It is estimated that the overall prevalence of depression among Indians is as high as 15.9% [1]. In fact, studies suggest that the number of depressed Indians has drastically increased in the last few decades. While there are several causes of depression, did you know that your daily habits can play a major role in your mental and emotional well-being? These are the seven seemingly harmless habits many people practice in their day-to-day lives that could make them more prone to depression.
1. You have poor posture
Researchers have found that your posture can strongly affect your emotional processes [2]. German psychologists conducted a study in 2014 where 30 patients were made to sit in a slumped and upright position while imagining a visual scene of themselves in connection with positive or depression-related words presented to them on a computer screen.
The patients were then temporarily distracted following which they were asked to recall the words they were shown. The psychologists observed that those sitting in an upright position were able to recall more positive words while those sitting in a slumped position mainly recalled negative or depression-related words. So the next time you’re feeling anxious and depressed, pay attention to your posture and consciously improve it and sit in an upright position. Here’s a simple trick to improve your posture
2. You’re addicted to your smartphone
If you are constantly glued to your smartphone throughout the day, you could be highly prone to depression and anxiety along with insomnia [3]. Researchers have found that higher levels depression and anxiety has directly been linked to smartphone addiction or overuse. These are the 5 signs that you’re addicted to your smartphone.
3. You don’t drink coffee
Believe it or not, but several studies have found that depression risk decreases with increasing caffeinated coffee consumption [4]. A study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine in 2011 found that women who consumed two to three cups of coffee a day were less prone to depression as compared to those who didn’t consume caffeine. However, remember not to overdo it with your daily caffeine consumption. These are the side-effects of excessive caffeine consumption.
4. You have a habit of procrastinating
By procrastinating, you are at the risk of missing out on opportunities and also being unable to meet the goals you set for yourself. This could directly affect your self-esteem and confidence, work life and increased stress levels. If you find that you have developed the habit of procrastinating, find a way to fight against it and instead complete your tasks on time as it could make you more prone to depression.
5. Spending too much time on social media
With various social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat, among others, you can constantly stay in touch with your friends and loved ones. However, the downside is that you could end up wasting a lot of precious time on these apps or websites and minimize the amount of real life social interactions you have.
Also, constantly checking updates of your Facebook or Instagram ‘friends’ could give rise to feelings of jealousy, envy or the fact that you’re ‘missing out’ because you don’t go out partying every weekend or travel as much as others do. Instead, remember to just switch off from technology every now and then to recharge your batteries.
6. You continue to stay in a toxic relationship
If you’re unhappy in any relationship – it could be a friend, colleague, romantic partner or even a family member, it is a wise decision to cut off from that individual especially if you feel emotionally drained after interacting with them. By keeping negative or toxic people in your life, it could directly affect your mental and emotional well-being and lead to depression and anxiety. These are the 11 signs of an emotionally abusive relationship.
7. Lack of exercise
Exercising results in the release of endorphins or the ‘feel good’ hormones. Several studies have found that exercising is highly effective in fighting against the symptoms of depression and anxiety. In fact, those who exercise regularly are less prone to depression [5]. You can start by walking or jogging daily for at least 30 minutes to keep mental as well as physical illnesses at bay.
References
[1] Poongothai S, Pradeepa R, Ganesan A, Mohan V. Prevalence of depression in a large urban South Indian population - The Chennai Urban Rural Epidemiology Study (CURES-70). PloS One 2009;4:E7185. [2] ClinPsycholPsychother. 2014 Nov-Dec;21(6):519-24. doi:10.1002/cpp.1890. Epub 2014 Feb 27. Sitting posture makes a difference-embodiment effects on depressive memory bias. MichalakJ(1), Mischnat J, Teismann T.
[3] Demi̇rci̇ K, Akgönül M, Akpinar A. Relationship of Smartphone Use Severity with Sleep Quality, Depression, and Anxiety in University Students. Journal of Behavioral Addictions. 4(2):85-92. doi:10.1556/2006.4.2015.010.
[4] Lucas M, Mirzaei F, Pan A, et al. Coffee, Caffeine, and Risk of Depression Among Women. Archives of Internal Medicine. 2011;171(17):1571-1578. doi:10.1001/archinternmed.2011.393.
[5] Blumenthal JA, Smith PJ, Hoffman BM. Is Exercise a Viable Treatment for Depression? ACSM’s health & fitness journal. 2012;16(4):14-21. doi:10.1249/01.FIT.0000416000.09526.eb.
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