Faculty Wellness Resources

Being in nature can reduce stress, improve your mood and keep you healthy. Research has found looking at the complex patterns in nature can induce more alpha waves in your brain that are associated with relaxation.

Studies have shown that being in the presence of birds and hearing their songs can put you in better mood. Research by Dr Eleanor Ratcliffe found that most people considered the sound of greenfinch, dunnock and blackbirds mentally restorative.

This can help you feel less exhaustion, enhance your productivity and improve the quality of your life.

Research shows that people whose diets are high in processed foods (soda, candy, energy bars, and fruit-flavored yogurt) had a 44% greater risk of depression and 48% percent higher risk of anxiety. Don't try to go cold-turkey, though. Try adding more fruits and veggies into your diet to help fill your body with useful carbs (energy), vitamins and fiber.

There is no magic food or diet to relieve stress, but you can boost your happy hormones like serotonin by getting a healthy mix of vitamins, minerals, fatty acids, protein and carbohydrates.

Endorphins from exercise plus being in nature equals higher levels of mental well-being.

Even if you can't go on a trip or travel right this minute, studies have shown that even planning and anticipating a trip can increase a person's happiness substantially.

Happiness hormones the body produces include: dopamine, which makes us feel good; serotonin, which reduces depression; and endorphins, which make us happy and thus help to reduce physical pain.

• Exercise.
• Partaking in fulfilling activities that leave a smile on your face.
• Light exposure to sunlight.
• Eating chocolate (in moderation). Dark chocolate is best.
• Focus on eating foods that are high in tryptophan.
• Playing with pets.
• Hugging or kissing a loved one.
• Meditating.

Seasonal depression is real, especially in Utah where the number of hours of sunlight drastically decreases in the winter. The darker days of winter can throw off your circadian rhythms and induce depression. Light therapy can help alleviate these symptoms. Mayo Clinic advises:

• A light therapy box mimics outdoor light. It's thought that this type of light may cause a chemical change in the brain that lifts your mood and eases other symptoms of SAD, such as being tired most of the time and sleeping too much. Generally, the light box should:
  • Provide an exposure to 10,000 lux of light
  • Produce as little UV light as possible
• Typical recommendations include using the light box:
  • Within the first hour of waking up in the morning
  • For about 20 to 30 minutes
  • About 16 to 24 inches (41 to 61 centimeters) from your face, but follow the manufacturer's instructions about distance
  • With eyes open, but not looking directly at the light.
• Talk to a health care provider.