Simple Tips to Boost Your Mental Health

Prioritizing your mental well-being is just as important as taking care of your physical health – and it might be easier than you think. Making small changes in your daily routine can have a big impact on your mental health and overall well-being.

Dr. Erik Bayona of Kaiser Permanente Chase Gardens in Eugene offers some simple, yet effective, ways to boost your mental health:

Go outside. Nature has a calming effect. Even if it’s for just a few minutes, going outside and connecting with nature can reduce stress, clear your mind, and help improve your sleep.
Get sleep. Our bodies and minds need time to rest, recharge, and repair. Sleep provides that vital time. Try to get 7-9 hours of sleep each night.
Start moving. Whether it’s gardening, chair stretches, or dancing in your kitchen, regular movement improves your physical health and exercises your mind.
Stay connected. Join a club, volunteer, or call a friend. Interacting with others helps us feel supported and connected.
Manage screen time. Too much screen time can increase feelings of anxiety and depression. Consider making simple changes, like turning off notifications, being selective with your news feed or scheduling tech free time each day.

If you or someone you know is struggling with depression, anxiety, addiction, or other mental or emotional issues, it’s important to get connected to the support you need. These resources can make it easier to find the help that’s best for you.

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Welcoming New Patients

At Kaiser Permanente, our doctors and health plan are all part of one connected team. We coordinate your care, so you don’t have to – allowing you to focus on the most important thing, your health.

We are continuing to grow in Lane County, with three new providers joining the Kaiser Permanente Chase Gardens team in 2024, who are now accepting new patients. Plus, our complete on-site support team means lab, imaging, and pharmacy services are all available under one roof. For added convenience, members can also visit any Peace Health primary care location and over 700 affiliated specialty care providers in Lane County.

Meet our team >

A Note From the Publisher

Dear Readers,

The last two years have been some of the hardest in Eugene Weekly’s 43 years. There were moments when keeping the paper alive felt uncertain. And yet, here we are — still publishing, still investigating, still showing up every week.

That’s because of you!

Not just because of financial support (though that matters enormously), but because of the emails, notes, conversations, encouragement and ideas you shared along the way. You reminded us why this paper exists and who it’s for.

Listening to readers has always been at the heart of Eugene Weekly. This year, that meant launching our popular weekly Activist Alert column, after many of you told us there was no single, reliable place to find information about rallies, meetings and ways to get involved. You asked. We responded.

We’ve also continued to deepen the coverage that sets Eugene Weekly apart, including our in-depth reporting on local real estate development through Bricks & Mortar — digging into what’s being built, who’s behind it and how those decisions shape our community.

And, of course, we’ve continued to bring you the stories and features many of you depend on: investigations and local government reporting, arts and culture coverage, sudoku and crossword puzzles, Savage Love, and our extensive community events calendar. We feature award-winning stories by University of Oregon student reporters getting real world journalism experience. All free. In print and online.

None of this happens by accident. It happens because readers step up and say: this matters.

As we head into a new year, please consider supporting Eugene Weekly if you’re able. Every dollar helps keep us digging, questioning, celebrating — and yes, occasionally annoying exactly the right people. We consider that a public service.

Thank you for standing with us!