TL;DR. According to World Health Organization (WHO) figures updated in September 2026, nearly 1 in 7 people worldwide (1.2 billion) were living with a mental disorder in 2023; 470 million had an anxiety disorder and 322 million had depression. The 2021 version of this article offered nine tips without a single source. In this update we rebuilt every item on primary research. The strongest evidence sits with sleep and movement: a 2021 meta-analysis of 65 randomised controlled trials found that interventions improving sleep produced a medium-sized reduction in depression symptoms (g = -0.63), and a 2023 umbrella review covering 1,039 trials found a median effect of physical activity on depression of -0.43. The effect of a gratitude journal is small (d = 0.17) and no better than an active psychological exercise. This is not a treatment guide; if low mood lasts longer than two weeks or you have thoughts of harming yourself, seek professional help.
If you run yourself like a company, your psychological health is that company’s operating system. Every decision, every hour of learning and every relationship runs on top of it. A good CEO does not leave the operating system to chance: they measure what actually works, drop what does not, and call in a specialist when a problem grows. A good student does not believe every sentence that starts with “research shows”; they open the research itself.
Why did we rewrite this article?
The original text was published in 2021 and followed the list format of its time: nine items, each with a confident justification, none with a source. It claimed that “vitamin D from the sun raises serotonin”, that “thirty minutes a day can change many things in your life” and that “ten deep breaths bring your oxygen level to where it should be”.
We could not find a verifiable primary source for any of these claims in the form they were made. An unsourced claim is not necessarily wrong, but it cannot be checked. Building routines on unverifiable claims about something as important as psychological health is the opposite of learning like a student. So instead of deleting the article we audited it: we removed the weak items, replaced them with practices supported by meta-analyses, and stated each effect size openly.
What does the global picture of psychological health look like?
WHO’s 2026 fact sheets make it clear that this is not a problem affecting only a few people.
Table 1. Global mental health indicators, 2023 data (verified data)
| Indicator | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| People living with a mental disorder | Nearly 1 in 7 (1.2 billion) | WHO, Mental disorders fact sheet (2026) |
| People with an anxiety disorder | 470 million (146 million of them children and adolescents) | WHO, Mental disorders fact sheet (2026) |
| People with depression | 322 million (43 million of them children and adolescents) | WHO, Mental disorders fact sheet (2026) |
| Depression prevalence among adults | 5.2% (4.1% among men, 6.2% among women) | WHO, Depressive disorder fact sheet (2026) |
| Anxiety disorder prevalence in the global population | 5.8% | WHO, Anxiety disorders fact sheet (2026) |
| People with an anxiety disorder who receive any treatment | About 1 in 4 (27.6%) | WHO, Anxiety disorders fact sheet (2026) |
| People with depression in high-income countries receiving mental health treatment | About one third | WHO, Depressive disorder fact sheet (2026) |
Two conclusions follow from the table. First, roughly 72% of people with an anxiety disorder receive no treatment at all. Second, about a third (31%) of people living with an anxiety disorder are children and adolescents. Protecting your own psychological health is therefore not only a personal preference; in a world with a treatment gap this large, it is a preventive investment.
9 ways to protect your psychological health
The nine practices below are ordered by strength of evidence, with the best-supported first. We describe effect sizes using the studies’ own wording (“medium”, “small”). Most of these studies measure symptom reduction; none of them replaces treatment on its own.
1. Protect your sleep as a priority
Sleep has the clearest causal evidence on this list. The meta-analysis by Scott and colleagues, published in Sleep Medicine Reviews in 2021, covers 65 randomised controlled trials and 8,608 participants. Interventions that improved sleep quality produced medium-sized reductions in composite mental health problems (g = -0.53), depression (g = -0.63), anxiety (g = -0.51) and rumination, meaning repetitive negative thinking (g = -0.49). The authors also found a dose-response relationship: the more sleep improved, the more mental health improved.
Our article on sleep architecture and cognitive performance is a good starting point for turning this item into a practical plan.
2. Move regularly
The umbrella review by Singh and colleagues, published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine in 2023, brings together 97 systematic reviews, 1,039 trials and 128,119 participants. Compared with usual care, physical activity had medium effects on depression (median effect size -0.43), anxiety (-0.42) and psychological distress (-0.60). Higher-intensity activity was associated with greater improvement. To be honest about the limits: 77 of the 97 included reviews (about 79%) received a “critically low” methodological quality score.
We removed the old line that “thirty minutes a day changes everything”. This review does not propose a specific minute threshold; it says intensity matters and that effectiveness diminished in longer-duration programmes. WHO’s self-care advice for depression uses the phrase “exercise regularly, even if it’s just a short walk”.
3. Manage your relationships like an asset that needs maintenance
The meta-analysis by Holt-Lunstad and colleagues, published in PLoS Medicine in 2010, covers 148 studies and 308,849 participants. People with stronger social relationships had a 50% increased likelihood of survival (OR = 1.50). This study measures mortality risk rather than mental health directly; even so, it shows how heavy a health variable social connection is. WHO’s depression fact sheet also lists “stay connected to friends and family” and “talk to someone you trust about your feelings” among its self-care recommendations.
That is why the old “share” item stays on the list, but it now rests on a source.
4. Practise mindfulness
The meta-analysis by Khoury and colleagues, published in the Journal of Psychosomatic Research in 2015, examines mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) programmes in healthy adults: 29 studies, 2,668 participants. In between-group comparisons the effect was moderate (g = 0.53) and was maintained at an average follow-up of 19 weeks. Effects were large on stress and moderate on anxiety and depression. The authors also note that heterogeneity between studies was high.
WHO’s anxiety fact sheet lists “develop the habit of mindfulness meditation, even if it’s just a few minutes per day” and “relaxation techniques, such as slow breathing” among its self-care recommendations. We removed the old claim that “ten deep breaths bring your oxygen level to where it should be”; we found no primary source supporting it.
5. Keep your eating regular and balanced
The meta-analysis by Firth and colleagues, published in Psychosomatic Medicine in 2019, covers 16 randomised controlled trials and 45,826 participants. Dietary interventions produced a small but significant reduction in depressive symptoms (g = 0.16 in the original analysis); no significant effect was found for anxiety. An important note: in 2020 the journal published an erratum. The effect size for one of the 16 included studies had been entered incorrectly; the authors re-analysed the data and, according to the journal, the overall conclusions did not change. Because we could not open and verify the corrected pooled value, we report only the original value and the “small effect” interpretation here.
We removed the old claim that “Omega-3 has very beneficial effects on cognitive brain functions”. WHO’s practical advice is simpler: “stick to regular eating and sleeping habits as much as possible and eat a healthy diet.”
6. Write down what you are grateful for, but set realistic expectations
This item was on the old list, which said it had been “confirmed by researchers”. The evidence is more modest than the claim. According to the meta-analysis by Davis and colleagues, published in the Journal of Counseling Psychology in 2016, gratitude interventions produced a small improvement in psychological well-being compared with groups doing an alternative activity (d = 0.17). No significant effect was found on anxiety (d = 0.11). Compared with a psychologically active comparison group, gratitude exercises performed no better (d = -0.03).
The bottom line: a gratitude journal is a harmless, cheap habit, but not a protective shield on its own. We keep it on the list and lower the expectation.
7. Cut down on alcohol and drugs
This item was not on the old list. WHO’s depression and anxiety fact sheets both put avoiding or cutting down on alcohol and not using illicit drugs at the top of their self-care advice, on the grounds that these can make depression and anxiety worse. We do not give an effect size here because we did not verify a meta-analysis for this article, but the recommendation comes directly from WHO.
8. Keep enjoyable activities in your calendar
In low periods, the first things to go are the activities that used to bring enjoyment. WHO’s depression fact sheet lists “try to keep doing activities you used to enjoy” as the first item of its self-care advice. Putting these activities in your calendar like a business meeting is one of the most practical applications of the CEO lens: the point is to protect the activity without waiting for a good-mood day.
Ending the workday deliberately is another way to protect this space. We cover it in detail in our article on the shutdown ritual.
9. Ask for help early when the signal comes
The last item sets the boundary for the other eight. Self-care practices are protective, but they are not treatment. WHO stresses that effective treatments exist for depression and anxiety, yet most people cannot access them. Asking for help is not a sign of weakness; like a manager calling in a specialist before a problem grows, it is a sign that the system is working as it should. We cover when to seek help separately below.
Evidence table: how well do the 9 practices work?
Table 2. Meta-analysis findings by practice (verified data)
| Practice | Study and scope | Result and effect size | Key limitation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep | Scott et al. 2021; 65 RCTs, 8,608 participants | Depression g = -0.63; anxiety g = -0.51; composite mental health g = -0.53 (medium) | Intervention types vary |
| Movement | Singh et al. 2023; 97 reviews, 1,039 trials, 128,119 participants | Depression -0.43; anxiety -0.42; distress -0.60 (medium) | 77 of 97 reviews rated critically low quality |
| Social relationships | Holt-Lunstad et al. 2010; 148 studies, 308,849 participants | 50% increased likelihood of survival (OR = 1.50) | Measures mortality, not mental health |
| Mindfulness | Khoury et al. 2015; 29 studies, 2,668 healthy adults | Between-group g = 0.53 (moderate) | High heterogeneity between studies |
| Diet | Firth et al. 2019; 16 RCTs, 45,826 participants | Depressive symptoms g = 0.16 (small); no significant effect on anxiety | Erratum for one study published in 2020 |
| Gratitude | Davis et al. 2016 | Well-being d = 0.17 (small); not better than active comparison (d = -0.03) | No significant effect on anxiety |
| Cutting down alcohol | WHO 2026 self-care advice | No effect size given in this article | No meta-analysis verified |
| Enjoyable activities | WHO 2026 self-care advice | No effect size given in this article | No meta-analysis verified |
| Early help | WHO 2026 fact sheets | Effective treatments exist; treatment gap is large | Does not predict individual treatment outcomes |
Note: negative values indicate a reduction in symptoms. Because the effect sizes come from different measures and comparison groups, ranking the rows directly against each other is not appropriate; the table shows the evidence base for each practice on its own terms.
How do you run your mental health like an operating system?
The CEO lens says: your resources are limited, so invest first in the practices with the strongest evidence. The student lens adds: this table reflects what is known in 2026; update the ratings as new meta-analyses appear.
Table 3. Evidence strength map for the 9 practices (CEOtudent editorial framework)
| Practice | Evidence strength (our rating) | Why this rating | Weekly question to ask yourself |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep | High | RCT meta-analysis, medium effect, dose-response relationship | How many nights this week did I wake up rested? |
| Movement | High | Very large evidence base, medium effect; quality warning applies | How many times this week did I move enough to raise my breathing? |
| Mindfulness | Moderate-high | Moderate effect in healthy adults; high heterogeneity | On how many days did I practise for a few minutes? |
| Social relationships | Moderate-high | Very large sample; mental health measured indirectly | Did I have a real conversation with someone I trust this week? |
| Diet | Moderate | Small effect, only on depressive symptoms | Were my meals and mealtimes regular? |
| Gratitude | Low-moderate | Small effect, not better than an active alternative | Did I write it, and did I notice a difference? |
| Cutting down alcohol | WHO recommendation | Institutional advice; no effect size in this article | Did alcohol affect my sleep or mood this week? |
| Enjoyable activities | WHO recommendation | Institutional advice; no effect size in this article | Did I protect at least one enjoyment block in my calendar? |
| Early help | Boundary condition | Defines the point where the other eight are not enough | Has a low period lasted more than two weeks? |
Table 4. Weekly 10-minute maintenance routine (CEOtudent editorial framework)
| Day | Focus | Small action |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | Sleep | Set a bedtime and wake time you will keep all week |
| Tuesday | Movement | Put two movement blocks in your calendar |
| Wednesday | Relationships | Reach out to someone you have not spoken to in a while |
| Thursday | Mindfulness | Do a few minutes of slow breathing or mindfulness practice |
| Friday | Enjoyment and shutdown | Add one enjoyable activity to your weekend calendar; close the work week deliberately |
| Saturday | Diet and alcohol | Roughly plan next week’s meal pattern; review your alcohol intake |
| Sunday | Weekly audit | Answer the nine questions in Table 3; if a low period has lasted more than two weeks, make a plan to seek help |
This routine is a personal maintenance framework, not a treatment plan. The goal is to move psychological health out of the “I will deal with it when I feel bad” category and into a system that gets regular maintenance.
When should you seek professional help?
According to WHO’s depression fact sheet, a depressive episode is different from regular mood fluctuations: it lasts most of the day, nearly every day, for at least two weeks. The symptoms WHO lists include feeling sad, irritable or empty, loss of pleasure or interest in activities, poor concentration, excessive guilt or low self-worth, hopelessness about the future, disrupted sleep, changes in appetite or weight, feeling very tired or low in energy, and thoughts about dying or suicide.
See a doctor or a mental health professional if:
- Low mood or loss of interest has lasted more than two weeks.
- Anxiety is causing significant impairment at work, school or in your relationships.
- Changes in sleep, appetite or energy are making daily life difficult.
- Your alcohol or drug use is increasing.
WHO’s advice for thoughts of suicide is clear: remember you are not alone, talk to someone you trust, and talk to a health worker such as a doctor or counsellor. If you think you are in immediate danger of harming yourself, contact the emergency services or a crisis line where you live.
This article is not medical advice and does not promise a treatment outcome for any practice. The practices here should be considered alongside, not instead of, the treatment a professional recommends.
What did we remove in this update?
We did not carry unverifiable claims into the new version. The main items removed:
- “Vitamin D from the sun raises the serotonin hormone.” We found no verified primary source for the claim in this form.
- “Thirty minutes of physical activity a day can change many things in your life.” The meta-analysis we reviewed does not propose a specific minute threshold.
- “Omega-3 has very beneficial effects on cognitive brain functions.” Not verified for this article.
- “Ten deep breaths bring your oxygen level to where it should be.” No source found.
- The “say positive things to yourself” and “focus on one thing for a short time” items. We found no verifiable source for the claims made in the original text.
- The “take action for others” item. There is research on the topic, but we did not verify a primary source for this update, so it is not on the list.
- References to 2021 news events and the advice to switch off screens one hour before bed (unsourced in that form).
Frequently asked questions
Which practice has the strongest evidence for protecting psychological health?
Among the sources we reviewed, sleep and physical activity stand out. A meta-analysis of 65 RCTs found that interventions improving sleep produced a medium-sized reduction in depression symptoms (g = -0.63), and an umbrella review of 1,039 trials found a medium effect of physical activity on depression (median -0.43).
Can exercise replace treatment for depression?
This article does not draw that conclusion. The umbrella review by Singh and colleagues shows that physical activity reduces symptoms, but a doctor or mental health professional should decide which treatment is right for diagnosed depression.
Does keeping a gratitude journal work?
The effect is small. In the meta-analysis by Davis and colleagues, gratitude interventions produced a small improvement in well-being compared with an alternative activity (d = 0.17) and showed no significant effect on anxiety. It is a harmless habit, but not a protection strategy on its own.
How many people worldwide live with depression or anxiety?
According to WHO figures updated in 2026, in 2023 322 million people were living with depression and 470 million with an anxiety disorder. Overall, nearly 1 in 7 people (1.2 billion) live with a mental disorder.
When should I seek professional help?
According to WHO, a depressive episode lasts most of the day, nearly every day, for at least two weeks. If symptoms last that long or disrupt your daily functioning, see a health professional. If you have thoughts of harming yourself, contact the emergency services or a crisis line.
Which of these nine practices should I start with?
Based on our evidence strength map (Table 3), it makes sense to start with sleep and movement: both have a broad evidence base and medium-sized effects. Then run a short audit every week using the nine questions in Table 3.
Sources
- World Health Organization (2026). Mental disorders. Fact sheet, 11 September 2026. Geneva: WHO.
- World Health Organization (2026). Depressive disorder (depression). Fact sheet, 11 September 2026. Geneva: WHO.
- World Health Organization (2026). Anxiety disorders. Fact sheet, 15 September 2026. Geneva: WHO.
- Scott, A. J., Webb, T. L., Martyn-St James, M., Rowse, G., & Weich, S. (2021). Improving sleep quality leads to better mental health: A meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials. Sleep Medicine Reviews, 60, 101556.
- Singh, B., Olds, T., Curtis, R., et al. (2023). Effectiveness of physical activity interventions for improving depression, anxiety and distress: an overview of systematic reviews. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 57(18), 1203-1209.
- Holt-Lunstad, J., Smith, T. B., & Layton, J. B. (2010). Social relationships and mortality risk: a meta-analytic review. PLoS Medicine, 7(7), e1000316.
- Khoury, B., Sharma, M., Rush, S. E., & Fournier, C. (2015). Mindfulness-based stress reduction for healthy individuals: A meta-analysis. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 78(6), 519-528.
- Firth, J., Marx, W., Dash, S., et al. (2019). The effects of dietary improvement on symptoms of depression and anxiety: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Psychosomatic Medicine, 81(3), 265-280. Erratum: Psychosomatic Medicine, 82(5), 536 (2020).
- Davis, D. E., Choe, E., Meyers, J., et al. (2016). Thankful for the little things: A meta-analysis of gratitude interventions. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 63(1), 20-31.
This content was compiled with the support of AI following in-depth research, then written and prepared for publication by the CEOtudent editorial team.
This post is also available in:
){kind=link}
&description=&image=https://ceotudent.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/nbs880.jpg){kind=link}