Struggling with mental health can sometimes feel impossible. If you’re dealing with depression, anxiety, or chronic stress, then you already know how isolating and overwhelming it can be. And if you’ve been tackling these issues for a long time, you might feel discouraged – like things will never improve.
But know that you’re not alone in your struggles. And if you’re looking for solutions, there are effective ways to combat the constant anxiety or low moods you might be experiencing.
So even though navigating through mental health struggles probably feels tough at times, I hope this post helps you feel more equipped. We’ll cover practical self-care strategies you can add to your routine, as well as using tools like contrast therapy to help you feel uplifted – and empowered.
Natural Ways To Improve Mental Health
It’s no secret that we’re currently suffering a massive mental health crisis. But many people with depressive symptoms or anxious feelings are feeling burnt out by band-aid solutions that only mask their problems. To combat this, many are looking for ways to improve their mental health – naturally.
If this sounds like you, here’s a short list of things you can easily include in your daily routine:
Diet – One of the simplest ways to support your mental health is by maintaining a well-balanced diet. Good nutrition is essential to ensuring you have all the vitamins and minerals you need for daily energy and balanced moods.Aim for plenty of fruits and vegetables, as well as adequate protein intake. And to maximize the benefits, try to keep your diet as natural as possible.
Sleep – Getting enough sleep is another vital tool to keep your stress levels down and regulate your mood. But it’s totally understandable if sometimes it's difficult to shut off your mind in order to fall asleep.If you’re having difficulty sleeping, make sure you’re giving your eyes a break from all that blue light our computers and TV’s emit. This makes it easier to unwind at the end of the day. And a couple other things you might try are journaling or some light yoga to prepare your mind for sleep.
Exercise – Unless you’re already a gym rat, this might be the toughest one on the list. But not only is regular exercise important for your physical health, it’s also a huge player in regulating mood by releasing feel-good chemicals to your brain.The key to sticking with any exercise program is choosing something you enjoy. So if you can’t stand the thought of walking nowhere on a treadmill, consider taking dance or yoga classes instead, or maybe even get in on the pickleball trend.Aim for at least 30 minutes a few times a week – and bonus points if it’s in the fresh air and sunshine!
Socialization – We’re social creatures by nature, and our mental health can really take a hit if we’re not connected to others.So even though you may not feel up for a crowd of people, a little socialization will go a long way to boost your mood. It’s okay to choose just a few friends or family members to spend time with when you have the energy.
Self-Care – One more way to help improve your mental health and outlook is to practice regular self-care. The items we’ve already covered definitely fall into this category, but there are more personalized forms of self-care that can be fun to include in your daily life.Adding self-care to your routine could look like doing hobbies you already enjoy: reading, playing an instrument, going to the cafe, etc. It could also involve holistic wellness practices, such as meditative walks outside, breathing exercises – or even contrast therapy sessions.
Using Contrast Therapy To Manage Depression
You might already be using contrast therapy in your self-care routine for the physical benefits, or because you find it relaxing.
But contrast therapy actually works on a deeper level, and can be a useful tool to improve mental health – it can even help manage depression symptoms.¹ The science behind this is fascinating, and less complicated than you might think.
In contrast therapy, you alternate between immersing your body in both hot and cold temperatures – usually sauna and cold plunge.
And as you unwind in the sauna after a long day, there are a few things going on behind the scenes that help elevate your mood. For example, regular sauna sessions are known to:
Improve sleep, which helps regulate mood
Release feel-good chemicals like dopamine and serotonin
Promote relaxation, leaving you feeling refreshed and renewed
After the sauna, you step into the cold water immersion – or hydrotherapy – portion of your contrast therapy session. And while the cold water can be a bit of a shock to the system at first, it’s deeply invigorating – and leaves you feeling refreshed.
Like the sauna, hydrotherapy is a natural mood booster too, because it:
Boosts your adrenaline, leaving you feeling alert and energized
Stimulates your body’s natural stress responses, which lowers cortisol
Triggers dopamine release, improving your mood and making you feel happier
In contrast therapy, it’s important to experience both the hot and cold cycles for maximum benefit. When you alternate between both temperatures, your body gets a nice endorphin boost.
These endorphins leave you feeling energized, in a better mood, and with more mental clarity – which makes it easier to navigate life's daily stressors.
How To Reduce Stress Levels With Contrast Therapy
If you’re struggling with anxiety or depression, it’s possible that chronic stress is a contributor.
A little stress can actually be helpful in staying alert and on top of daily tasks, but you’re not meant to live in a constant state of fight or flight. Because over time, this drains your energy, messes with your moods – and hurts your overall outlook on life.
To help bring your body – and mind – out of this damaging stressed-out state, contrast therapy is an incredibly useful tool. It might seem counterintuitive, but putting your body through a stressful experience in a controlled environment can help it better adapt to the obstacles you face in your daily life.
The way it works is pretty simple:
Heat stimulates your parasympathetic nervous system, which brings you into a restful state.
Cold jumpstarts the sympathetic nervous system – putting your body into fight or flight mode.
And relaxation – the third step in the contrast therapy cycle – helps your body gradually adjust to normal temperatures and leaves you in a restorative state.
Over time, going through each step in the contrast therapy process regularly will reduce your stress levels. This leaves you better equipped to tackle your day-to-day. And the big stressors in life won’t seem as difficult or intimidating.
How To Improve Mental Health With Contrast Therapy
By reading this post, I hope you’ve come away with useful tools to combat life’s difficulties. And that you’re able to enjoy better mental health – and less stress – because of these tools.
Keep in mind that when it comes to managing anxiety and depression, self-care practices are essential. Many of these practices are simple, such as:
Diet
Sleep
Exercise
Hobbies
Socialization
And you can also get creative and think outside the box by adding your favorite wellness practices to your routine. One practice to consider including is contrast therapy – which can be incredibly helpful when it comes to regulating mood and reducing stress.
A little stress is necessary in life, but if you’re weighed down by constant stress, this can contribute to the anxiety and depression you’ve been feeling. Consider using regular contrast therapy sessions as another tool to navigate that stress and teach your body to adapt to difficult circumstances.
Remember that wellness is a journey, and that includes mental health. Take each step day by day – and don’t forget to cheer for yourself along the way.
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