstay approach to manage the nation’s mental well-being.
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