Signs You Might Be Depressed

Depression and mental illnesses do not manifest in a way that is easily understood from the outside. There are many instances where we’re already at that stage without any noticeable symptoms.

In fact, university studies mention that most depressed patients don’t initially seek medical help for depression. Most people think they have something wrong physically and later find out the root cause was mental. This is called “masked depression.”

Consider that you might be depressed if you notice the following signs:

・You Repeatedly Make Mistakes You Never Used To Make

When we’re depressed our attention scatters, leading us to make more mistakes to perform badly. It can be small mistakes from misspelling to missing details or big mistakes like sending the wrong email to a client or forgetting an important appointment.

These mistakes can bleed into our personal life as well. Even when someone points out the mistake, we oftentimes don’t have the capacity to process what’s pointed out. Eventually, this leads to a path of more mental hardships.

・You’ve Noticed A Change In The Amount of Food You Eat

A university study indicates that when we’re depressed, we tend to overeat or crave sweets. This means that there is a correlation between the amount we eat and our mental state. There’s no doubt we need food to live, but overeating is an unhealthy habit. Weight gain and physical difficulties that come with it can become additional stress if we’re not careful enough.

・You Have Less Communication with Co-Workers

When work gets to us, we naturally distance ourselves from it and communicate less with co-workers. Even if you are an extrovert, if you find yourself being less communicative, declining work-related social engagements, it could be because you’re depressed.

5 Ways To Relieve Stress When You Feel Depressed

If you notice the signs of stress or depression, it’s best to get rid of them as early as possible. Stress coping methods differ for each person, but if you’re unsure of where to start from, below are some methods you can try.

1. Find a Hobby to Enjoy on Your Own

If work is bringing you down, allocate time for hobbies where you can completely distance yourself from the difficulties at work. It can be an outdoor or indoor activity, but ideally, it should be an enjoyable activity that is easy to incorporate into your routines.

If you don’t have any hobbies like that, we recommend books and movies. “Cry sessions” through reading books and watching movies, are known to be healthy for our mental wellbeing. Comedic movies can make us laugh and bring down our stress hormone levels. A dive into an enjoyable world will help us feel less stressed.

2. Get Enough Sleep

We all feel terrible after making big mistakes at work. If it’s a matter of our incapability, we can always take the time to grow and learn. If it’s because we’re mentally unwell, it’s solvable.

One of the most important activities for health is sleep. According to a university study, when people continue with 4-6 hours of sleep for 2 weeks, the brain function drops to as if it were pulling all-nighters for 1-2 days. In other words, unless we sleep for at least 7 hours per day, we’re carrying on with our lives under a strong stress state.

If you want to sleep but have trouble falling asleep, we recommend that you start scheduling your sleep. We share tips and tricks on that in our past blog post:

3. Have an Internal Conversation With Yourself

It’s difficult to understand ourselves from an objective perspective. Many realize the difficulties they’re going through, only after someone else points it out.

To avoid this, we recommend having a continual dialogue with yourself using methods of “self-talk.” It’s simple. All you have to do is talk to yourself in an encouraging and compassionate tone. Canadian university research shows the effectiveness of this method too.

There are many ways you can hold conversations with yourself. Talking to yourself from a second-person perspective is known to be helpful. To learn more of how to do this, check out our past post:

4. Talk With Friends Outside of Work

The basic and most effective way to release stress is to talk to friends. It may not be appropriate for you to speak about work stress to co-workers, but you can always rely on your friends from other social circles. The content of what you say doesn’t matter. The most important thing is for you to “feel better” after speaking to them.

Direct conversations with them will alleviate stress and help you gain an objective perspective on your problems. Constructively explaining what has happened and why you are feeling the way you do, will help you organize your thoughts. You might even find a positive outlook in the end!

5. Talk to a Mental Health Professional

If none of the 4 methods above work, we recommend seeking professional help.

The National Health Institute (NIH) lists ways to seek help via phone and text. They also provide guidelines in finding professional help.

If that seems like a jump to you, there are apps that can casually help. SELF MIND is an AI chatbot that assists your mental health journey. For working adults, it can be difficult to find time to go see a professional, and with this, you can converse casually throughout the day to see how you’re feeling.
→Check SELF MIND in app store

Health Is Wealth, Its Okay to Let Go

When we overthink, we tend to corner ourselves into feeling low.

Get out and enjoy your hobbies and get good sleep. Find ways to enjoy your time on your own terms, and hopefully, this will lead you to more mental and physical vitality.

References：

Konishi, K., & Hyakutake, A. (2015). Factors Associated with Depression and Atypical Depression in Japanese University Students. Showa Woman’s University Departmental Bulletin Paper, 902, 21–33. https://swu.repo.nii.ac.jp/?action=pages_view_main&active_action=repository_view_main_item_detail&item_id=6026&item_no=1&page_id=30&block_id=97

Nakao, M. (2004). Industrial Mental Health in an Information-oriented Society : Relationship between Depression and Perceived Somatic Symptoms. Japanese Journal of Psychosomatic Medicine, 44(10), 735–744. https://doi.org/10.15064/jjpm.44.10_735

The post 5 Things to Try When You Feel Depressed appeared first on SELF MIND.

How Stress Affects Your Eyes

As the saying “the eyes are the window to the soul” implies, there have always been speculations about the connection between the eye and our minds. It’s believed that stress causes the eye to either rapidly move or tense up.

Feeling Dizzy

According to one study targeting university students, when students were asked to do quick calculations continually, their eye movements increased in horizontal movement. This could imply that when we are concentrating on a fixed situation, we actually do feel dizzy. Rapid eye movement requires eye muscle activity, which in turn can strain the eyes.

Tense Eyes

The autonomic nervous system in our body greatly impacts our mental wellbeing. The sympathetic division keeps us active, preparing for fight or flight reactions, while the parasympathetic division restores the body to a state of calm. Our mental balance is sustained through these two divisions working in harmony. An off-balance state of an autonomic nervous system will affect the mental and physical in some way.

Continual long hours of work keeps the sympathetic nerves active over a long period of time. This creates a tense and nervous body.

It’s not rare to find ourselves staring into our smartphones or TV when we’re feeling down, yet we need to rest our eyes if they feel tense. Tense eyes are a sign of low blood circulation and this can lead to the eyes feeling more strained.

Looking for something that helps with stress? Try the SELF MIND app for a FREE trial!!
If you’re looking for more tips on how to care for your mental health, check out some of our past blog posts!

How to Recover From Eye Strain

Whether the cause is mental or physical, the best way to fix eye strain is to relax and not use the eyes. Reading a book or watching TV can be relaxing, but we recommend the following activities for eye strain issues:

1. Rest The Eyes

First and foremost, rest your eyes. Rest gives the strained eyes the ability to recover.

You can do this by getting adequate sleep at night. Sleep allows the eyes to physically rest while letting the parasympathetic nervous system work for the body to restore itself. Even if a huge load of stress disrupts our whole nervous system, sleeping should help recover both the mind and body.

Another method to try is limiting the usage of smartphones and TV. Screens on electronic devices emit “blue light” known to keep our eyes in hyper-focus while disrupting the body from going into a deep sleep state. It’s impossible to completely cut usage of electronic devices, but we can ease the harmful effects by limiting electronics one hour before bed or by using glasses that cut out the blue UV rays.

2. Look Far Away

Looking far out into the distance helps the eye muscles relax. If you’re constantly looking at a screen for work, make sure to look out the window from time to time. Some urban environments make it difficult to access long distant views, but just looking afar while walking will help with eye strain. A relaxing walk can help uplift our moods too!

3. Eye Hydration

Dry eyes can cause eye strain. When eye muscle movement becomes strenuous, our eyes become dry and strained. An easy way to fix this is by hydrating the eyes with eye drops or pressing pressure points around the eyes.

Other methods to try:

• Set computer screens lower than eye level – looking down makes it easier for the eyes to blink which helps with eye hydration
• Use a humidifier in the room and set the humidity to 60%
• Try conscious blinking throughout the day – we forget to blink when we’re focused
• Drink lots of water and keep the body hydrated
• Watch movies or read books that make you cry

You don’t have to make drastic changes to hydrate your eyes. Small conscious changes can make a big difference.

Fixing Strained Eyes Fixes Other Issues

If your eyes feel strained, it could be because of your mental state. Our physical and mental response to any given situation can be complex, so fixing a simple eye strain issue can lead to solving other issues surrounding us.
If our eyes are the window to the soul, let’s make sure we keep them healthy to reflect our beautiful souls!

References:

MATSUDA, N., OKADA, A., & YAMASHITA, K. (2007). Visual Task and Mental Load Influence on Eye Movement. The Japanese Journal of Ergonomics, 43, 334–335. https://doi.org/10.5100/jje.43.2Supplement_334

Tamura, A., & Ostuka, H. (1989). Urban Greenery and It’s Effects on Mental Wellbeing. Technical Report on Noise Pollution, 13(5), 12–16. https://doi.org/10.11372/souonseigyo1977.13.252

The post Can Mental Stress Cause Eye Strain? appeared first on SELF MIND.

Workplace Relationships Affects Everyone

It’s not that difficult to avoid stressful situations if it’s within personal relationships. You can usually cut ties with a person or create distance so that they can’t distract you.

However, when it comes to stressful relationships at the workplace, it can be impossible to avoid certain people due to work responsibilities. Unavoidable work stress can cause mental illnesses when they’re left unattended.

The Impact of Stressful Relationships at Work

Stressful work relationships are continually listed among the top 10 reasons why an employee quits their job. Not everyone leaves their job for positive reasons and sometimes, their mental health can be way too damaged by the time they leave their job.

High Risk of Depression and Burnout

There’s a risk to a person bearing through high-stress environments for long durations. Long-term stress is known to lead to possible mental illnesses.

A prominent mental illness due to prolonged depressed feelings and anxiety is depression. Workplace stress can cause unhealthy conditions for your mental well-being, as well as physical symptoms like insomnia and fatigue. As a result, some serious cases may even cause difficulties in getting out of the house in the end.

Burnouts are typical symptoms due to high stress. This happens to people even when they used to enthusiastically work before, but lost any motivation to move forward. It is said that burnouts strongly correlate with depression.

Mental illnesses that stem from stress require immediate attention. Once a person recognizes the state that they’re in, they should go seek professional help right away. For some, it may be hard to understand their state from an objective perspective. It’s important to create a work environment that allows people to look out for each other so that everyone can recognize when someone is “off.”

How to Deal With Stressful Relationships at Work

How vast of a relationship you need to hold depends on your industry and type of job, but most of us need to maintain relationships with a variety of people. As much as diversity is important, the differences in age, background, and type of employment can all easily become a blocking point as well.

What kind of stressful relationships exist in the workplace and how can we deal with them?

1. Workplace Harassment

Workplace harassment is a huge issue when we consider stressful situations and relationships at work.

Below are a few possible categories of workplace harassment:
・Discriminatory Harassment – based on race, age, gender, religion, etc.
・Power Harassment – a person in power harasses a victim who is lower on the office hierarchy
・Physical Harassment – based on physical attacks and threatening behavior
・Psychological Harassment – discrediting, isolating or belittling a person
・Sexual Harassment – includes unwanted sexual advances, conduct, or behavior

In many cases, the problem lies in the fact that the harasser is not aware of what they are doing. No matter how humorous, genuine, and encouraging they “think” they are, their words and actions could be taken differently by the receiver.

＜How to Improve The Situation＞

To stop harassment, you must let the harasser know so that they become aware of what they are doing. Social dynamics may make it difficult for you to directly speak up or confront the person in power. If so, try to talk to someone who is in an adequate position to raise your concerns for improvement.

If it’s difficult to voice your opinion on your own, talk to someone who is in a similar position as you. Submitting concerns as a group is more effective than doing it alone. If there is no one that you can talk to, you should consult a lawyer or get in touch with the U.S. EEOC.

Workplace harassment can be solved through action. There is no need to stay quiet or hold it all in. We all need to take part in creating an environment that will not tolerate any kind of harassment. Our individual awareness of this issue is essential for ourselves and for any other potential victim.

2. There’s Somone You Dislike

When we spend long hours at work, naturally, there will be stressful people that have challenging personalities and different ideologies. They don’t necessarily do anything intentionally bad towards you, you just don’t get along with them that well.

Projects that involve close teamwork with managers and coworkers we dislike can cause long-term stress. There are people we grow close to through frequent communication, but there will always be a few that we have difficulties with.

According to studies, people who easily hold a strong distaste towards others tend to have low self-esteem. In other words, people who have no self-confidence are more critical towards others. This means that building self-confidence could help reduce our dislikes. When we truly accept who we are and reach a point of confidence, there’s no behavior that can really bother us. Even if tension arises between another person, we can brush it off optimistically when there’s confidence.

＜How to Improve The Situation＞

We should always stay calm when friction arises so that we can think through the issues objectively. An open mind with a rational view can give us an opportunity to look at things with less bias.

For example, if a boss got upset at your mistake and you only focused on the fact that they were “upset,” an emotional response might be that we feel angry and stressed. However, an objective view would help us switch things into a positive narrative, where we feel thankful that our mistakes were corrected early on so that they won’t happen again.

Verbalized thoughts are effective in gaining objective perspectives. Talk to someone you trust or write a diary. It can even be an internal conversation with yourself. All of these things will help you organize your thoughts to see things more clearly and objectively.

The Positivity of Healthy Relationships

On the other hand, positive relationships at work can be the best medication for our mental health. A coworker you can talk to daily, or a great boss can all help reduce stress.

Good relationships at the workplace are known to:

・Improve teamwork and collaboration
・Improve employee morale
・Increase employee productivity
・Lead to higher employee retention rates

As we can see, relationships can be both toxic and helpful for our wellbeing depending on the situation.

There are no straight answers on how to solve relationship issues. Everyone seeks their own path to reach a conclusion. A shift in perspective or new ways of thinking can hint us towards a better direction to improve our relationship at the workplace.

Looking to improve your mental wellbeing? Try the SELF MIND app FREE for 1 week!
If you’re looking for more tips on how to care for your mental health, check out some of our past blog posts!

References：

McFarlin, K. (2019, February 5). Importance of Relationships in the Workplace. Small Business – Chron.Com. https://smallbusiness.chron.com/importance-relationships-workplace-10380.html

Nagatomi, Y. (2015). Psychological harassment and mental health at work. Journal of Osaka University of Economics, 66(1), 223–233. https://ci.nii.ac.jp/naid/120005616521

Nagatomi, Y. (2016). Stress trigger and process under workplace harassments. Journal of Osaka University of Economics, 66(5), 243–248. https://doi.org/10.24644/keidaironshu.66.5_243

Ostuka, Y., Suzuki, A., & Takada, M. (2007). Mental Health at The Workplace: Recent Trends and Stress Coping Realities. The Japanese Journal of Labour Studies, 49(1), 41–53. https://ci.nii.ac.jp/naid/120002099808

Yahnke, K. (2020, June 12). 11 Types of Workplace Harassment (and How to Stop Them). I-Sight. https://i-sight.com/resources/11-types-of-workplace-harassment-and-how-to-stop-them/

The post How to Improve Stressful Relationships at Work appeared first on SELF MIND.

The Health Benefits of Coffee

The health benefits of coffee have been known for ages. People were already fond of coffee as a “remedy for sickness and a drink that keeps sleepiness away” in the Arabian peninsula more than 500 years ago.

Nowadays, find that coffee polyphenols, such as chlorogenic acids, are great antioxidants that hold anti-inflammatory properties. The aroma of coffee is also known to have relaxing effects. According to studies, when we smell coffee, the alpha waves (the relaxed state brain wave) in our brains increase. Additionally, coffee helps stimulate our parasympathetic nerve system, which helps promote better metabolism.

As you can see, recent studies are now starting to find scientific proof of the long-known benefits of coffee.

The “3R’s” That Protects Our Mental State

Within the mental health field, it is said that the “3R’s” are important keys to follow in order to prevent mental illness and reduce stress.

The 3R’s:

• Rest
• Relaxation
• Recreation

Continually following these 3R’s will help ease our everyday stress. There are many ways to implement the 3R’s. Recreational sports, hobbies, and traveling are effective but require dedicated time and planning. A simple easy habit of taking coffee breaks is just enough to achieve the 3R’s.

Best Coffee Break Practices Using The 3R’s

To best practice the “3R’s,” we recommend that you get involved in the pouring process of the coffee instead of just drinking it.

1. The “Relaxation” benefits are as described earlier.

2. The process of boiling the water to pouring and brewing all contribute to the “Rest” factor experience, as the action distracts us from the focus on stress.

3. The origin of the beans, the kind of roast, water temperature, aroma, taste, and brewing process are all considered as a craft to be enjoyed. It is a “Recreational” experience when the enjoyment of these elements are combined to create the perfect cup!

There are plenty of coffee beans from around the world that are available at supermarkets, online, and at coffee shops. If you can, find beans that you like and mill it yourself. This will enhance more of the recreational aspect. Of course, if you are busy, just boiling water and pouring a simple cup that you enjoy is enough to experience the 3R’s.

By the way, the chlorogenic acid levels are higher when the coffee is properly poured over instead of using instant coffee. Although it is more time-consuming, we recommend going through the pour-over process if you want the full health benefits.

Increase Concentration and Productivity With Coffee

Coffee not only makes us feel relaxed, but it also increases our concentration and productivity.

A study showed that a brain wave called P300 increased when people smelled the aroma of coffee. This is the same brain wave that increases when we reach a concentrated state.

Scientists found that different coffee beans had different levels of relaxation and concentration effects. For example, Guatemalan and Jamaican Blue Mountain types showed stronger effects of relaxation, while Brazilian Santos and Sumatra Mandheling were more effective for concentration.

We can use this knowledge to our advantage and choose coffee beans based on whether we want to relax and reduce stress or concentrate and boost productivity.

Beware of Caffeine Overconsumption

We’ve talked about the multiple benefits of coffee, but that doesn’t necessarily mean we should consume it limitlessly.

The caffeine in coffee helps gastric secretion which supports the digestion of food. However, drinking too much coffee on an empty stomach will secrete too much gastric juice and cause stomach irritation. Additionally, caffeine excites the nerve, so drinking it before bed can cause light sleep or sleeplessness. When the nerve is overstimulated, it could also cause dizziness, increased heart rate, physical discomforts, anxiety, and nervousness.

If we apply it to power naps, there are ways to use this mechanism of caffeine to our advantage.

For daily consumption, 400 milligrams (mg) of caffeine per day appears to be safe for healthy adults. That’s roughly the amount of caffeine in 3 to 5 cups of coffee.

There are many health benefits to coffee, but keep in mind that moderation is always key.

Looking to improve your mental wellbeing? Try the SELF MIND app FREE for 1 week!
If you’re looking for more tips on how to care for your mental health, check out some of our past blog posts!

Reference：

ISIC the institute for scientific information on coffee. (n.d.). Coffee and Health. Coffee and Health. Retrieved May 3, 2021, from https://www.coffeeandhealth.org/

Yamagata, K. (2018). Do Coffee Polyphenols Have a Preventive Action on Metabolic Syndrome Associated Endothelial Dysfunctions? An Assessment of the Current Evidence. Antioxidants, 7(2), 26. https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox7020026

Yajima, J., Hase, M., Iwanaga, H., Kai, M., & Shiga, J. (2014). The Rise in Performance and the Buffer of a Stress Response by Coffee Intake. Bulletin of Beppu University Graduate School, 16, 81–88. http://repo.beppu-u.ac.jp/modules/xoonips/download.php/gk01608.pdf?file_id=7085

The post The 3R Coffee Break Effective for Stress Reduction appeared first on SELF MIND.

The Desire for Perfectionism and The Fear of Failure

Hearing the term “perfectionist” may make you think of someone who wants to be perfect all the time, self-conscious, and strict towards others. In actuality, perfectionism can be defined by the following characteristics:

1. The desire to be perfect
2. The tendency to hold high standards
3. The tendency to be excessively critical about mistakes
4. The tendency to have a vague distrust of one’s own actions

For example, if a perfectionist were to study for a test, they would have the following thoughts:

1. I want to get a high score on every mock exam, every time.
2. I’m going to finish two workbooks this month.
3. If I had solved that problem correctly back then, this wouldn’t have happened.
4. Does this study method actually help me improve?

All 4 aspects listed above are potential stressors for a perfectionist. Generally, perfectionism can be divided into two groups:
Adaptive Perfectionism: shows stronger tendencies and characteristics of 1 and 2 from the above list.
Maladaptive Perfectionism: shows stronger tendencies and characteristics of 2 and 4 from the above list.

Adaptive and Maladaptive Perfectionism

Now, let’s look at the detailed differences between adaptive and maladaptive perfectionism. Academically, they are differentiated in the following manner:

Adaptive Perfectionism: Less stress because there is not much margin of error between what you do and the standard you seek.
Maladaptive Perfectionism: There is a large margin of error between your behavior and the standards you seek, resulting in stress and anxiety.

Both demonstrate a strong desire to be perfect and seek high standards. The difference lies in the level of stress they feel through trying to achieve these expectations. As with anything, goal setting is effective for productivity and growth. However, goals that are too high can cause physical and mental strain, leading to intense fatigue and overcapacity. This can be one of the reasons some people delay work through procrastination or go through academic failure. When we push ourselves to the point of exhaustion to pursue ideals, it can lead to an internal conflict that ends with a form of procrastination.

Put Rules in Place to Avoid Procrastination

To get rid of the habit of procrastination, it’s important to recognize the strong feelings of fear and anxiety we carry within. These emotions can limit our perspective and lead to delaying our responsibilities. Understanding ourselves and shifting our conscious intentions will help with this. Below are two ways to get started.

1. Give It a Try for 10 Minutes

Deciding on a set amount of time to work on something is an effective method. For example, set yourself a 10-minute timeframe, and try working for just 10 minutes first. If you feel good about it, you can continue working, and if you don’t feel good about it, you can stop after the first 10 minutes. Even if we quit, our brain will remember the fact that we did the work and offer a sense of accomplishment. Starting an action and accumulating these little moments of accomplishments will help shift our mindset towards wanting to finish our duties.

2. Create a To-Do List

A to-do list is always effective. Make a list that allows you to visualize your efforts as you go. A visual marker in all what needs to be done, and all that’s checked off, will lead to a sense of accomplishment and enjoyment in progress.

Change Our Thoughts to Reduce Stress

The thoughts, ideas, and influence a perfectionist creates can have tremendous impact on the people around them. In many cases, they make positive contributions to groups and communities. It’s a shame when they lose confidence or turn negative upon facing their own mental blocks. Especially when there is big potential to shine.

We can change any situation by shifting perspectives and changing our mindset. If you read this and recognize that you might be a perfectionist or procrastinator, challenge yourself to shift perspectives. A change in your mindset could brighten your life in new ways.

→ Looking to improve your mental health? Try the SELFMIND app FREE for 1 week!
If you’re looking for more tips on how to care for your mental health, check out some of our past blog posts!

Image：Unsplash
References：

Ishida, H. (2005). College Students’ Perfectionism and Task-Strategy Inefficience : Why Their Efforts Go Unrewarded? Japanese Journal of Social Psychology 20(3), 208-215. doi: 10.14966/jssp.KJ00003725003

Masui, A., & Iwanaga, M. (2009). The Effect of Self-Oriented Perfectionism and Responsibility on Information Gathering Behavior. Hiroshima University Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences: Studies in Human Sciences, 4, 1-9. doi: 10.15027/29014

Miyahara, C. (2010). Adaptive and Maladaptive Aspects of Perfectionism in College Students: Relationships with Depression, Anxiety, and Coping Behaviors. HEART Hyokyo Institutional Repository. Retrieved from: http://hdl.handle.net/10132/6361

The post Perfectionism and the Traps of Procrastination appeared first on SELF MIND.