Science backed Mental Health Hacks: Part 2
I’ve often seen these sorts of lists. But they never seem to have research backing them up. I thought, let’s do the research and see what the science says. As a psychologist with a science background, I love some good old research or science.
This will be the first part in a series of science backed hacks to improve your mental health.
To be included on my list:
- There must be a high level of evidence
- Evidence must be recent (in the last 5 years).
- It must be practical (Doesn’t help if you have to buy an expensive product)
Mindfulness:
What it is:
Mindfulness broadly refers to practices relating to bring one’s awareness to the present moment. Mindfulness is often discussed with reference to meditation or progressive muscle relaxation. Mindfulness has roots in Buddhism – however, is not inherently a religious nor spiritual practice.
Mindfulness does not require one to empty their mind, but rather be engrossed in one’s moment to moment experiences.
The Evidence:
For:
Mindfulness based programs have been found to reduce anxiety (Haller et al., 2021; Khoury et al., 2013; Sommers-Spijkerman, et al. 2021) and depression (Khoury et al., 2013; Sommers-Spijkerman, et al. 2021). Mindfulness may also positively impact some cognitive functions (Im et al., 2021; Whitfield et al., 2022).
Against:
While mindfulness-based programs have shown positive effects, some researchers query the longevity of these effects (Haller et al., 2021).
Mindfulness based exercises include:
- Meditation
- Guided meditation
- Body Scan Meditation
Deep Breathing
What it is:
Deep breathing refers to several breathwork techniques that are used to decrease stress, anxiety and physiological arousal (i.e. sympathetic nervous system activation).
The Evidence:
For:
Studies have found decreases stress and anxiety as well as increases calmness (Fincham et al., 2023; Zaccaro et al., 2018). Physiologically, deep breathing causes a vagal (parasympathetic) mediated bodily response (Gholamrezaei et al., 2021; Laborde et al., 2022; Zaccaro et al., 2018). Breathwork has been shown to reduce acute pain (Joseph et al. 2022).
Against:
Some authors do highlight that more research is necessary (Fincham et al., 2023).
Examples:
- Belly breathing
- Pursed lip breathing
Acts of Kindness
What it is:
Doing acts of kindness for another, for example volunteering.
The Evidence:
For:
Meta-analytic studies have found that acts of kindness improve one’s feeling of wellbeing, happiness and satisfaction (Curry et al., 2018; Rowland & Curry, 2019; Mongrain et al., 2018).
Against:
More evidence is required (Curry et al., 2018; Mongrain et al., 2018).
Examples:
- Volunteering
- Charity
Cold Water Plunge
What it is:
As it sounds, immersing oneself in an icy bath.
The Evidence:
For and Against:
Individuals who use cold water plunges report physical and psychological effects however, the science has not found significant psychological improvement (Cain et al., 2025; Knechtle et al., 2020;Ono et al., 2025).
Worth mentioning, cryotherapy has been found to show positive results with depression (Doets et al., 2021). However, cryotherapy is not something we can do at home and thus not a hack we can use.
Limiting Screen Time
What it is:
Screen time refers to time spent on phones/computers and similar devices.
The Evidence:
For:
Research has found that there is a relationship between screen time and depressive symptoms (Li et al., 2022; Santos et al., 2023; Wang et al., 2019). Often excessive screen time is also associated with sedimentary behaviour(i.e. being a couch potato), which contributes towards this risk.
Against:
Another large study found that there was a weak association between social media use and mental health (Ferguson et al., 2021), however these researchers acknowledge there is inconstancies in this research and call for more research (Ferguson et al., 2021; Santos et al., 2023).
Examples:
The research is mixed on screen time and health. However, it may be of benefit to limit screen time. Perhaps when one begins to ‘doom scroll’ it may be of benefit to try some of these other hacks mentioned in part 1 (e.g. go into nature or exercise).
So, these mental health hacks that are based on science and research. As always, this is not medical advice and rather just a review of literature. As our name suggests, we here at Thrive Psychology are all about thriving. I am available at Thrive Psychology and am passionate about improving mental health.
-Steve