Even though technology helps us develop ourselves, access engaging learning experiences online, and discover the world from the comfort of our sofa, it also makes us passive. Sitting for prolonged periods can have adverse effects on your mental health too. Besides your physical health, such as obesity, diabetes, or heart disease, it can also impair your brain. You might feel comfortable watching a tv series or staying inside for days on end, but this does not make you any good to your mind.
Indeed, taking breaks from social media or even from people when you feel overwhelmed is recommended. However, there has to be a balance between these breaks when you may isolate yourself and the number of physical exercises you do. You may wonder how to get moving.
How to do mental health exercises at home. How sitting too much drags down your mental health.
Can you just be carrying too much? Is there such a thing?
Let’s find out together.
Sitting Too Much Increases Anxiety and Depression
College times are challenging, and we all know this. However, when you have to face all the challenges ahead, you might feel overwhelmed and stressed. And in these moments, you might not feel like moving too much, going out, or meeting with friends. However, sitting too much and staying inside can speed up the development of anxiety and depression.
And, of course, it makes the symptoms even more intense. Stress and physical activity are linked, and you must care for yourself.
You may have to write college papers that you do not feel like writing, but you can get the help of an essay writing service for students with an experienced essay writer. Sitting for prolonged periods means reducing oxygen intake to your brain and blood flow. And you do not trigger the release of endorphins, known as feel-good hormones that boost your mood. At the same time, when you sit for too long, you may isolate yourself from others, which does not harm your mental health but only speeds up the development of anxiety and depression. And also, the lack of sunlight exposure can affect your mood considerably. Sunlight is known to increase the release of serotonin, a neurotransmitter that regulates mood and sleep. Mental health makes people more aware of the dangers of a habit so common as sitting too much.
Loneliness and Isolation
You might think there is no connection between sitting too much and feelings of loneliness and isolation. But there is one. When you sit too much, you usually do it inside. Whether you work from home every day or study from the comfort of your own house, you are sitting in front of the computer too much. This means that you have no social interaction with others, leading to feelings of isolation and loneliness.
This happens also because you have reduced opportunities to interact with others. You may not feel like it, and this is your depression or anxiety speaking, but social connections and simply going out with friends contribute to your mental health. It is like a vicious cycle. You do not feel like going out because you might be stressed, anxious, or depressed. You choose to sit for prolonged periods, which reaps you of the opportunities you have to get out of this cycle. And you are only endorsing the symptoms you already have.
Poor Posture
Your physical and mental health are deeply connected. When you are sitting for long periods, you may develop pain in your body. You might have a poor posture, which leads to increased physical discomfort and pain. And when your body is aching, the effects are on your mind, making you feel depressed and anxious.
Final Thoughts
Have you ever wondered what the effects of sitting too much on your mental health are? Maybe you might know the ones on your physical health, like poor posture and pain. But sitting too much can affect your mental health too. It can make you isolate yourself, which reaps you of the benefits of social connections. Your anxious and depressive symptoms might become more acute, making your mood and mental health poor.
About the Author:
Connie Elser is a content writer and blogger. He is passionate about psychology and usually writes articles on mental health-related topics. Connie loves reading, hiking, and playing the guitar.
