When you are depressed, it is difficult to see a way out. That is why it is important to see the advice of others to learn both general and specific tips to help you beat depression. These tips will help you deal with some of the pitfalls associated with depression and get you on the road to feeling better again.
Writing in your journal every day can be a very good way to begin getting a handle on your depression. Write out your thoughts at the beginning and end of each day. When you do this, you are enlisting the help of your subconscious mind to sort out your worries and problems while you sleep.
If you are opposed to taking prescription medications for depression, try St. John’s Wort. This natural, herbal remedy for depression can be very effective. It works in much the same way as Prozac by increasing the availability of mid-brain serotonin. This helps elevate your mood and alleviate your feelings of sorrow.
An unhealthy diet can significantly contribute to depression. Eating the wrong foods can affect your thought processes, causing you to enter a cycle of depression. Stay away from junk food and learn more about nutrition to adopt a healthy diet.
Eat food that will make you feel positive about yourself. Eating lifeless and fatty fast food will make you not only look bad, but feel bad too. Do not think that the food that you eat has nothing to do with the way you feel and why you are depressed. Even if you crave the sugar or fat, these kinds of foods only lead to making you feel worse.
One way to deal with depression is to fake it till you make it. Try to act as though you are not depressed. Really give it a good try and force yourself too. Imagine that you are not depressed and eventually it will come to pass. Basically you are tricking your mind, because if you do it enough, your brain will not know that it is depressed.
If you suffer from depression, you should take time out to focus on your past accomplishments. After failures and life setbacks, it is easy to forget all of the positive things that you have achieved in your life. Focus on your strengths and build yourself up by remembering these past successes.
Never apply the crazy label to yourself. First of all it is completely inaccurate but secondly it will only cause you to fall further and further into a state of despair. Avoid giving yourself any labels at all and try your best to just focus on being the best you possibly can.
Lighten your personal load. Everyone has responsibilities that are necessary to life, however often people add much more than they need to. When your schedule is packed to the brim, it can leave you exhausted and unable to enjoy even the activities you actually enjoy. Take a hard look at your schedule and drop what is not absolutely necessary. You will breathe a little easier and can focus on conquering your depression.
Smile at yourself in the mirror even if you are feeling depressed. The simple act of smiling can actually make you feel happier. You can also try laughing hysterically in a ridiculously fake laugh. After a while, that fake smile or fake laugh might turn into a real one once you start to feel silly enough about what you are doing.
Spend time outdoors. The sun is full of vitamin D, which may help those with depression and the change of scene, will be enough to take your mind off your troubles for a little while. Try to stay outside for at least half an hour a day, to see results.
If your job is part of the cause of your depression, you may want to think of cutting down on some of your harder duties. Talk to your boss about how you are feeling and ask if you can do lighter projects. Try not to bring the stresses of your job home with you.
If you have been on anti-depressant medication for a few months, and find that it is not working, you may want to talk to your doctor about increasing the dosage, or changing to another medication. Certain people have more severe cases of depression, and therefore, they require a higher dosage of medication than others. On the other hand, it may well be the case that it’s not medication, but counselling and support that you need.
Now that you have read these tips for managing your depression, you probably feel better already. The most important way to keep going even while depressed is to stay active and put the tips you just read into practice every day, even if you don’t feel like doing so. If you do that, you’ll certainly feel better.
