by Jennifer Mudarrie, LICSW
Did you know that one-third of U.S. adults have symptoms of depression or anxiety and 47.4% of adults 18 to 29 years showed signs of anxiety or depression? So many of us struggle to make it through days filled with obligations, commitments, and plans. Feeling this way is overwhelming and can leave you tired with a lack the enthusiasm. Whether you were previously diagnosed with depression or it’s a newer experience, moods are complicated and can fluctuate. Let’s dive into some tips both at work and at home that can help offset some of those symptoms and challenges.
6 Mental Wellness Tips to Manage Your Daily Activities with Depression
What do we do when we have full-time jobs, obligations, and loved ones to take care of? How can we find the time for ourselves? I have gathered six ideas to make your mental wellness a priority.
1. Do small things in small ways. Check-in on someone else. Did you know giving to others helps us find purpose in our days?
2. Don’t believe everything you think when you’re in a mood. Your thoughts are not fully correct to reality all the time. Your mind might say “You are alone” but it may be your friends have been trying to reach you, but you forgot about or even ignored their texts, emails, or calls.
3. Share your emotions with a therapist or qualified health professional. It’s important to find a group therapy space if individual therapy is not possible right now.
4. Find ways to delegate tasks that you are paralyzed by or are possibly avoiding. Try to let others know you need support to get it done – something is better than zero. Make it a goal to speak with your employer about ways you can break down your tasks at work as well as your partner to take some of the chores that day.
5. Get outside and sit in the sun for 10-15 minutes. Research shows that exposure to sunlight, exposure to and use of green spaces, and physical activity each positively affected mental health!
6. Take a break from the emails on lunch. Don’t eat at your desk, get up and find people to speak with even for a few minutes. Connection heals the brain and reminds us of our thoughts aren’t always true.
Taking the time to manage your mental health is often a struggle and it’s important to remember that nothing is perfect, nor will it ever be. I am not, and you are not reading this. Try your best today – if it’s all you have that is good enough. Productivity comes when you’re attending to your needs and emotions. Honor your moods, find what it is that will help you manage the daily activities of life, and remember that we all are worth this time and connection.
References:
- National Center for Health Statistics – Anxiety and Depression – Household Pulse Survey: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/covid19/pulse/mental-health.htm
- Influence of External Natural Environment Including Sunshine Exposure on Public Mental Health: A Systematic Review: https://www.mdpi.com/2673-5318/3/1/8/htm#:~:text=Conclusions,each%20positively%20affected%20mental%20health
- National Alliance on Mental Health – Depression: https://www.nami.org/About-Mental-Illness/Mental-Health-Conditions/Depression
About Jennifer Mudarrie, LICSW: Jennifer is a psychotherapist with nearly two decades of experience in the mental health field. She provides individual and family counseling, movement-based healing, and clinical supervision and facilitates various workshops in the community with other multi-disciplinary professional providers.
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