Did you know that hearing health and mental health are closely linked? Untreated hearing loss increases our risk of depression, anxiety, social isolation, loneliness, and more. Here are some ways to boost your mood and find the light at the end of the tunnel.
EXPRESS GRATITUDE – Gratitude improves happiness, well-being and mental health. The best researched method is keeping a gratitude journal. Once or twice a week, choose one act or person you’re grateful for and write a few sentences detailing why. In daily life, you’ll begin to seek out the positive – rather than the negative- and writing it down allows you to really savor that positive emotion.
EXERCISE REGULARLY – Exercise increases endorphins, which relieve stress and boost your mood. You can even try small things that add more activity to your day, like skipping the elevator in favor of the stairs or taking a short, brisk walk. If you work from home, tackle chores that require you to walk to another room or – better yet-another floor. Aim for 30 minutes a day.
SPOIL YOUR SENSES – Use your senses to quickly find calm. For some people, it’s an uplifting song or the smell of ground coffee. For others, its squeezing a stress ball. Each person’s relationship to their senses is a little different, so experiment to figure out what works best for you.
LOSE YOURSELF – Doing something you love, something you know you can lose yourself in, allows you to forget about life for a while. You don’t have to be a parent, a spouse, or an employee –you can just be.
FIND A FURRY FRIEND – Interacting with a pet lowers cortisol (the stress hormone) and raises oxytocin (the feel-good hormone). It also lowers blood pressure and eases loneliness and depression. Don’t have a pet? Walk a friend’s dog, volunteer to cat-sit for a vacationing neighbor or volunteer at a shelter.
Dr. Izzy and his Staff are always here to answer your questions about hearing care issues.
Offices are in Toms River/Whiting (732-818-3610) and Manahawkin (609-978-8946) or visit gardenstatehearing.com
