Last year’s World Mental Health Report found that one in eight people live with a mental health condition. For many, the COVID-19 pandemic and other current events have exacerbated those conditions. Rates of depression and anxiety have increased by 25% since last year, and US teen population—especially teenage girls—are the most impacted demographic.
If you need a body image boost, go outdoors. Whether you’re in green space, a blue space near a river or the ocean or even a snowy environment, it can make a difference.
“A body of evidence now exists showing that nature exposure — living close to, frequenting or engaging with environments such as forests and parks — is associated with a range of physical and psychological well-being benefits,” said study author Dr. Kamila Czepczor-Bernat, an assistant professor at the Medical University of Silesia in Katowice, Poland.
You know that you need to eat healthy foods and get some exercise to feel good and live longer. Another key part to living longer is your mental health.
Good mental health is just as important as good physical health. But we all face changes in life that can challenge our emotional well-being. For example, even if you always looked forward to retirement, you might miss working. Or maybe you've moved and you miss your old friends.
The COVID-19 pandemic has taught us many things, including the value of our relationships—and this extends beyond human connections. Although contact with other people has been limited over the past year and a half, our furry friends have helped fill the gap when it comes to our emotional and mental health.
In fact, a poll from the University of Michigan recently revealed about 10% of all US adults between the ages of 50 and 80 adopted a new pet between March 2020 and January 2021.
Stressful situations do have silver linings and positive outcomes. For example, while the news related to COVID-19 can be disheartening, the pandemic has had a major impact on air quality in major global cities, from Los Angeles to Wuhan.
To help stop the spread of COVID-19, many employers are requiring their employees to work from home. States across the country have also issued shelter-in-place and stay-at-home orders in hopes of reducing group gatherings and to control the virus as much as possible.
As working from home has suddenly become the new norm for many employees across the globe, given the coronavirus pandemic, people everywhere have pivoted to define what work-life balance looks like in a time where stress is at an all-time high.
On the physical side, this stress can lead to headaches, back pain, muscle aches, and stomach trouble. Mentally, stress leads to low morale, poor sleep and concentration, and depression. It can also take a toll on our immune systems—at a time when we all need to be focused on strengthening our health and well-being.
Editor's note: This is part one in a series on health & millennials. Check out part two: The Lowdown on Millennials and High Blood Pressure.