Isn’t it weird that sometimes old wives’ tales and stuff your parents tell you end up on the front page of scientific journals?
Why I Feel so Down and Some Personal Ramblings (Skip Please!)
So when in my previous post, I said I was kinda disheartened with humanity because people suck. That whole week I kinda felt down – I mean, stuff that happened in real life didn’t help to argue against my newfound revelation regarding everyone’s inner evils. I can’t even begin to start – there’s my brother and mother who decided to scrimp me on some cash from a sale.
It’s like, we’re all family and love each other, right – but when it comes to money, suddenly we’re strangers. Kinda cuts like a knife because I wouldn’t have done that to them.
And then there’s all my clients who don’t really care that I’m working $3 per hour sometimes – they’re just happy the numbers work out in their favor. Business is so disgusting – really.
What I Found Out About Simply Going Outside and Depression
So yeah – personal and professional life didn’t really help to restore my faith in humanity. And I was feeling pretty down about it. So that got me researching ways to perk myself up.
And I found a few interesting things. Going outside biochemically lifts your mood! I’m not kidding! Taking a walk outside turns out to be a really powerful way to treat depression.
Scientists actually found that when you walk around by trees, it lowers your blood pressure and lifts your mood. They physically found evidence that just walking around trees is good for your heart! Can you believe that?
Also, if you walk in nature during the day, you’re getting lots of sun (but yeah wear sunscreen). They also found that when sun touches your skin, it starts this complicated chemical reaction that ends in more vitamin D for you. Vitamin D has been linked with fighting depression and boosting your IQ!
Now isn’t that weird though? I bet when you were young and were down in the dumps, your parents just nagged you to go outside and get some fresh air to boost your mood and lift your spirits, right? And you probably shrugged it off as dumb advice (that actually worked). But now that same haphazard, off-the-top-of-your-head advice is on the front of respectable scientific journals, except written out in complex terminology for multiple pages.
On the other hand, if you like staying inside then you can always take a vitamin D supplement. I would recommend a natural food that’s rich in vitamin D, but there’s so few of those – and the mainstream ones like cheese and milk are kinda bad for you. But then again, eating supplements or food isn’t free – unlike taking a walk in the park!
And if you’re indoors, you can also meditate to treat depression. Scientists found that meditating actually lowers depression – and more! If you meditate every so often, they found that your IQ and cognitive abilities increase too. I’m not going to judge people who don’t meditate, but have you ever wondered why all our great self-help idols are olympic meditators? Think Jesus, yogis, and other religious heads – all the wise and peaceful ones are expert meditators.
Oh, and meditation also keeps you young on a cellular level by repairing your DNA! How awesome is that? And it’s free!
So the next time you feel down, try these free and healthy ways to perk yourself up. They have other benefits too!
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