According to WHO data, the global prevalence of anxiety and depression increased by a massive 25% in the first year of the pandemic.
While we’ve learned to fight Covid much more effectively, other collective challenges like the war in Ukraine and looming economic uncertainty aren’t making things easier.
Now, about 1 in every 8 people in the world live with a mental disorder, which causes disturbances in thinking, emotional regulation, and behavior.
We have to fight. And this viral Reddit thread is a great reminder that everything starts with healthy habits. It asked the platform’s users, “What is something that drastically improved your mental health?” Here’s what they wrote.
Stopped paying close attention to the news. I realized I wasn’t going to be making a big change in the world and all it was doing was getting me upset so I stopped. The world is just as messed up and/or ok as it was then and I’m much less stressed about it all.
Moving to a place that wasn’t winter 8 months of the year and I was close to the ocean. Haven’t felt suicidal in over a year and a half, probably for the first time since i was 16.
Silencing my activity on social media, and replacing my time spent on there by reading books instead. I’ve finished 6 books since the start of January. I feel so good about myself because of it.
Taking vitamin D and B supplements and getting enough sleep. Really helped reduce excessive thinking and fixating on negative things from my past.
Getting a cat
Taking vitamins every morning
Being honest about my feelings
Setting clear immovable boundaries with my family
Quitting online arguing. It sounds obvious, but once I started telling myself “just block it out, it’s not worth the effort” and becoming more apathetic about dumbasses online, it genuinely helped things. I didn’t realise how stressed seeing dumb opinions made me.
Also, I don’t use Twitter. Which helps. Next platform to hopefully kick is Facebook.
Being honest and transparent about how I’m feeling. “I’m not mad at you, my brain just hates me right now,” has helped mitigate lots of fights and awkward conversations.
Working from home. In the office I have to be “on” for 8 hours, regardless of whether I’m on break or not. At home I can relax in a comfortable space without spending any “social energy”.
Eating breakfast.
I’d often describe to my boss and coworkers that I’d have a really bad brain fog that I sometimes couldn’t think at all. I usually wouldn’t eat until around 1pm or 2pm when I’d been up since 9am. I had to start getting up around 8am or sometimes 7am and I would have extra time to get food.
Once I did, the brain fog went away and the change was immediate.
I take ten minutes a day (usually before bed) to tidy things up. I’m always surprised at how much I can get done in just ten minutes, and it’s so much easier to keep the place clean that way. When things start getting really bad, the fact that I’ve always got a clean place is incredibly helpful.
Helping people in general. Today someone dropped their credit card on the train so I picked it up and ran outside give it to her. Just hearing them thanking me makes me feel a lot better about myself and encourages me to be a good person in general
Joining a D&D group. I don’t have much free time because I’m my mums carer but getting out for those few hours a week and just having fun really makes a difference. Plus I’ve made some really great friends that have become vital parts of my support network.
Something small that has helped me is saying aloud “What a beautiful day, today is”. It’s small but I have better outlook
Adult hobbies. Surfing. Fishing. Running. Mine are solo activities, but you just need something challenging that you have to work at to get better. It gives you little things to look forward to so you’re not focused on all the depressing bs.
Understanding how my mental illnesses worked (anxiety and depression) and noticing when I was experiencing symptoms.
Then learning how to mitigate them.
Went to therapy, and I’m now on antidepressants/anti-anxiety meds.
I’m not in therapy anymore, but I still kinda do like, therapy sessions with myself. These are basically just me going through how I’m feeling and holding up at the moment, and you know, just trying to figure out how I’m doing and then trying to solve any problems I have.
Getting a dog my dog I just love him. House training was a struggle but he actually caught on in a surprising way, saw him peeking out from the door when I was cleaning I saw his expression and he was somewhat ashamed he got a lot better after he saw me and had that realization.
Another little story about my dog
My brother used to set like 10 alarms in the morning and wouldn’t wake up. Well after the the first few ones I started to get a little groggy and upset, my dog got up and went to my brothers room and I just heard “hey tit… stop titan, no stop” then my dog came back in the room and slept with me.
He’s a Rottweiler mixed with another dog not sure since he was bought from a third party
Eliminating negative self talk. Instead of “oh god I said something stupid, now she thinks I’m an idiot, why am I so dumb” I just tell myself “it’s ok, I misunderstood what she was asking, everyone does this sometimes and it’s no big deal” which usually stops the shame spiral before it can form.
I was severely depressed before trying this. It didn’t fix everything but it made my life a lot better. Worked at least as well as antidepressants honestly.
Being significantly pickier about who I spend time with. I now actively seek out friendships with kind, creative people and actively do *not* go to extended family gatherings.
Getting rid of my nice new car when I had financial issues and buying a cheap 30 year old two seater with a soft top on a whim.I still have her 4 years later, I drive her daily, and she’s still the best anti-depressant I’ve ever had.
Going freelance after 10 years of employment. There’s a lot of toxic people in my industry and at least now I’m never stuck with them. Overtime has drastically cut as well (basically zero), plus I’m making more money. Literally everything work related got better so naturally my mental health improved with that. I went freelance after burning out at a really messed up place.
Then sobriety. From drinking til drunk nearly every night, to nothing. At first it’s rough to sit with your feelings instead of numbing them, but then slowly things start to improve. I feel like im more grounded now, less anxious, and capable of having better relationships with people. I have a lot more peace of mind nowadays.
Quitting hormonal birth control was also a big one. It was like I finally saw the world in saturated colors. The difference was insane and no one will ever be able to convince me to get back on the pill. My periods are ten times worse and for a long time I struggled with hormonal acne after quitting hormonal bc, but I still take that over the permanent sadness that came with taking the pill from 14-30 years old. I feel awful about those wasted years because I really did struggle.
Changed job. Realised my first work place was toxic when everyone I respected left after a few months. I didn’t knew better at first since it was my first real full time job. So glad I changed. Now I’m respected and have a real team with me. Feel 100% better mentally AND physically.
For me, it was meditation and listing out things I’m grateful for in life. Also, watching lighthearted movies/tv shows really helps!
Also the ho’oponopono mantra which is a hawaiian prayer really helps too! Listening to it makes me feel extremely positive.
Meeting my future wife and having my first child. Followed by two more kids. There’s definitely a lot of “tough” parenting days, but as a recovering alcoholic, my wife not only saved my life by not packing and leaving but she gave me three amazing kids that make me realize there’s so much more to life than drinking myself to sleep every night.
I started jogging in the morning, the earlier the better.
Took a while to get used to it but after about a month my body just woke up around 5:30am and I was excited about getting up and going out for a run.
I felt like I had the city to myself. It was so calming. And from an egotistical point of view, I just felt better than anyone who hadn’t got up at 5:30am and gone for a run.
From a non-egotistical point of view, I wouldn’t eat unhealthy food all day because what a waste that would be of my hard efforts.
I don’t have mental health problems but I think I have a lot of traumatic events that could give me mental health issues; I just go for a jog early and feel like the city is mine. And I feel better.
