A bright sun, white sand, crystal clear water, music that makes your body shake, happy and helpful people, and incredible delicacies to delight the palate … A paradise, right? Well, Aruba has all this and even more to offer. It is no coincidence that it is cataloged as “the happy island of the Caribbean”
Thousands of tourists a year visit this paradisiacal island, and its motto “One happy island” is immediately connected to a life experience hard to match. However, for some people who live on this beautiful island, reality may be different; one that can include depression, loss of energy and motivation, and anxiety attacks…
So, if you live in the happiest destination in the Caribbean, why don´t you feel it that way?
A tourist’s visit is full of fantasy and ecstasy to discover. Many times, tourists save large amounts of money to be able to live fully on those dreamed vacations, and make all the dreams their minds can imagine come true.
Sometimes, for island, living in Aruba -One Happy Island- is not always a synonym of joy and vacations. Certainly, they are not tourists on this beautiful island. This paradise is their home, and as such, has the flats of everyday life, just like tourists when they return to their homes.
Is it just you?
It is difficult to think that a paradise like Aruba could harm its inhabitants with the dangers of depression, anxiety, demotivation and other disorders. Truth be told, these problems have no geographical limitations.
For this reason, even if you live in this paradise, sometimes you might not feel completely happy. like you didn´t fit. Truth is, this may be more common than you think. The important thing is to identify it and take action.
The portal http://www.psychologytoday.com/refers to a study carried out in 2016 on the island of Martha’s Vineyard (Massachuset) where it is indicated that during winter months, when tourists are scarce on the island, many inhabitants suffer from depression.
The fact is that together with the daily challenges that life entails, living on an island has some implications that could generate more stress and need to be taken into consideration. Here are some of them:
Water over here, water over there
“One Happy Island” is a motto that encompasses a fact that is more than evident to all: Aruba is an island.
Living on an island like Aruba has clear advantages: unique flora and fauna, incredible weather, white sand and crystal-clear beaches. Also, pollution levels are considerably lower in relation to large cities. Living on an island allows its inhabitants to move at their own pace, usually calmer.
But, believe it or not, living in an island isolates you …
Living in a “reduced” space such as an island can generate sensations of limitation in options of work, study, and leisure. In addition, by only being able to access your home by sea or by air, there are extra budget implications to consider when planning to visit other destinations.
Regardless of the joy and beauty that surrounds them, at some point inhabitants of an island may feel overwhelmed, without energy, and even depressed.
Living the exuberance of a tourist destination is definitely a great opportunity, and it should be exploited to the fullest by making changes on people´s daily routine. This way monotony won’t take over and wreak havoc.
Aruba, an island of fleeting encounters and farewells
As it is well known by all, thousands of tourists visit this beautiful island every year. A dinner with friends, a romantic getaway, a weekend of adventures, a photographic trip, or a family vacation. Everything is possible.
As a result, different people constantly enter and leave the lives of the inhabitants of the island.
One week they find their new best friend, the perfect party partner, or the love of their lives, and the next week they must say goodbye to them and stay in paradise as a memory.
Imagine that you are part of the cast of the movie “50 first dates”, and while “new” Drew Barrymores arrive at your paradisiacal destination on a daily basis, you are confined to being an Adam Sandler who relives the experience from scratch every time, and not always with a happily ever after.
This phenomenon of farewells can create emotional instability in the inhabitants of the island, and many times, isolate them socially, even with people who also make daily life there. They might be afraid of opening emotionally to avoid the blow of a separation.
Having to say goodbye constantly in the paradisiacal Aruba could drain one’s energy. Just thinking about having to relive those experiences might generate anxiety and a constant state of anxiety.
Beyond the metaphor of the seventh art, which is true for many, a 2016 study by the University of Central Florida on happiness and tourism on the island of Aruba concludes that:
Tourism is serving a lesser role in residents’ overall happiness. This means that while tourism brings material conditions (e.g. jobs, income, business opportunities, etc.) it is no longer sufficient to propel happiness and life satisfaction in Aruba. (2016 Happiness Survey: Aruba Happiness & Tourism)
These results reveal to a large extent the need for new experiences for the local inhabitants, which go beyond the main source of income of the happy island.
A paradise that doesn’t escape to reality
Stress, work, and other occupations don’t cease to exist for those who live in a heavenly place like “One Happy Island”. Yes, the natural beauties and nice people are still there, but also the everyday responsibilities. For its inhabitants, Aruba, more than a tourist destination is a home…
And only those who live in a place like Aruba know how their roof leaks…
Beyond living on an island, How can we identify certain disorders?
As already observed, living in an island paradise is not always an escape of negative emotions such as depression, anxiety, and low self-esteem. Beyond reasons such as living in a small space, and the constant goodbyes, these emotions also take place regardless of the geography and have their own characteristics:
Research indicates that depression generates a decline in mood, and a loss of interest in the activities that are performed. It takes place when there are tragic events, when the individual faces constant stress, or even for hereditary reasons.
Depression is also caused by imbalances in chemicals in the brain such as cortisol, serotonin, dopamine, and noradrenaline (source: https://universityhealthnews.com/daily/depression/what-causes-depression/.
On the other side, anxiety works as a warning system in the body that prepares the human being for situations that could have a positive or negative impact. While there tends to be external factors that trigger these alarms, there are also hereditary ones (source: https://www.everydayhealth.com/news/is-anxiety-hereditary/).
It is ok to feel anxious at times, but excessive anxiety and stress can be harmful to your health and lead to states of melancholy and depression.
From school age, we hear about low self-esteem, and how it could cause a negative view of ourselves.
Believe is that, unlike others, the person is not good, successful, useful, or even beautiful enough, for example.
Although low self-esteem might have a hereditary factor, and has much to do with the social environment and mental health of an individual as well as hereditary factors. However, the family environment also has to do with the perception that each human being has of himself.
All these disorders have elements that differentiate them, but by reviewing their symptoms separately, it can be seen how fatigue, sleep disturbance, agitation, nervousness, nausea, irritability, and even muscle tremors and pains can be symptoms that connect through all of them (source: https://www.acamh.org/research-digests/self-esteem-anxiety-depression/).
Among them there are also cause and effect relationships. There are episodes where excessive anxiety attacks could lead to low self-esteem, and both could lead to depressive states, and vice versa.
How to return to our personal paradise?
As we have seen, disorders such as depression, low self-esteem, and anxiety do not escape any reality, and the magical Aruba is still a place like no other.
While there are techniques of meditation, relaxation, and even neurolinguistics to deal with these disorders, as well as visits and consultations with experts such as psychologists and psychiatrists who are experts in mental health, there is one area in which you can start working right now to improve your emotional state: your nutrition.
And what does nutrition have to do with all this?
A lot. The way we eat, and the type of nutrients, vitamins and minerals that we ingest are related to both physical and mental health. These benefits can be obtained through a balanced diet, which can be accompanied by nutritional supplements.
Collagen, a protein that should not be missed
Collagen is the natural glue of the body. This protein helps the skin stay toned. In addition, it is part of the connective tissues (such as joints, cartilage, and hair).
Studies report that this protein is very important to stay active and energized. Animal proteins, green vegetables, foods with red pigmentation, and fruits that contain vitamin C are natural sources of collagen. It can also be found in supplements such as the liquid collagen f / women liq tubes 10’s and the hydrolyzed collagen powder 7oz.
Magnesium, a magical micronutrient
Magnesium is a regulatory mineral that helps maintain muscles, strengthen bones, and regulates blood pressure.
It is an important micronutrient that also helps reduce stress, tiredness and fatigue, and also helps the body to relax and get more sleep.
Magnesium can be found in foods such as legumes, nuts, cereals, and soy products. Also, it can be found in nutritional supplements such as magnesium citrate tabs 60’s.
Probiotics, essential compounds for our well-being
Probiotics, essentially composed of bacteria and yeast, help improve our bowel movements and digestive functions.
There are studies that even show a possible relationship between the consumption of probiotics and a decrease in fatigue and anxiety.
Probiotics can be found in foods such as yogurt, pickles, and sourdough bread. Nutritional supplements such as acidophilus probiotic-4 500mg caps 100’s are also responsible for providing these microorganisms.
Vitamins that should not be missed
There are different types of vitamin such as Vitamin A, B, C, D, E, and K, and one of their uses includes fighting anxiety.
It is precisely vitamin B the one that is most related to metabolic functions and energy absorption. Particularly, vitamin B-12 is involved in the synthesis of substances that are responsible for regulating mood such as serotonin, melatonin and dopamine.
Beef, poultry, eggs and other dairy products are rich in this vitamin. It can also be found in nutritional supplements like the alive! adult multi-vit gummies 90’s.
Moringa, a natural miracle
Moringa is also known as the “miracle tree”, since many virtues are attributed to it. Among them. It works as a source of proteins, vitamins and minerals. The leaves and seeds of this tree have been used historically to treat more than 300 ailments.
Among other uses, moringa contributes with the vitality and energy of the organism, thus combating the states of weakness and fatigue. It can be found in different presentations such as infusions, powders, and in nutritional supplements such as moringa pure vcaps 90’s.
All these supplements represent an alternative to drugs, and in many cases an improvement, since, among other reasons, they are considered as foods by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and their side effects are considerably lower (or null).
Are you ready to be a happy inhabitant of the happy island?
Being happy is a daily exercise that each person must practice from their social, spiritual and emotional perspective.
Being happy and living in the happy island of the Caribbean is completely possible. People need to be aware of the emotions that affect the mood, taking advantage of the wonders of the sea and the landscape to generate healthy routines, maintain a balanced diet. Also, by taking nutritional supplements to complete the daily diet.
From Nature’s Discount, we invite everyone to take action on this matter and make their personal life in this paradise of the Caribbean the best experience of all.
