The Unexpected Habits Making You Moody, Anxious & Depressed

Mental health month is all about awareness. After all, mental health is the lens through which we all view the world around us. If you haven’t had an experience with depression or anxiety yourself, it’s likely you know someone who has struggled with a mental health condition. This month, our goal is to feel more connected through the struggle and talk more openly about what works, what doesn’t, and what our experiences have really been like. Because at the end of the day, we’re all on the road to better mental health together.

Most of my patients would say that they aim to conduct their lives in a way that leads to well-being. However, despite our best intentions, many of us are likely engaging in habits that can actually hurt our mental health. Once these habits are established, many people will continue them simply because they are part of a familiar routine or because they might not be aware of how detrimental they can be to their mood, energy levels, and nervous system.

Love your morning cup o’ joe and making quick coffee runs on your work breaks? For many of us, it's positively unfathomable to give up that extra cup of coffee during the day. If this sounds like you, you might want to consider this. Studies have shown1 that there is a relationship between excessive caffeine intake and depression, moodiness, and anxiety—particularly for those people who are more sensitive to the effects of caffeine. Further, caffeine serves as a stimulant that could result in difficulty falling asleep, which can keep you up at night and worsen your mood.

A thought pattern that is frequently associated with depression, moodiness, and anxiety is viewing much of life as beyond your control or influence. In psychology terms, this is called an external locus of control, which means you tend to view things as happening due to chance, fate, or luck (external locus of control) instead of through your own actions. As a result, you might start to feel helpless or wonder why you should even try to influence a situation. For example, someone who is struggling in her relationship might just assume that it is destined to fail instead of looking carefully for how she might be able to influence the outcome.

In addition to increasing cardiovascular risks and other health problems, a physically inactive lifestyle has been associated with depression and anxiety. Further, a physically active lifestyle has been shown2 to be protective for improving your mood and anxiety. This may be due to several different factors including the release of endorphins, boosting of confidence, and increase in the body's core temperature.

Although many people consider scrolling through Instagram or watching YouTube videos very relaxing, excessive screen time is associated with both moodiness and depression. Due to the type of light emitted by the screen, it can activate the brain, thereby resulting in insomnia. Excessive screen time can simultaneously cause exhaustion and agitation. It can also cause us to spend less time face-to-face with people who are important to us, resulting in feelings of isolation and no time to nurture these relationships.

Carbohydrates are important for energy and for healthy levels of serotonin, which is known as the "happy" chemical in the brain. But not all carbohydrates are created equal! There’s a difference between complex carbohydrates, such as vegetables and whole grains, and simple carbohydrates like candy and other sugary, processed foods. Simple carbohydrates are a quick source of energy and are easily and rapidly broken down by your body. As a result, eating simple carbohydrates predisposes you to rapid fluctuations in your blood sugars, which can result in mood swings. Not to mention, a significant drop in blood sugars can result in the release of catecholamines and other stress hormones, which can also cause agitation, irritability, and anxiety.

This is also known as either/or thinking, a viewpoint that tends to view situations as either good or bad, positive or negative, or a success or a failure. In this binary form of thinking, there are only two options. But let's be honest, life is rarely black-and-white! I once saw a student who had this tendency; he came to me in distress, expressing that while he had done fairly well on his exams, he had failed his chemistry final. Given that chemistry was so important to his chosen career field, he was convinced that he was an utter failure and was filled with feelings of hopelessness, sadness, and heightened anxiety.

Try this instead: As I mentioned to this young student, you must understand that failing at something doesn't mean you're a failure. It's important to understand that life (and the people and situations we are exposed to) is very complicated, and such complexity simply cannot be explained through a two-option thought process. Consider that even if you struggle with something, it doesn't reflect on who you are as a person; in fact, there are so many other wonderful and positive aspects of you to consider. So give yourself an ego-boosting reality check that can protect you from sadness even in hard times.