Patients often ask: Is there any way to relieve anxiety and depression without taking medicine?
Today, we will introduce you to a few non-drug ** to help patients improve their emotional problems!Combined with regular**, the effect is better!In addition, these methods are also suitable for people with sub-healthy mental health, which can help everyone to self-regulate and relieve depression and anxiety. Let's take a look!
Get in touch with nature
To relieve accumulated stress, don't just stay at home and rest, get in touch with nature, get outdoors and enjoy time in green spaces, which can help relieve negative emotions.
Cortisol is a hormone secreted by the adrenal cortex, and when stress is high, cortisol levels in the body rise. When spending 20-30 minutes in nature, cortisol in the brain decreases.
Studies have found that spending at least 20 minutes a day strolling, or simply staying in a place with a natural atmosphere, can significantly reduce stress and tension, which is the power of nature's pills.
For example, outdoor paddleboarding.
In addition to building muscle, paddleboarding can also help us cope with stress and anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder.
Paddleboarding, a low-intensity, repetitive exercise that significantly lowers cortisol levels with just 30 minutes of paddling, relieves stress, and can enter a wonderful meditative state when the brain focuses on the same repetitive strokes while maintaining balance on the paddleboard. Plus, when paddling, the body releases endorphins that make us feel good, while also helping to clear thoughts, improve focus, and promote a sense of calm and well-being.
Several studies have shown that oxygen-adequate brains help control stress and anxiety and help alleviate depression. The deep breath when paddling can replenish oxygen to the brain, bring pleasure and release stress between exhalation and inhalation.
Mindfulness meditation
Mindfulness meditation is really a great way to cope.
The concept of mindfulness, which originated from Zen Buddhism, became a systematic psychology after de-religious ritualization, and was used in various fields of psychology.
Breathe in and out, focus on the present, don't dwell on the past, don't worry about the future, recognize and accept your emotions, accept your strengths and weaknesses, and don't have to suppress or escape. Constant practice will give us positive feedback, and slowly, your self-criticism and negative rumination will be reduced, and your thinking will be clearer.
A study of 276 adults with anxiety disorders in the Journal of the American Medical Association Psychiatry Volume showed that mindfulness was comparable to medication. Members of the mindfulness practice group practice 45 minutes a day, 2 hours a week5 hours of mindfulness training session;Medication group members take one medication per day for anxiety and depression. After 2 months, both groups experienced a reduction of about 30% and continued to do so over the next 4 months.
What mindful breathing does – is to focus on the breath.
Mindful breathing can be practiced anywhere, but it's best to find a corner of the room and sit comfortably with your hands on your lap and your eyes closed. The beginning and end of the breathing exercise can be marked with bells or bells. It's best to breathe so that the air fills the entire lungs. Relax your abdomen, inhale slowly, and then exhale slowly again. When your mind wanders, you don't have to dwell on distracting thoughts, you can slowly pull your attention back.
Exercise
When we exercise, our body releases endorphins called happy hormones that help us improve our mood and reduce feelings of depression. The results of a study by Beijing Anding Hospital showed that after 8 weeks of exercise intervention, the symptoms of depression, anxiety, insomnia and other symptoms of depressed patients were significantly improved, and the remission rate reached 88%.
It doesn't need to be too intense, just a simple walk or relaxing yoga can have a positive impact on your mood.
The first step you have to do is to give yourself the courage to take it. It may be difficult to stick to it at first, but once you get into the habit, you'll find out how much exercise can affect your physical and mental health.
Play mahjong
The Chinese New Year is just two weeks away!
The favorite entertainment activities of the seven aunts and eight aunts are also on the agenda!
Playing mahjong is one of the most popular national entertainment activities among Chinese. During the Chinese New Year, if there is less mahjong, there will be less New Year's flavor
Call friends to rub a game, through the competition on the mahjong table, the family and friendship of the Chinese are released in one table and one general!
But mahjong is not only for fun, in fact, playing mahjong can not only reduce the risk of depression, but also improve mild cognitive impairment to a certain extent!
According to the journal Social Sciences and Medicine, highly interactive recreational activities such as mahjong play a positive role in urban middle-aged and older people, and the more types of social activities that participate in such activities, the better the mental health and the lower the incidence of depression compared to their peers who do not participate regularly. Of all the social activities, for city dwellers, playing mahjong will be the most effective; followed by sports or social clubs; Then there's a gathering of friends.
There are also studies that have found that for older adults with mild cognitive impairment, playing mahjong for 12 weeks can significantly increase their executive ability.
Finally, I sincerely hope that the above methods can help you improve your depression and anxiety! If you have any other topics of interest, please leave a message in the comment area!
References: 1hoge ea, bui e, mete m, dutton ma, baker aw, simon nm. mindfulness-based stress reduction vs escitalopram for the treatment of adults with anxiety disorders: a randomized clinical trial. jama psychiatry. 2023;80(1):13–21.
2.Jiang Jinbo, Ren Lei, Wu Lin, et al. Mindfulness ** Research [J].Chinese Journal of Health Care Medicine,2019,21(06):604-606