Due to work pressure, helplessness in life, and the embarrassment of reality, it often triggers anxiety, tension, and depression in people.
The following 5 methods, scientifically proven, can effectively calm these emotions. You may want to give them a try.
01
Get up and do something or meditate
When a person is in a state of depression or anxiety, it is easy to indulge in negative thoughts and get deeply involved in them. At this time, try to shift your focus elsewhere, such as touching objects around you, taking a walk, doing a small task, or meditating, with the aim of diverting your attention.
There are many types of meditation, such as walking meditation, sitting meditation, etc. A simple method is to imagine a conveyor belt in front of you, when negative thoughts come up, pack them, put them on the conveyor belt, and let them go; when the next thought comes up, pack it, put it on the conveyor belt, let it go, and repeat the process.
02
Get close to nature
To relieve accumulated stress, don’t just stay at home to rest. Engage with nature, go hiking outdoors, and enjoy time in green spaces, which can help alleviate negative emotions.
Research has shown that spending 20 minutes walking daily, or simply spending time in a natural environment, can significantly reduce stress and lower tension.
03
Maintain good sleep quality
Anxiety and depression can make it difficult for people to fall asleep, and without sufficient rest, it can increase the production of stress hormones, leading to more negative emotions and problems.
There are some methods that can help you get better sleep, such as maintaining a relatively fixed sleep routine, including going to bed and waking up at the same time every day, even on weekends; try to expose yourself to natural light during the day, and avoid excessive blue light at night, such as from TV, computer, and phone screens.
04
Set aside time each day to reflect
Take 15-30 minutes each day to reflect on worries about life, write down your feelings and concerns. This is a way of “externalizing” emotions and feelings of insecurity through writing.
When this time set aside for negative feelings ends, set aside the worries and continue with your life. If negative emotions persist, remind yourself that there will be another time for “focused reflection and digestion” tomorrow to reduce the possibility of these negative thoughts invading other times in your life.
05
Focus on gut health
Human happiness is created in the gut. Why is this said?
Because serotonin and dopamine, known as “happy chemicals,” are produced by gut bacteria. The gut microbiota is not only a “healthy factory” but also a “happy factory.”
In this factory, if the gut bacteria “employees” are abundant and energetic, they can produce a lot of serotonin and dopamine precursors, continuously delivering them to the brain, allowing us to maintain a pleasant mood and stay away from anxiety.
But if there are few “employees” in the factory and they lack motivation, less “happy chemicals” are produced, resulting in a low mood and inability to feel happy.
A simple and convenient method to combat anxiety and depression is to start from the gut, by increasing the “good employees” in the gut factory – beneficial microorganisms (probiotics).
In daily life, you can eat more foods rich in probiotics, such as yogurt, natto, and fermented soybeans; also, limit the consumption of foods that are “not conducive to gut health,” such as fast food and sugary drinks. Additionally, consider taking probiotic supplements.
There are many probiotic products on the market, how do you choose the right one? Look mainly for the following 3 points:
1. Look at the dosage form
Ensure the probiotics’ activity for stable effects. If the product label indicates “sterilization” or “treated with inactivation,” the activity of the probiotics is very low.
2. Look at the number of live bacteria
The Ministry of Health’s “Regulations on the Declaration and Examination of Probiotic Health Foods” show that the number of live bacteria in probiotic health foods during their storage period should reach 106 cfu/mL (g).
What is the concept of 106 cfu/mL (g)? We can use 100 grams as a conversion, meaning that there needs to be over 1 billion live bacteria per 100 grams for it to be effective.
3. Look at the strains and species of bacteria
The strains and species of bacteria in probiotic products are crucial indicators of their effectiveness and should be fully identified, including strain name and number (like an identification number).
Finally, sincerely hope that the above methods can help improve feelings of depression and anxiety! If you have any other topics of interest, feel free to leave a comment in the comment section!
