Clear Skin and Strong Mental Health.
For many, having a clear face and clean skin is a life goal, yet no matter what we do, we can’t seem to clear up our skin. If you’re stressed, anxious, or depressed, you may wonder if that plays a part in your skin. Is there a link between mental health and skin quality?
Skin, Anxiety, and Depression
The most common mental health woes are anxiety and depression. These two seem to work in disharmony to ruin your life. Besides taking a toll on the mind, anxiety and depression can impact your body, particularly your skin.
There is a proven correlation between Clear Skin and Strong Mental Health.
The mind and your skin have a connection. This is known as psycho-dermatology, and this phenomenon covers how the skin and nervous system interact. You probably know that there is a connection between your skin and your mood (and if you explored the right cognitive health program for you, you’d know more about it). When you’re angry, your skin turns red. When you feel stressed, your skin may feel dry or sweaty.
With anxiety or depression, your skin could have an inflammatory response to it. Your skin becomes much more irritable and loses its moisture. This could lead to various skin problems that we discussed before.
Not to mention, when we feel depressed, anxious, or have another negative mood, it affects how we take care of our skin. Someone who is depressed may not take care of their skin as much. For many depressed people, the act of doing something as simple as washing your face is a chore.
For someone who is anxious, the stress can impact the skin as well, and lead you to hyperfocus. What do we mean by this? You may look at one little zit or flaw in your skin and obsess over it to the point where more pop out, or you notice even more flaws in your skin. This can lead to a cycle of poor mental health and poor skincare.
Other mental health problems can affect your skin as well, but anxiety and depression are the two most common culprits.
What Can You Do About It?
If you’re wondering what you should do about this, there are a few things you can do to help both your skin and your mental health.
Seek Help
If your anxiety or depression is severe, you may want to seek therapy. A therapist can help with your depression by identifying the causes of your depression and looking for solutions. Or, you may just need someone to talk to, a service that a therapist can provide. If you’re always busy, online therapy may be a resource worth looking at, as you can get help anywhere, at any time.
Soak in a Tub
Soaking in a bathtub, especially with some Epsom salts or anything else that calms or soothes the skin, can help with both your anxiety and depression, as well as your skin. Taking a hot bath is always a great way to relieve stress, and if you’re feeling burdened, then try a nice, long soak.
Get Enough Sleep
Not only is sleep important for your skin, but it’s important for your mental health as well. Not enough sleep, or oversleeping, may intensify your problems. If you’re having a hard time going to sleep, try practicing good sleep hygiene techniques, such as unwinding before bed. Read a good book, put away the phone, or listen to some soft music.
Get Moving
Exercising may help with not just your mental health, but your skin too. You don’t need to spend hours exercising to reap the benefits. A casual walk outside may help you, or some push-ups. Working out releases feel-good chemicals into your brain, which improves your mental health.
Don’t Focus So Much on Your Skin
This sounds like an odd suggestion, but if you’re spending so much time worrying about every zit and pore on your skin, it can make things worse. Instead, keep that balance between skincare and realizing that imperfections do happen and are a part of life.
There are many factors that play into your skin’s appearance. Some of them are genetic, and some of them are mental. If you improve your mental health and practice skincare techniques, your skin can have a luster you didn’t know it could have. Just remember that a clear skin and strong mental health can go hand in hand.