Researchers at the Yale School of Public Health say a free online course that helps users set goals for self-care may significantly improve depression, stress and anxiety.

Professor Marney White says the course, Health Behavior Change: From Evidence to Action, is aimed at helping learners find more time for self-care.

Participants set manageable weekly goals relating to nutrition and physical activity as well as mental health.

Researchers thought the best they could hope for was keeping anxiety, depression and stress at bay during a global pandemic, but they say those who found a little time for self-care improved in all three areas over the last year.

While the course only asks participants to keep each goal up for a week, many kept their good new habits going.

White says just sticking to those small positive changes improved participants' self-esteem and helped keep depression at bay.

Health Behavior Change: From Evidence to Action is available for free.