Everyone struggles from time to time. Sometimes those struggles turn into the symptoms of depression. Find out if your symptoms are potentially depression.
Self- Help and Coping Tips to Overcome Depression. The road to depression recovery begins with a single step. It’s the Catch- 2. In fact, just thinking about the things you should do to feel better, like going for a walk or spending time with friends, can feel overwhelming. That’s why it’s important to start small and slowly build from there. Start small and stay focused. Draw upon whatever resources you have. You may not have much energy, but you probably have enough to take a short walk around the block or pick up the phone to call a loved one. The steps may seem small, but they’ll quickly add up. If you continue to take positive steps day by day, you’ll soon find yourself feeling better. Stay connected. Get moving. Do things that make you feel good. Eat a healthy, mood- boosting diet. Challenge negative thinking. Depression is a serious medical illness. It's more than just a feeling of being sad or 'blue' for a few days. If you are one of the more than 19 million teens and. Dealing with Depression Self-Help and Coping Tips to Overcome Depression. Depression drains your energy, hope, and drive, making it difficult to do what you need to. Tip 1: Stay connected. When you’re depressed, the tendency is to withdraw and isolate. Even reaching out to close family members and friends can be tough. Compound that with the feelings of shame and the guilt you may feel at neglecting your relationships. Staying connected to other people and the outside world will make a world of difference in your mood and outlook. And if you don’t feel that you have anyone to turn to, it’s never too late to build new friendships and improve your support network. The person you talk to doesn’t have to be able to fix you; he or she just needs to be a good listener. Phone calls, social media, and texting are great ways to stay in touch, but they don’t replace good old- fashioned in- person quality time. Often when you’re depressed, it feels more comfortable to retreat into your shell, but being around other people will make you feel less depressed. Find ways to support others. It’s nice to receive support, but research shows you get an even bigger mood boost from providing support yourself. While nothing can replace the human connection, pets can bring joy and companionship into your life and help you feel less isolated. Caring for a pet can also get you outside of yourself and give you a sense of being needed! But exercise is a powerful depression fighter. Research shows that regular exercise can be as effective as medication for relieving depression symptoms. It also helps prevent relapse once you’re well. To get the most benefit, aim for at least 3. This doesn’t have to be all at once. A 1. 0- minute walk can improve your mood for two hours. Exercise is something you can do right now to boost your mood. Your fatigue will improve if you stick with it. Starting to exercise can be difficult when you’re depressed and exhausted. But research shows that your energy levels will improve if you keep with it. You will be less fatigued, not more, once it’s part of your routine. Find exercises that are continuous and rhythmic. The most benefits for depression come from rhythmic exercise. Focus on how your body feels as you move. This includes following a healthy lifestyle, learning how to better manage stress, setting limits on what you’re able to do, and scheduling fun activities into your day. Do things you enjoy (or used to)While you can’t force yourself to have fun or experience pleasure, you can push yourself to do things, even when you don’t feel like it. You might be surprised at how much better you feel once you’re out in the world. Even if your depression doesn’t lift immediately, you’ll gradually feel more upbeat and energetic as you make time for fun activities. Pick up a former hobby or a sport you used to like. Express yourself creatively through music, art, or writing. Go out with friends. Take a day trip to a museum, the mountains, or the ballpark. Support your health. Aim for eight hours of sleep. Depression typically involves sleep problems; whether you’re sleeping too little or too much, your mood suffers. Get on a better sleep schedule by learning healthy sleep habits. Expose yourself to a little sunlight every day. Lack of sunlight can make depression worse. Take a short walk outdoors, have your coffee outside, enjoy an al fresco meal, people- watch on a park bench, or sit out in the garden. Aim for at least 1. If you live somewhere with little winter sunshine, try using a light therapy box. Practice relaxation techniques. A daily relaxation practice can help relieve symptoms of depression, reduce stress, and boost feelings of joy and well- being. Try yoga, deep breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, or meditation. Develop a . The more “tools” for coping with depression, the better. Try and implement a few of these ideas each day, even if you’re feeling good. Spend some time in nature. List what you like about yourself. Read a good book. Watch a funny movie or TV show. Take a long, hot bath. Take care of a few small tasks. Play with a pet. Talk to friends or family face- to- face. Listen to music. Do something spontaneous. Tip 4: Eat a healthy, mood- boosting diet. What you eat has a direct impact on the way you feel. Reduce your intake of foods that can adversely affect your brain and mood, such as caffeine, alcohol, trans fats, and foods with high levels of chemical preservatives or hormones (such as certain meats). Don’t skip meals. Going too long between meals can make you feel irritable and tired, so aim to eat something at least every three to four hours. Minimize sugar and refined carbs. You may crave sugary snacks, baked goods, or comfort foods such as pasta or French fries, but these “feel- good” foods quickly lead to a crash in mood and energy. Aim to cut out as much of these foods as possible. Boost your B vitamins. Deficiencies in B vitamins such as folic acid and B- 1. To get more, take a B- complex vitamin supplement or eat more citrus fruit, leafy greens, beans, chicken, and eggs. Omega- 3 fatty acids play an essential role in stabilizing mood. Foods rich in certain omega- 3 fats called EPA and DHA can give your mood a big boost. The best sources are fatty fish such as salmon, herring, mackerel, anchovies, sardines, tuna, and some cold- water fish oil supplements. Aim for two servings a week. That bad things happen and there’s not much you can do about it? That your situation is hopeless? Depression puts a negative spin on everything, including the way you see yourself and your expectations for the future. These irrational, pessimistic attitudes. When you really examine them they don’t hold up. But even so, they can be tough to give up. Just telling yourself to “think positive” won’t cut it. Often, they’re part of a lifelong pattern of thinking that’s become so automatic you’re not even completely aware of it. Noticing the one thing that went wrong, rather than all the things that went right. Diminishing the positive – Coming up with reasons why positive events don’t count (“She said she had a good time on our date, but I think she was just being nice.”)Jumping to conclusions – Making negative interpretations without actual evidence. You act like a mind reader (“He must think I’m pathetic”) or a fortune teller (“I’ll be stuck in this dead end job forever.”)Emotional reasoning – Believing that the way you feel reflects reality (“I feel like such a loser. I really am no good!”). Not true?” “What would I tell a friend who had this thought?”“Is there another way of looking at the situation or an alternate explanation?”“How might I look at this situation if I didn’t have depression?”As you cross- examine your negative thoughts, you may be surprised at how quickly they crumble. In the process, you’ll develop a more balanced perspective. When to get professional help. If you’ve taken self- help steps and made positive lifestyle changes and still find your depression getting worse, seek professional help. Needing additional help doesn’t mean you’re weak. Sometimes the negative thinking in depression can make you feel like you’re a lost cause, but depression can be treated and you can feel better! Don’t forget about these self- help tips, though. Even if you’re receiving professional help, these tips can be part of your treatment plan, speeding your recovery and preventing depression from returning. If you need powerful social and emotional skills that help you reduce stress and fight depression, read FEELINGLOVED. Learn more »Has this article helped you? Creating, publishing and updating Help. Guide is expensive. We have no advertising or corporate sponsors and need donations to continue to improve and publish the website. Click here to make a donation. More help for depression. Resources and references. Depression self- help tips and tools. Back from the Bluez – Self- help modules for coping with and recovering from depression. I am in the midst of going off antidepressant and anti- anxiety meds as I felt I was getting worse, not better. Your website is the beginning of doing something good for myself . It gave me coping tips, and has been paramount in my fight against it . I am really thankful for the refreshing thoughts and tips suggested. After reading these, I'm relieved a great deal, realizing I'm not the only one facing these negative thoughts. I'm on antidepressants and don't want to increase them. I feel a huge relief that there's something I can do for myself. Last updated: October 2.
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