3 science-backed ways to reduce stress and anxiety and improve your mood instead of alcohol or drugs

First of all. Depression is the fourth leading cause of the global burden of disease and the leading cause of disability. As for stress, nearly one in three people report feeling extreme stress, and three in four experience stress that affects their physical or mental health. For some of these people, treatment (including medication) is the answer.

For others, a drink or two to wind down after a hard day seems like the perfect way to release stress.

After all, taking care of your mental health isn't just good for you; it's also good for business. Research shows that ongoing chronic stress can cause leaders to become uncertain and unmotivated, and to focus on themselves rather than their teams.

But what if you want to improve your mood and reduce your anxiety or stress levels without seeking treatment, taking medication, or mixing up a few drinks?

Enter the exercise. At an extreme level, research shows that exercise can be an effective way to treat clinical anxiety. (Unlike "normal" anxiety, clinical anxiety is a medical disorder defined by excessive feelings of worry or persistent, even intrusive thoughts about certain fears, or constant fear in general.)

Another study found that increasing the frequency of exercise significantly reduced the risk of depression; go from two long walks to three, or go from two 15-minute jogs a week to three, and you're over 25% less likely to become depressed. (Each additional increase in frequency further reduces the risk.)

And then there's this: another study determined that brief, moderate exercise gives you more energy than a brief period of rest, and improves your thinking and decision-making. (Relaxing is actually counterproductive when it comes to brain function: Participants who relaxed for 15 minutes actually performed worse on cognitive tests than before resting.)

In each case, the key word is "moderate". High intensity training is not necessary if your primary goal is to improve your mood and reduce stress; Running eight-minute miles won't alleviate your anxiety any more than 10-minute miles. Frequency is far more important than intensity.

For example, if you decide to go for a quick, light jog, the key is to get your heart rate up, not skyrocket. "Light" for most people means increasing your heart rate to around 110-120 beats per minute, depending of course on your age, fitness level, health status, etc.

Three easy ways to improve your mood and relieve some stress?

1. Do some cardio first.

Researchers at the University of Vermont found that "moderate-intensity" aerobic training, with an average heart rate of around 112 beats per minute (high, sure, but that's not like if they were pounding), improved participants' mood for up to 12 hours after exercise.

Why first thing in the morning?

"Moderate-intensity aerobic exercise immediately improves mood, and these improvements can last for up to 12 hours," says Jeremy Sibold. "This goes to show that even moderate aerobic exercise has the potential to lessen the daily stresses that wreak havoc on your mood."

So yeah: Train late, waste a few of those good-humored hours sleeping. Train early and feel better all day.