THE DIFFICULTIES OF DEALING WITH DEPRESSION
Dealing
with depression is challenging due to its draining nature, which can make it
difficult to take the necessary steps to feel better. The Catch-22 of
depression recovery is that the most helpful actions are often the most
difficult to do. However, there is more control than you realise, even if your
depression is severe and persistent. To overcome depression, start small and
build from there. For example, going for a walk or dancing to your favourite
music can boost your mood and energy for several hours, allowing you to take a
second recovery step, such as preparing a mood-boosting meal or meeting an old
friend.
Taking small but positive steps day by day can lift the heavy fog of depression
and help you feel happier, healthier, and more hopeful again. Reaching out and
staying connected is essential in overcoming depression. On your own, it can be
challenging to maintain a healthy perspective and sustain the effort required
to beat depression. However, the nature of depression makes it difficult to
reach out for help. When you're depressed, the tendency is to withdraw and
isolate, making connecting to close family members and friends difficult.
TIPS OF
DEALING WITH DEPRESSION
To reach out for depression support, look for people who make you feel safe and
cared for. They don't have to fix you; they must be good listeners. Make
face-time a priority, as phone calls, social media, and texting don't replace
good old-fashioned in-person quality time. Talking to someone face-to-face
about how you feel can play a significant role in relieving depression and
keeping it away.
Try to keep up with social activities even if you dislike them. Being around
other people will make you feel less depressed. Find ways to support others, big
and small, by volunteering, listening to a friend, or doing something nice for
someone.
Caring for a pet can bring joy and companionship, helping you feel less
isolated. Caring for a pet can also get you outside of yourself and give you a
sense of being needed, both powerful antidotes to depression.
Joining a support group for depression can help reduce your sense of isolation.
You can encourage each other, give and receive advice on how to cope and share
your experiences. Some online therapy platforms offer virtual support groups if
attending an in-person support group feels too complicated.
To overcome
depression, it is essential to connect with others, manage stress, and create a
healthy lifestyle. Connecting with friends, volunteering, having lunch or
coffee, asking loved ones to check in with you regularly, attending movies,
concerts, or small get-togethers, and meeting new people can help alleviate
depression.
To make you feel good, follow a healthy lifestyle, learn to manage stress
better, set limits on what you can do, and schedule fun activities in your day.
Do things you enjoy or are used to, such as picking up a former hobby or sport,
expressing yourself creatively through music, art, or writing, going out with
friends, or taking a day trip to a museum, mountains, or the ballpark.
Manage stress by identifying everything in your life that stresses you out,
finding ways to relieve the pressure and regain control. Create a balanced
schedule, practise relaxation techniques like yoga, deep breathing, progressive
muscle relaxation, or meditation, and practise gratitude.
Develop a "wellness toolbox" to deal with depression by creating a
list of things to do for a quick mood boost. Examples include spending time in
nature, listing what you like about yourself, reading a good book, watching a
funny movie or TV show, taking a long hot bath, meditation, playing with a pet,
talking to friends or family face-to-face, listening to music, and doing
something spontaneous and fun.
Exercise is a powerful depression fighter and one of the most essential tools
in your recovery arsenal. Research shows that regular exercise can be as
effective as medication for relieving depression symptoms and helps prevent
relapse once you're well. Aim for at least 30 minutes of exercise daily,
starting small and starting small.
Find continuous and rhythmic exercises, such as walking, weight training,
swimming, martial arts, or dancing, where you move both your arms and legs. Add
a mindfulness element, primarily if your depression is rooted in unresolved
trauma or fed by obsessive, negative thoughts. Pair up with an exercise
partner, such as joining a running club, taking a water aerobics or dance
class, seeking out tennis partners, or enrolling in a soccer or volleyball
league.
Take a dog for a walk, or volunteer to walk homeless dogs for an animal shelter
or rescue group, as it helps you and makes them more adoptable.
To get a daily dose of sunlight, get outside during daylight hours and expose
yourself to the sun for at least 15 minutes daily. Remove sunglasses (but never
stare directly at the sun) and use sunscreen as needed.
Take a walk on your lunch break, have coffee outside, enjoy an al fresco meal,
or spend time gardening. Double up on the benefits of sunlight by exercising
outside, such as hiking, walking in a local park, or playing golf or tennis
with a friend. Increase the natural light in your home and workplace by opening
blinds and drapes and sitting near windows. If you live somewhere with little
winter sunshine, try using a light therapy box.
DEALING WITH WINTER BLUES
Winter
blues can lead to seasonal affective disorder (SAD), a form of depression where
individuals feel hopeless, sad, tense, or stressed. To maintain mood stability
throughout the year, it is essential to challenge negative thinking. This
includes all-or-nothing thinking, overgeneralisation, mental filtering,
diminishing the positive, jumping to conclusions, emotional reasoning, 'shoulds'
and should-nots', and labelling.
Negative, unrealistic ways of thinking that fuel depression includes
all-or-nothing thinking, overgeneralisation, mental filtering, emotional
reasoning, 'shoulds' and should-nots,' and labelling. These negative thoughts
are unrealistic and can be challenging to break free from. Instead, it is
crucial to identify the type of negative thoughts that are fueling your
depression and replace them with a more balanced way of thinking.
To challenge negative thinking, keep a "negative thought log" and
write down every negative thought you experience, along with what triggered the
negative thought. Once you identify the destructive thought patterns
contributing to your depression, you can start to challenge them. For example,
if your significant other was short with you, you may have automatically
assumed the relationship was in trouble. However, a more realistic view might
be that your partner was having a bad day.
Examine the evidence that your thoughts are confirmed by asking yourself if
there is any evidence that your thoughts or beliefs are not valid. For example,
if you think, "I'll be stuck in this dead-end job forever," consider
if there are facts you're ignoring, such as the potential for sending out a
resume and interviewing for another job.
Think outside yourself and ask yourself if you would tell someone else what
you're thinking about yourself. If not, stop being so hard on yourself and
think about less harsh statements that offer more realistic descriptions.
Instead of labelling yourself a failure or a loser when something doesn't go as
planned, look at things in a more realistic light: you made a mistake, but you
can learn from it.
Allow yourself to be less than perfect, as many depressed people are
perfectionists. Battle this source of self-imposed stress by challenging your
negative ways of thinking. We all have bad days, and life is often unexpectedly
messy. Ask yourself, "How might I look at this situation if I didn't have
depression?"
Socialise with positive people, observe how they deal with challenges, even
minor ones, and adopt their optimism and persistence in the face of difficulty.
As you cross-examine your negative thoughts, you may be surprised at how
quickly they crumble, developing a more balanced perspective and helping to
relieve your depression.
To support
your health, eat a balanced diet with plenty of fruits and vegetables and
reduce your food intake, which can adversely affect your mood. Avoid skipping
meals and eat something at least every three to four hours—Minimise sugar and
refined carbs, which can crash your mood and energy.
Boost your B vitamins by taking a B-complex vitamin supplement or eating more
citrus fruit, leafy greens, beans, chicken, and eggs. Eat foods rich in omega-3
fatty acids, such as salmon, herring, mackerel, anchovies, sardines, tuna, and cold-water
fish oil supplements.
Improve your sleep by aiming for 7-9 hours each night. Depression typically
involves sleep problems, so learn healthy sleep habits, such as going to sleep
and getting up at the same time every day, avoiding bright screens within two
hours of bedtime, developing a relaxing bedtime routine, and keeping your
bedroom cool, dark, and quiet.
Find healthy ways to get back to sleep, such as keeping lights low, doing
quiet, non-stimulating activities, reading a book, or practising sleep
meditation using guided imagery. If you still find your depression worsening
after making self-help steps and positive lifestyle changes, seek professional
help.
Remember that self-help tips can be part of your treatment plan, speeding
recovery and preventing depression from returning.
