Your physical health might get affected too.

一个s an urbanite, I enjoy many things about city living, such as walking to quaint, local coffee shops and restaurants, attending cultural events, and meeting people from diverse backgrounds. But even though living in a metropolis can be exciting, there are some downsides.

For instance, heavy traffic makes it challenging for me to socialize with my suburban friends. Additional frustrations include crowded public transportation, noise pollution, and having to pay nearly $15 to see a movie.

These might sound like small annoyances, but studies show that the hustle and bustle of urban life can actually take a toll on our physical and mental health. Here’s what you can do about it.

While living in a metropolis has its perks, it can take a big toll on our mental health.

Compared to rural residents, researchers have found that urbanites are21 percent更可能患有焦虑症和39％更有可能患有情绪障碍。一个 2017年荟萃分析 还发现,利率of the following mental health conditions were higher among those living in urban areas:

  • PTSD
  • 情绪管理
  • generalized anxiety disorder

对于精神分裂症和偏执狂等更严重的心理疾病也是如此。

So, what’s the explanation? According to 精神科医生 , urban living gives the brain a workout, which alters how we cope with stress.

它的工作方式如下：不断刺激城市生活会使身体变成压力很大的状态，称为fight-or-flight response。这可能会使我们更容易受到心理健康问题的影响，例如抑郁，焦虑和吸毒。这可能有助于解释为什么 19.1％ of Americans live with an anxiety disorder, while 6.7 percent have depression.

City living can also chip away at your psychological immune system, which can be precarious for those with a family history of mental illness. According to 心理学家 , this environmental stress can increase their risk of developing a psychiatric condition, such as anxiety, depression, or bipolar disorder.

即使城市生活可能导致情绪困扰，羞耻和污名也可以阻止年轻人谈论自己的挣扎。这可能解释了为什么他们比老一辈更孤独。Cigna study。

What’s more, young adults, especially millennials, often feel燃尽- 精神和身体疲惫的压力状态，可以挤出生活的喜悦。

Older generations may view millennials as incompetent adults who shy away from responsibility, but as Anne Helen Peterson wrote forBuzzFeed，千禧一代有“差事瘫痪”，并认为他们应该始终在起作用。

For young adults living in cities that never sleep, this belief may be intensified, adding to the psychological hardships of urban dwelling.

Not only can city life affect our mental well-being, it can also affect our physical health as well. A2017 study暗示暴露于空气污染和城市噪音可能会损害一个人的心血管健康。

It seems traffic noise may interfere with sleep quality and cause cortisol, the stress hormone, to spike. Over time, elevated levels of this hormone can increase a person’s risk for developing cardiovascular disease.

It also seems urban dwellers may be more prone to insomnia and sleep difficulties. In asurveyof more than 15,000 individuals, researchers at Stanford University found that the bright lights of a city can dampen a person’s ability to get a good night’s rest.

一个ccording to the survey, 6 percent of people living in highly lit, urban areas slept less than six hours each night. They also found that 29 percent of these urbanites were dissatisfied with the quality of their nighttime rest.

超越压力拥挤的城市生活也可以使我们更容易患病毒，尤其是在寒冷和流感季节。学习have also found that people living in urban areas often eat too much processed and fast food, which puts them at greater risk for weight gain, high blood pressure, and diabetes.

学习如何应对城市生活的压力源可以帮助增强您的身体和情感健康。以下技巧可能有助于防止倦怠，孤独和沮丧，从而从城市住宅中夺走幸福感。

Spend time outdoors

Spending too much time surrounded by concrete can cause a bad case of city-living blues. But heading to the park or going for a nature walk may offer a solution.学习show that connecting with nature can help improve your psychological well-being and even prevent depression.

Busy urbanites may worry, however, that they don’t have enough time to spend outside. Luckily, you don’t need to carve out an entire weekend to benefit from the great outdoors. Try getting outside and finding green spaces like a park during your lunch hour, or set up a weekly walk and talk with a close friend.

Stanford researchershave found that walking in nature helps reset the brain’s emotional thermostat. That helps us get a grip on distressing emotions, which then bolsters our ability to cope with stress.

创建一个社区

连接ing to your neighborhood can make it feel more like home, but in the era of social media, we may be less likely to ask ourneighbors对于小的好处。

However, these社交互动help build social connections and form intimacy. They may even improve our physical health.

考虑到这一点，请拥抱您内心的罗杰斯先生，并花点时间认识您的邻居。邀请他们在您当地的咖啡店里与咖啡师进行对话。与他人（甚至陌生人）建立联系可以帮助打击孤独感。小型对话是促进新关系的绝妙方法。

Exercise

It’s no surprise that 锻炼 is good for our physical and mental health. 学习 表明锻炼可以使我们更快乐，改善免疫系统并帮助预防心脏病。

但是，城市生活的业务和费用可能会阻止我们尽可能多地锻炼。如果健身房会员资格或骑自行车班不在您的预算中，请尝试集体健身常规。在这样的城市Los Angeles,旧金山, andLondon, outdoor group exercise classes are often less expensive and can be found in local neighborhoods.

说说它

谈论城市生活的起伏是应对压力的一种方法。找到验证您经验的其他人可以肯定您并不孤单。如果您要处理抑郁症或焦虑等心理健康问题，则治疗可以帮助您。但是，根据您的保险承保范围，这可能是昂贵的。

Don’t let that stop you from seeking support. Most major cities in the United States offer low-cost mental health clinics and support groups. Learning about负担得起的心理健康保健的选择可以帮助你找到正确的类型的年代upport.

如果该过程听起来令人生畏，请记住，治疗不会永远持续下去，但是与专业人士交谈可以防止压力变得更加严重，长期，例如倦怠，普遍焦虑或严重的抑郁症。

Urban living can bring as much stress as it does excitement. Knowing how to prevent city life from affecting your physical and mental health can make a world of difference.

It comes as no surprise that exercise, talking with loved ones, and finding a community can give your mood a boost. And while these activities can benefit us all, these interactions can help city dwellers stay afloat.

Juli Fraga是位于加利福尼亚州旧金山的持牌心理学家。她毕业于科罗拉多州北部大学的PSYD，并参加了加州大学伯克利分校的博士后研究金。她对女性健康充满热情，以温暖，诚实和同情心来接近所有会议。看看她在做什么推特。