Your mental health is just as important as your physical health. Maintaining positive outlooks, de-stressing, and overcoming depression and anxiety are some of the struggles that so many people face on a daily basis.
While going to a doctor may result in a prescription to solve your problems, there are several other natural remedies and techniques that you should try to avoid the prescription.
Let’s explore the natural mental health remedies that work to help boost your mood from within, so you can take back control over your life.
If you find meditation difficult, remember it is not about clearing the mind, it is about learning to direct your attention. You may need to try a few different meditative practices to find one that works for you. For example, if trying to quieten the mind is hard, you can take the approach of giving your mind something soothing or uplifting to anchor on – you could repeat a calming mantra like “I soften into this moment” or focus your mind on savouring something beautiful like a sunset or your little one’s eyelashes, turning everyday moments into a nourishing ritual.
Suzy Reading, Cannabotech's Psychology Expert
The Problem With A Prescription To Solve
Mental Health
Around 5% of adults across the world are diagnosed with depression. Doctors typically prescribe a pill to someone suffering from depression. The same goes for anxiety, OCD, and all other mental health issues.
However, antidepressants and prescription pills for mental health disorders aren’t magic pills that solve everything instantly. They come with many side effects that can result in stomach upset, headaches, insomnia, muscle pain, and problems when it comes to intimacy.
Furthermore, once you start these pills, the result of coming off them can be so drastic that many people end up staying on them for years to come.
There is absolutely a time and a place for medication" and rather than just avoiding taking medication, it would be helpful to add that in addition to medication, you can supplement it with natural strategies to maximise the effectiveness of medication.
If you are wanting to get better and approach each day with a different perspective, then the following natural remedies and techniques that have 0 side effects may be the answers you are so desperately searching for.
9 Natural Mental Health Remedies & Techniques That Work
1. Pharmaceutical-Grade CBD Oil & Functional Mushrooms
Before you ask, no, this isn’t the same as smoking weed. Pharmaceutical-grade CBD oil is 100% natural, non-addictive, and is very healing. It also contains 0% THC, which is what makes weed so addicting.
Pharmaceutical-grade CBD oil has been proven to naturally uplift someone’s mood and boost their spirits. CBD oil contains cannabinoids that are similar to the endocannabinoids which are present in your endocannabinoid system. This is the system that regulates your mood and temperament, sleeping patterns, and general body balance. By taking CBD oil, the cannabinoids enter your endocannabinoid system and help to regulate it. When taking the correct amount of CBD oil in the right formula, you will instantly feel more relaxed, calm, and in high spirits.
Functional mushrooms are just as powerful when it comes to dealing with your mental health. There are many different types of functional mushrooms that may all be different physically, and have different benefits. But ultimately they are all packed with antioxidants and healing powers that have been used for centuries in Asian cultures to get your mindset on the right path.
Mushrooms such as Cordyceps, Reishi, Oyster, Shiitake, and Maitake are all functional mushrooms that are 100% natural, safe to consume, and proven to uplift your mood when you are feeling down.
When combined together, these ingredients pose a powerful and effective way to take control of your mental health, especially those suffering from depression, anxiety, panic attacks, and anything else.
At Cannabotech, we took CBD oil and functional mushrooms to make a powerful M²CBD formula that is inserted into each of our products at varying quantities and with varying ingredients.
Our mood-boosting products are often used as a natural alternative to antidepressants, as they are proven to encourage positive mental health states by supporting your endocannabinoid system and immune system simultaneously.
If you are wondering how our mood-boosting CBD oil drops can help you through a dark time, book a wellbeing consultation with one of our experts who can guide you through both the benefits of the Uplift and Boost drops as a natural alternative to antidepressants, and advise you which one is best for your specific situation.
2. Meditation
Meditation is something that everyone can do. There is no right or wrong way to be mindful, and there is no experience required before you can start. Furthermore, meditation is proven to be a natural, and effective way to take control of the thoughts in your mind and have the strength to fight against negative thoughts.
There are many techniques meditation can teach you that you can carry throughout your day even when you aren’t meditating. Using a mindfulness app such as Headspace or the Calm app can help guide you through periods of discomfort and bring your mind to an awakening that you are searching for.
3. Give Yourself A Daily Social Media Limit That You Can Stick To
Social media, which now extends from Instagram to TikTok, Facebook to Snapchat, and beyond, can have a very negative impact on someone’s mindset. In fact, those that spend more time on social media in their teenage and young adult years are reported to have a substantially higher risk of developing depression (up to 66% more likely).
Taking social media breaks, phone in the drawer days, and limiting yourself is easier said than done. Social media is addictive, and the fear of missing out can quickly overpower someone’s ability to avoid looking at a social media app.
One way to give yourself a social media limit that you can stick to daily is by using a timer through your phone's settings. These may be under the wellness area or parental controls. Find the app that causes you most distress (or all of them if you aren’t sure) and put a limit - between 30 minutes to 1 hour each day. Once you reach your limit for the app, you won’t be able to access the app until the next day. This is a great way to control what you look at and to give yourself the satisfaction of avoiding social media apps for the majority of your day.
4. Leave The House Each Day, Even For 10 Minutes
This may seem like the easiest technique, but it is actually one of the hardest on this list for some people. Getting into the habit of getting dressed, and walking outside, even if it’s raining, for a few minutes each day can help give your body a boost of endorphins, which leads to positivity.
As you start to spend more time in the open air, you will find that this is the time you perhaps most look forward to each day. Focusing on the birds, and wind, or even taking this time outside to practice meditation can be one of the best ways to deal with stress, anxiety, and depression.
5. Improve The Quality Of Your Sleep
While having a lack of sleep might not be the direct cause of depression, it does play a role when it comes to diagnosing whether you may be depressed or not. If you suffer from insomnia and aren’t getting enough sleep each night, the long-term symptom of this is directly linked to depression.
Furthermore, someone who can sleep for many hours, such as 12-15 hours each night, but still wake up feeling groggy, may be at risk of getting depressed. Although it may seem like they are getting a large quantity of sleep, they actually aren’t getting enough good quality sleep. Good quality sleep is more important than the quantity of sleep and is the missing factor between waking up feeling refreshed, or waking up feeling groggy and annoyed.
If you are looking to improve the quality of your sleep, try to take a few Beauty Sleep Drops before you go to bed, and see if you notice the difference. These drops are designed to support your sleeping pattern by helping your body reach a deeper, more restful night's sleep so you wake up feeling refreshed, clear-minded, and ready for the day.
6. Have A Distraction For When You Are Feeling Down
It might be your favorite tv show, a special song, or even a fidget spinner. Carry a distraction around with you at all times that you can rely on should you need it. If you suddenly feel overwhelmed, sad, lost, or confused, you can turn to this distraction by watching an episode of your show, listening to your song, or doing whatever helps you to distract your mind before you enter into a dark hole that is difficult to come out of. Mindfulness might also be one of your techniques, as well as carrying around a Cannabotech Uplift bottle in your bag to rely on when you need a boost.
7. Practice Journaling And Gratitude
You can even use stickers, multi-colored pens, glitter, and scrapbooking. Taking the time each day, week, or any time you have a moment to journal can help you to distract your mind and give yourself a boost of endorphins.
You can make your own journal, or you can buy one that has a design and structure for you to follow. Some journals even have quotes, tips, and advice for people who are struggling with their mental health.
Alongside journaling, practicing gratitude regularly can help you remember how far you’ve come, and to be proud of all you have achieved. Simply take a piece of paper, and write 10 things you are grateful for. It can be as simple as your health, the fact that you went out with friends last night, or for your pet. Acknowledging all you have and how far you have come can help you forget about the future that has yet to occur.
8. Find A Shoulder You Can Lean On
It doesn’t need to be an expensive therapist. A friend you trust, a family member, or even a pet that you can openly speak to and spend time with, without feeling any judgment. Sometimes, by speaking what you feel, and hearing the words come out of your mouth, you can understand that everything is perhaps not as bad as it seems, or that you have the strength in you to fight the inner fight you are often faced with.
9. Sit In The Sunshine
Vitamin D is often referred to as the happiness vitamin. Sitting in the sunshine for even 10 minutes each day, feeling the sunrays absorb into your skin can help boost your mental health state.
If you live in a place that has no sunshine, taking vitamin D tablets regularly can have the same effect on you internally. It’s often recommended to get a full blood count when you are depressed, to check on the levels of vitamins in your body. You may find that you are low on vitamin D, C, or K which may be a good starting point for improving your mental health.
Don’t Let The Mental Strain Control Your Life, Take Control And Life Your Life To The Fullest
The quote ‘Don’t judge a book by its cover has never been more appropriate than now. Understanding that everyone is fighting their own battles and that depression may not look like depression in a person is true today, more than ever.
However, when you are facing depression on a daily basis, the most important thing that you should do is to focus on yourself and invest in the right tools and remedies that will help you fight this battle.
The only person that can truly help you is yourself, so finding the right support techniques and a routine that works for you will eventually see your depression floating away into space, never to be seen again.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Can I Improve My Mental Health Without Medication?
Sitting in the sunshine, practicing mindfulness, meditation, journaling, and gratitude, having a distraction when you are feeling down, and giving yourself a daily social media limit are some ways to improve your mental health without taking medication.
What’s The Most Effective Natural Mental Health Remedy?
Taking Cannabotech’s Uplift drops on a regular basis is a 100% non-addictive and natural way to boost your mood, lift your spirits, and help you see a clearer picture of the world around you. Formulated with pharmaceutical-grade CBD oil and functional mushrooms, these drops are often used in the replacement of prescribed medications.
Can CBD Oil Help With My Mood?
Absolutely yes. CBD oil alone contains cannabinoids that work similarly to the endocannabinoids in your endocannabinoid system. They help regulate your endocannabinoid system to release stress hormones, and relax your mood, giving you a more positive outlook on life.
