Depression is a mood disorder that drains you off hope, motivation and energy and keeps you in a consistent feeling of sadness. Clinically, there may be a wide range of causes for depression ranging from hormones, inheritance, brain chemistry or biological differences. Depression is much more common than we think and most of us will have some form of depressive illness at least once in our lifetime.
Here is a list of practical ways that will help you cope with depression effectively:
1 . Speak Up
-To effectively fight depression, it is important for you to seek social help.
-Connect with your friends and family. Try to talk as much and share your problems.
-Talking about your worries will help to lessen the burden of your problem.
2 . Engage In Activities That Make You Happy
-Depression wipes you off the energy and the zeal to engage yourself in activities that once were your passion. Not trying to pull yourself out of this state shall only worsen your depression.
-Engage yourself in activities that keep you happy to fight depression effectively.
-Stay active by opting for activities that relax and energize you.
3 . Don’t Be Harsh On Yourself
-Depression puts you an increased risk of self-hate and embarrassment. It makes you think negatively and very critically over all issues.
-It is important that you remain compassionate towards your own self and not demean or discourage yourself from connecting with others.
-Research suggests that supporting others has been found to boost one’s mood and makes one feel happy.
-To overcome this condition, it important for you to love your own self.
4 . Get Moving
-Depression tends to keep you in bed or your glued to your couch. The lesser you move around the more worse it may get.
-Go for a 20 minute walk everyday with a friend or alone. You could also pick a sport that interests you or any other physical activity that would keep you moving.
-Exercise has been found to increase the production of neurochemicals such as endorphins that elevate the mood and make you happy.
5 . Get Some Sunshine
-Studies suggest that sunlight has a therapeutic effect on those suffering from depression. Sunlight has been found to boost depressed mood and serves as a therapy.
-Take short walks outdoors in the sunlight. Instead of opting to have coffee/ tea in a dark room, try doing the same in the sun.
-If you practice yoga, do it during the early morning hours and enjoy the benefits of sunlight as well.
6 . Have Mood Enhancing Foods
-While fighting depression, include foods that are rich in B complex, Vitamin C and Omega-3 Fatty acids.
-Omega-3 rich foods (rich in EPA and DHA) have been found to stabilize mood swings. Include foods such as fatty fish or fish oil supplements to your diet.
-Do not skip your meals. Make sure you eat after regular hours (2-3 hours).
-Minimize the intake of sugars and refined carbs such as bakery items, pasta and french fries as they may lead to energy crash.
7 . Seek Medical Help
-In severe cases, when all the above mentioned practical tips fail to get results it is better that you seek help from a therapist.
-Medical help will help you combat the situation and keep your symptoms in check.