8 Ways To Escape The Mental Abyss

A Pink And Flowery Eight (Photo Credit: Pixabay)

Have you ever felt down in the psychological sense and was unable to figure out the reason why?

Okay, those things do happen to us at times.

However, there is no need for you or I to remain stuck in that mental abyss (Remaining in that mental state could lead to us being totally unproductive).

We can elevate our mood by doing certain things (And, since I have aroused your curiosity, I am going to tell you what those things are).

Dark Chocolate (Photo Credit: Pixabay)

1.) Eat Some Dark Chocolate

Some of you are probably aware of the fact, that dark chocolate enhances the mood of the person who consumes it.

Scientists believe, that the flavonols and the methylxanthines in the dark chocolate, is what is responsible for its mood-enhancing effects.

So, the next time that you are feeling a bit down, eat a piece of dark chocolate.

The good news is that dark chocolate is filled with lots of health benefits; such as:

• Lowering our blood pressure.
• Increasing our good cholesterol and lowering our bad cholesterol.
• Boosting our brain function.
• Helping to prevent cancer.
• Helping to protect our skin from the detrimental effects of the ultraviolet rays.
• Boosting our immune system.
• Helping us to maintain a healthy weight.

Now, in spite of dark chocolate being a healthy snack, it is advisable that we do not go overboard by eating too much of it.

Why?

Because dark chocolate has its dark side (No pun intended).

Jenna Cee’s article, Health Risks of Dark Chocolate, provides us with detailed information on the negative side effects of dark chocolate.

So, it would be in your best interest to consume dark chocolate in moderate amounts.

A Cup Of Green Tea (Photo Credit: Pixabay)

2.) Drink Some Green Tea

Yes, my friend, consuming green tea will help you to escape the blues.

And, how is it that green tea can do such a thing?

Well, the polyphenols in green tea help to boost the dopamine levels in our brain; which results in us feeling happy and positive.

The regular consumption of green tea can:

• Improve our brain function and boost our mental performance.
• Lower our risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
• Keep our cardiovascular system healthy.
• Improve our bone mineral density.
• Keep us hydrated.
• Help us to lose weight by boosting our metabolism.

Please note, that drinking too much green tea can have a negative effect on the human body; Ravi Teja Tadimalla’s article, 24 Side Effects Of Green Tea You Never Knew About, highlights what it is that transpires by the over-consumption of this famous beverage.

Most health experts believe that we will be okay, once we do not exceed three cups of green tea on a daily basis.

A Cup Of Coffee Beans (Photo Credit: Pixabay)

3.) Drink Some Coffee

Coffee is another one of those beverages that lift our mood whenever we drink it (The reason why this happens is that it stimulates the release of dopamine).

Coffee is filled with lots of health benefits too; such as:

• Boosting our short-term memory.
• Helping to prevent diabetes.
• Curbing our depression.
• Helping to prevent liver disease.
• Helping to protect us against heart disease and stroke.
• Lowering our risk of developing dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.
• Helping us to lose excessive weight.
• Protecting us against type 2 diabetes.
• Helping us to reduce the risk of developing Parkinson’s disease.

Most people are fully aware of the fact, that drinking too much coffee can be detrimental.

If you are interested in finding out coffee’s side effects, I highly recommend that you check out, 9 Negative Side Effects of Drinking Coffee: It’s Not Healthy For Everyone by Michael Joseph.

Health experts believe that we should not consume more than four cups of coffee on a daily basis.

A House (Photo Credit: Pixabay)

4.) Leave The House

There are those moments when we get fed up of being in our own house (And, one can become depressed by not leaving the household).

A change of scenery can be good for us because it eliminates the monotony.

And, we also get our daily dose of vitamin D whenever we step outside of the house in the daytime.

By the way, vitamin D deficiency can result in the following things:

• A person feeling depressed.
• A person experiencing muscle cramps.
• A person feeling fatigued.
• A person gaining excessive weight.
• A person’s wounds taking longer than average to heal.
• A person developing a low bone density.

So, in most instances, leaving the house is a good thing.

For the record, there are potential risks to leaving the house; here are a few of them:

• Crossing paths with someone whom you have been trying your best to avoid; for example, an ex-lover.
• Being the victim of a bandit.
• Being hit by a car that was driven by a drunk driver.
• Falling into a manhole.

On a positive note, you can avoid those negative things by being extra vigilant (Especially when you have chosen to go outside of your house).

YouTube Logo (Photo Credit: Pixabay)

5.) Watch A Motivational Video On YouTube

Another great way of escaping the mental abyss is to watch a motivational video on YouTube (The good news is that there are many motivational videos on YouTube).

Just in case you are wondering, “Whose video should I check out to motivate me?” I would like to make things somewhat easy for you by recommending the following videos:

• Any video from the late Wayne Dyer.
• Any video from Ralph Smart.
• Any video from Lisa Nichols.
• Any video from Tony Robbins.
• Any video from Les Brown.
• Any video from Bob Proctor.

The only negative thing that may happen is that you might be tempted to spend all of your time watching the YouTube videos from those people that I recommended (And, that can be an extremely bad thing for those people who have important things or chores to do).

So, exercise self-control and watch those motivational videos in moderation.

A Woman Working Out In The Gym (Photo Credit: Pixabay)

6.) Get Some Physical Exercise

Most of us learned from an early age, that physical exercise is good for us (And, many of us have made a conscientious effort to get moderate amounts of it).

As a matter of fact, physical exercise can:

• Help us to maintain a healthy weight.
• Improve our mood.
• Boost our energy.
• Protect us from cardiovascular disease.
• Reduce our risk of getting type 2 diabetes.
• Improve the quality of our sleep.
• Increases our bone density.
• Boosts our immune system.
• Strengthens and tones our muscles.
• Boost our brain power.
• Help in the area of preventing brain degeneration.

Are you getting your quota of regular exercise?

By the way, too much exercise is bad for you (Erica Perna’s article, The Side Effects of Excessive Exercise, tells us the reason why).

Friends (Photo Credit: Pixabay)

7.) Arrange To Meet An Old Friend

In most instances, we tend to feel better whenever we have met an old friend of ours.

Old friends usually make us:

• Relive those old memories that we love.
• Laugh a lot (Which in itself relieves any sort of stress that we might have).
• Rekindle the desire to do the things that we are good at (Which for some strange reason, we are not currently doing).
• Remind us about the good aspects of our self.

For the record, there are old friends whom we should stay far away from; such as:

• The person whom you got drunk with on a regular basis in the past and is still an alcoholic.
• The person whom you robbed stores with in the past and is still involved in a lot of criminal activities.
• The person whom you stole cars with in the past and is still into stealing cars.
• The person whom you lent money to in the past and is still begging anyone that they meet for money and never pays those people back.

So, if you have intentions of meeting an old friend, do make sure that they are the type of person who is going to lift you up and not drag you down.

A Cute Puppy (Photo Credit: Pixabay)

8.) Play With Your Pet

Playing with your pet will certainly make you feel better.

Why?

Because playing with your pet can:

• Decrease your blood pressure.
• Make you laugh.
• Unknowingly make you engage in physical activity.
• Provide you with unconditional love.
• Reduce your stress.

The only downside with playing with your pet is that you may lose all sense of time (And, that can be a horrible thing for those of you who have made an appointment with a client for a certain time, or you made an appointment to meet your doctor at a particular time).

If you decide to play with your pet and your upcoming appointment is close by, set a timer!

Final Thoughts

I would like to state for the record, that the eight tips mentioned in this blog post are for those people with mild depression (And, it has the potential of lifting their spirits).

However, if you are afflicted with a severe case of depression, I strongly suggest that you seek professional help — preferably help from a medical doctor, a well-trained psychologist or a psychiatrist.

Thank you for reading and I look forward to seeing you here once again on, Renard’s World.