Depression is not easy to live with, but there are things you can do to help you feel better about yourself. Depression makes it hard to do what you need to do to start feeling better, though. It can drain your energy, drive, and hope. Overcoming depression is not quick or easy, but it is possible.
Here is a useful list of tips for depression and things you can do to help you overcome it, and feel good.
Don't listen to sad music: Listening to sad music won't help you fight depression. A lot of people are drawn to sad music when they're depressed because it validates their thoughts. This can be good for a short time but can keep you in a depressed state if overdone. Ditch the sad music and you'll find yourself feeling better.
Talk to people: If you are depressed, you should discuss your feelings with someone. Be it a medical professional or just a close friend, getting things off your chest can help a lot.
Exercise: One of best ways to beat depression and kick the blues is to become active and exercise. It is not a quick fix to the problem of depression but it is an ongoing way to make life better and gives you something to look forward to. Not only does it release stress, but it makes a person feel better about themselves and gives you some control over your life. It can also help prevent depression from returning.
Yoga: Yoga can help with depression and anxiety significantly.
Be mindful of your language: Try your best to avoid the words "depression" or "depressed" in your vocabulary. While very real, the words "depression" and "depressed" have a lot of extra baggage attached to them and can actually worsen the feelings of hopelessness. When you are upset, say "feeling down" instead. It's easier to think of it as raising your mood levels than battling depression, even though that's what's happening.
Don't accept negative thoughts as factual: In your battle against depression, challenge your negative thoughts. One of the by-products of depression is putting a negative spin on how you see yourself, your future, and situations that you encounter. If you are like many people who suffer from depression, you are a perfectionist and hold yourself to standards that are impossibly high. Permit yourself to be less than perfect and quit beating yourself up if you don't meet the impossible standards you have set for yourself. Negative thoughts will cause depression to become an endless cycle.
Aromatherapy: There is tremendous power in scent. Having a few pleasant-smelling candles burning throughout the house can help you to feel better very easily. One of the best scents for evoking pleasant thoughts is vanilla, although any scent that you like will work.
Be kind to yourself: Do not blame yourself for your feelings of sadness when you have depression. Often times, people think that depression is their fault, when in fact, it is something that is beyond their control. The blame they put on themselves just ends up making their depression symptoms get worse and lowers their self esteem.
Use herbs for support: If you have depression but you do not want to take an anti-depressant, you may want to think of trying an herbal remedy, such as St. John's Wart. Studies have proven that certain herbal remedies are just as effective, if not more effective than prescription anti-depressants. Consult with a doctor before taking herbal remedies.
Groom yourself: A simple tip that is easy to do if you are depressed is to keep yourself clean and groomed. It is easy to sleep a lot and feel too lazy to take a shower when you are depressed. However, staying clean is important to remaining healthy and keeping your spirits high. Just the simple act of brushing your teeth or shaving will improve your mood. Within minutes, you will feel better.
Set goals for yourself: An important way to deal with depression is to make sure that your goals and expectations are realistic. This is important because you are setting yourself up for further depression and disappointment if you are longing for something that is not possible. Be sure to share your wishes and desires to keep yourself in check.
Eat enough: Eat three meals every day when you are feeling low, but don't overdo it. When you are depressed, it may cause you to lose your appetite, but if you don't eat you will feel lethargic, less motivated, and even more down. Your body will not be able to function correctly if you're not taking in enough calories daily. When you eat the right kinds of meals, your body has better energy.
Step outside of your comfort zone: Making an effort to get better might make you uncomfortable and people will often stay depressed because it's comfortable. Attempting to fix your problems may be temporarily uncomfortable but it can lift you out of your depression.
Eay healthy: Freshening up your diet can relieve symptoms of depression. Take a look at your pantry and avoid junk foods and other foods high in sugars and fats. Replace these with healthy foods that offer your body good nutrition. Giving your body the right fuel can allow you to increase your focus on the important things in your life.
Go into nature: A great tip that can help you out of your depression, is to simply spend more time in nature. Nature has amazing healing qualities when it comes to depression. Being out and about in nature will help lift your mood and get you out of your deep depression.
Sleep well: Make sure to get at least 8 hours of sleep every night, and no more than 10 hours. Many times people who are depressed will have sleep problems like insomnia or sleeping too much. Every evening do activities that are calming and relaxing and plan out a sleep schedule for yourself.
As you can see, it is possible to make a huge dent in depression with some lifestyle changes. Feeling better will take you some time, but you can get to where you would like to be if you will make positive choices each day and have the support of others.
By Andy McCoy
Want help feeling and sleeping better? Yoga for Better Sleep and Yoga for Healing.