You already know

Caption: A handwritten note reads, “How to be less depressed: 1. Listen 2. Trust 3. Go”

Dear Patient,

Recently a study of nearly 300,000 people in the U.K. examined the link between depression and daily habits. Researchers concluded that daily habits do indeed influence your risk of depression, even among people who have a genetic predisposition.

I find stories like these both exciting and exasperating. Exciting because they’re empowering! You DO have agency over your mental health! Small changes DO make a difference! And exasperating because once you actually read the list of daily habits that could reduce your risk of depression by up to 57%, it’s like…of course. OF COURSE these practices benefit your mental health. In fact, stop reading right now and take a few seconds to think of some daily habits that could benefit your mental health.

Okay now let’s compare your list with the one from a team of scientists. Here’s theirs:

1. Get a good night’s sleep, preferably 7-9 hours.

2. Exercise

3. Eat a healthy diet

4. Limit alcohol

5. Don’t smoke

6. Limit screen time and be less sedentary

7. Spend time with friends

8. Have hobbies

Any surprises there?? I didn’t think so.

Now, the science underpinning these findings is really interesting. Researchers looked at markers of inflammation, changes in brain chemistry, genetic risks, and a host of other metabolic, neurologic, and immunologic factors. Very nerdy! I love it.

But here’s the take-home message for me: Most of us already know what we need to do to be healthy. Sure, we all need guidance from time to time. But our instincts are right. We probably don’t need a team of researchers to tell us we’ll feel better if get adequate sleep, eat healthy food, and spend time with people we like, doing things we enjoy.

Your body is not going to lead you astray. It wants to survive and thrive. Trust it. You already know what to do.

Love and gratitude,

Your Acupuncturist