1. Write
Learning how to express one’s feelings and correctly communicate through writing is a great skill to have. Expressing an idea calls for an exactness of thought that’s mentally stimulating as well as challenging. You don’t have to be the next Ernest Hemingway, but successfully putting your thoughts on paper can be a rewarding experience.

2. Read
Reading may not be the most favorite pastime for people and it requires time, but it does help you absorb information quickly. To help spur your love of reading, choose to read things that relate to a certain hobby or your work.

If you’re an engineer, it wouldn’t hurt to read a few news articles on the latest trends and research in the field (that you could later impress your boss with). Take a trip to your local library and spend some time there, you may be surprised at what you find.

3. Manage Stress
Of course it’s easier said than done, but learning how to manage stress can greatly affect mental health. Stress can be distracting, depressing, and overwhelming, which ultimately affects a person’s mental stability. Practice deep breathing exercises or meditation, and make sure to get enough sleep to start managing a stressful lifestyle.

Speaking of sleep, getting enough sleep is essential to staying mentally active. Sleep helps consolidate memories and “reboot” brain function for the next day.

4. Learn a New Skill
What better way to stay mentally active than learning something new? With new technology coming out almost daily, learning how to use a new app or computer program is a great way to maintain mental health. And when you’ve mastered a new design software or program, you may be able to add it to your resume. If you don’t want to devote that much time, consider trying a new recipe for dinner or taking a new route home without the GPS.

5. Share Your Interests
Being around others who share the same interests is an easy way to stay mentally active. Join a club or build relationships with people around you to create a sense of belonging and community. Shared interests can lead to great conversations, enjoyable memories, and a sense of well-being.

And of course while you’re at work, don’t forget to stand, stretch and move around throughout the day. Have a conversation with a coworker that doesn’t involve work, or take a break to read a news article. These daily practices along with physical activity, will keep you engaged for lifelong mental health.

The post How to Stay Mentally Active appeared first on Xdesk Blog.

The women completed surveys in 2001, 2004, 2007 and 2010 based on sitting time, physical activity and depressive symptoms. The results were studied in 2011 and published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.

The researchers looked for an association between all three of the topics surveyed and found that women who sat for more than seven hours a day had a 47 percent higher risk of depression symptoms than women who sat for four hours or less a day.

The study went on to reveal that women who didn’t participate in any physical activity (such as prolonged sitting and no exercise) had a 99 percent higher risk of developing depression symptoms than the women in the study who exercised.

The amount of exercise was based on 30 minutes per day according to guidelines set by the Australian government. Women who sat for long periods of time and didn’t exercise were three times more likely to have depression symptoms than women who sat less and were more physically active.

The study couldn’t pinpoint an exact association of whether depression causes a person to sit more and exercise less, or if sitting too long makes a person depressed. However, the women who sat more were much more likely to feel depressed in the present, but prolonged sitting didn’t predict depression years later.

The researchers concluded that more physical activity could actually alleviate present depressive symptoms and possibly prevent future symptoms later in middle-aged women. And reducing the amount of sitting time daily could relieve current symptoms of depression.

With this information, it just gives even more reason to stand up! Stand, stretch, adjust your desk, and move around to stay mentally alert and upbeat. To learn more, you can read the abstract from the study, HERE.

The post Depression Symptoms Related to Prolonged Sitting, According to Recent Study appeared first on Xdesk Blog.