Everything feels more challenging when you're dealing with depression. Being depressed can make you feel helpless. You're not. Along with therapy and sometimes medication, there's a lot you can do on your own to fight back. Changing your behavior -- your physical activity, lifestyle, and even your way of thinking -- are all natural depression treatments.
These tips can help you feel better -- starting right now.
1. Negative Thoughts
Depression doesn't just make you feel bad, it can also cause you to think more negatively. Changing those negative thoughts, however, can improve your mood.
Challenge negative thoughts. In your fight against depression, a lot of the work is mental -- changing how you think. When you're depressed, you leap to the worst possible conclusions.
The next time you're feeling terrible about yourself, use logic as a natural depression treatment. You might feel like no one likes you, but is there real evidence for that? You might feel like the most worthless person on the planet, but is that really likely? It takes practice, but in time you can beat back those negative thoughts before they get out of control.
2. Shift Your Attention
If your mood is weighing you down to the point where it feels impossible to challenge your thoughts, then try taking a step back to concentrate on something else. This can be especially helpful when trying to deal with and overcome suicidal thoughts. Mindfulness exercises or meditation can be helpful in shifting attention away from negative thoughts.
3. Set Small Goals
Depression can make the simplest tasks seem daunting, so you’re going to have to work on breaking things down into small and concrete tasks. For example, instead of getting stuck thinking ‘how am I going to get to work everyday this week’, think about getting to work today, then break it down even further.
Each time you complete a step, give yourself credit. Simply getting out of bed when fighting depression is an accomplishment and if that’s all you can do one day, that’s okay. Push yourself but don’t beat yourself up if you can’t keep up to your usual pace.
Set goals. When you're depressed, you may feel like you can't accomplish anything. That makes you feel worse about yourself. To push back, set daily goals for yourself.
As you start to feel better, you can add more challenging daily goals.
4. Keep Doing Things
This might seem hard at first, because you probably won’t have the same amount of energy you normally do, but part of fighting depression is simply giving your mind something else to think about (and a rest from depressed thoughts).
Try concentrating your attention anywhere else – go for a walk, work on a hobby, meet a friend for coffee. The main thing here is that you want to avoid lying about and stewing in misery all day. Once you get going, you’ll also usually find you have more energy than you thought you would.
Take on responsibilities. When you’re depressed, you may want to pull back from life and give up your responsibilities at home and at work. Don't. Staying involved and having daily responsibilities can help you maintain a lifestyle that can help counter depression. They ground you and give you a sense of accomplishment.
If you're not up to full-time school or work, that’s fine. Think about part-time. If that seems like too much, consider volunteer work.
5. Reach Out to Friends and Family
A lot of guys hide feeling depressed from the very people that could help the most.
Talking about what’s causing you stress or bringing you down can help lessen the intensity of these thoughts. Give those closest to you a chance to help out. Here are some tips on talking to a friend or family member.
One of the most important things you can do to help yourself with depression—other than medication and therapy—is to develop strong social support.
For some, this may mean forging stronger ties with friends or family. Knowing you can count on supportive loved ones to help can go a long way toward improving your depression.
For others, a depression support group can be key.It may involve a community group that meets in your area or you might find an online support group who meets your needs.
6. Talk to Therapist
Talking to a therapist about depression is like seeing a physical therapist after a serious leg injury. If you want to get the best advice possible, you need to talk to an expert.
Remember, therapy isn’t about crying or pointless complaining; it’s about learning what’s underlying your depression, developing new skills for managing the stuff that life thows at us, and working toward improving and enjoying your life. When it comes to depression, there is no substitute for seeking professional help – if you’re feeling depressed, connect with a therapist as soon as you can. It’s that straightforward. Learn more about talk therapy and how to find a therapist.
7. Keep Some Humor in Your Life
Finding ways to make yourself laugh provides your mind with a break from all the negative thoughts depression brings.
Whether this involves talking a friend, watching a funny show or movie, or following a humorous account on social media, it can all help.
8. Avoid or Limit Alcohol and Other Substance Use
Some of the tips above are about coping with depression by distracting ourselves. Drinking and other substance use may feel like a way to distract, distance, or numb yourself from the pains of depression, but it isn’t a healthy way to do it and will always turn into a bigger problem.
9. Give Yourself Credit
We know how hard it is to fight depression, so we cannot stress this enough – be proud of any steps and progress you make, even if it takes longer than you hoped.
Recovering from depression takes time. The new habits and skills you learn now will you help throughout your life.
10. Improve Your Sleep Hygiene
Sleep and mood are intimately related. A 2014 study found that 80% of people with major depressive disorder experience sleep disturbances.
But, you might feel like you just can't fall asleep. Or perhaps you struggle to get out of bed because you feel exhausted all the time.
Good sleep hygiene could be key to improving the quality and quantity of your sleep.
Turn off electronics at least an hour before you go to bed. Use dim light to read a book or engage in another relaxing activity.
Get enough sleep. Depression can make it hard to get enough shut-eye, and too little sleep can make depression worse.
What can you do? Start by making some changes to your lifestyle. Go to bed and get up at the same time every day. Try not to nap. Take all the distractions out of your bedroom -- no computer and no TV. In time, you may find your sleep improves.
11. Improve Your Eating Habits
Research continues to find clear links between diet and mental health. In fact, there have been so many studies that have shown improving nutrition can prevent and treat mental illness that nutritional psychiatry has become mainstream.
There are many brain-essential nutrients that can affect depression. For example, a 2012 study found that zinc deficiency increases symptoms of depression.5
Improving your diet could be key to reducing your symptoms.
But before you make any major changes to your diet or begin taking vitamins or supplements, talk with your physician.
Eat healthy. There is no magic diet that fixes depression. It's a good idea to watch what you eat, though. If depression tends to make you overeat, getting in control of your eating will help you feel better.
Although nothing is definitive, Cook says there's evidence that foods with omega-3 fatty acids (such as salmon and tuna) and folic acid (such as spinach and avocado) could help ease depression.
12. Try to Have Fun, Do Something New
When you’re depressed, you’re in a rut. Push yourself to do something different. Go to a museum. Pick up a used book and read it on a park bench. Volunteer at a soup kitchen. Take a language class.
When we challenge ourselves to do something different, there are chemical changes in the brain," Cook says. "Trying something new alters the levels of [the brain chemical] dopamine, which is associated with pleasure, enjoyment, and learning."
When we challenge ourselves to do something different, there are chemical changes in the brain," Cook says. "Trying something new alters the levels of [the brain chemical] dopamine, which is associated with pleasure, enjoyment, and learning."
If you’re depressed, make time for things you enjoy. What if nothing seems fun anymore? "That's just a symptom of depression," Cook says. You have to keep trying anyway.
As strange as it might sound, you have to work at having fun. Plan things you used to enjoy, even if they feel like a chore. Keep going to the movies. Keep going out with friends for dinner.
When you're depressed, you can lose the knack for enjoying life, Cook says. You have to relearn how to do it. In time, fun things really will feel fun again.
As strange as it might sound, you have to work at having fun. Plan things you used to enjoy, even if they feel like a chore. Keep going to the movies. Keep going out with friends for dinner.
When you're depressed, you can lose the knack for enjoying life, Cook says. You have to relearn how to do it. In time, fun things really will feel fun again.
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