Heart Research UK Healthy Heart Tip, written by the Health Promotion and Education Team at Heart Research UK
Healthy Heart Tip: Mental Wellbeing for Women
In the UK around one in five women have a common mental health problem, such as depression or anxiety. Long-term mental health problems can increase our risk of developing heart disease, which is one of the reasons why it is important that we look after our mental health.
These are a few things you can do to keep your mental wellbeing in check and reduce the risk of developing heart disease:
Reducing stress at work
- Evidence suggests that young women with stressful jobs could be at higher risk of heart disease, so why not do a few stretches to get your blood circulating. Getting the heart beating by using the stairs or walking part of the way to and from work will help you stretch your legs and refresh your thoughts. It is not uncommon to feel overwhelmed at work especially when we have lots to do. Try taking 10 minutes at the beginning of your day to plan the tasks you will complete, and focus only on those tasks.
Cut down on alcohol
- Alcohol acts as a depressant and can have a negative impact on your mental health as well increasing your risk of heart disease. Try cutting down on alcohol by swapping to drinks with a lower alcohol content or having a 0% alcohol beer or cider. By picking a healthier drink you can still get all the benefits of socialising with friends at the local pub but without the negatives of alcohol.
Get some alone time
- Not spending any time alone is one of the main factors affecting women’s mental health and wellbeing. It can be so important for you to find this time so you can let down your guard, relieve any tension and problem solve without any interruptions. Setting up a routine to wake up an hour before the rest of your home is a great idea. If this isn’t possible try going on a daily walk by yourself. You will get exercise and the alone time you need to reflect.
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To help keep your heart healthy, why not try out some of our Healthy Heart recipes from our website: https://heartresearch.org.uk/heart-research-uk-recipes-2/.
Or have a look through our Healthy Heart cookbook filled with recipes from top chefs, celebrities and food bloggers: