KOCHI: The relationship between ‘lifestyle characteristics’ that are typically linked to physical and mental health and psychological well-being is gaining more attention nowadays.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), a healthy lifestyle is a way of living that minimises the chance of being seriously ill or dying early. Though biological reasons and genetic predispositions are important in mental health, some aspects of modern society’s lifestyle make the issue worse and contribute to an ‘epidemic’ of mental illness.
How we work, talk, eat, and sleep, are contributing to the alarming rise in mental health issues. A stressful work environment characterised by long hours, high-performance expectations, and the pressure to meet deadlines, leads to chronic stress, anxiety, burnout, depression, etc, over time, blurring work-life balance.
According to research, healthy lifestyle choices can help prevent and manage mental health illnesses like anxiety, depression, bipolar spectrum disorders, etc. There is enough evidence to support structured exercise training as an effective first-line treatment option for moderate depression and as an adjuvant intervention to improve symptomatic recovery in severe mental illness, according to the European Psychiatric Association’s guidelines on physical activity in mental illness.
The WHO Global Action Plan on Physical Activity says in a week, adults should engage in at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise, 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity exercise, or a mix of the two. Additionally, exercise may assist older persons avoid cognitive impairment. In a broader sense, consistent exercise improves cognitive function and boosts plasticity, or the brain’s capacity for change, which can improve learning.
Diet, especially the Mediterranean diet which includes fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, moderate poultry, egg and fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids, polyphenols and fibres, have been linked to improved mental health.
Read More: How lifestyle fuels an epidemic
of mental health illnesses
