8 ways to deal with Depression

What is Depression?

Depression is common. Three in five people do suffer from depression at a point in their lives. Everyone feels sad and lonely which is quite normal. However, a depressed person feels persistent sadness, depressed mood, unwillingness to enjoy or participate in activities, poor concentration, self-critical thoughts, and all that make them feel guilty. No one exactly knows the reason behind depression, it may be because of your genes or stressful life events. When a person is depressed they usually have a negative viewpoint for everything around and for themselves, they are less likely to recognize and appreciate the positive things happening around them. Some people tend to view things in a negative manner that is most probably that the person has a depressive personality style.

How to deal with Depression?

There is a range of strategies that can help in coping with depression. Some are listed below :

Do what you enjoy

Do you like painting, dancing, or playing outdoor games? Do what you enjoy most. Get yourself engrossed in it. Try to increase the amount of time you spend doing things you love to do. Try doing something that relaxes but at the same time energizing, this will lighten up your mood and help overcome your depressed mood.

Set achievable goals

A long to-do-list may be weighty and you may end up doing nothing. Instead, consider setting two or three goals and attaining them. Like for example don’t try to clean your entire room in a single day instead organize your closet in a day next day something else, try to distribute your work. After completing your small goals look onto a little bigger goal and try to achieve them maybe not at once but a little part of it every day.

Reward yourself for your efforts.

All goals are worthy of recognition, and all successes deserve a celebration. When you achieve a goal, do recognize it and appreciate your efforts. When you achieve your goals try to celebrate it by doing something or eating something that makes you happy. Like for cleaning your room successfully you could eat your favorite dessert. Try to appreciate yourself, this self-recognition might work as a motivation for the next day. Ask others around to appreciate you tell them how you did it.

Create a routine

Focus on creating a lightly structured routine that you can follow. Setting a gentle schedule will get you involved for a lot more time and negative things won’t pop up in your mind. Focus on times when you are more disturbed like before falling asleep. Schedule your time before sleeping, it could be anything like reading or sketching or anything that keeps you lightened and not stressful and keeps your daily pace going.

Spend time with your close ones

Depression often tempts you to stay alone but this is what you need to overcome. Try to spend time with your family or friends talk to them, let your feelings out, tell them about your short term goals and how are you achieving it. If you can’t meet them, phone calls or video calls would work. Don’t burden yourself that you have to talk to them remember you are talking to them to lighten your mood and try to remind yourself that they care about you.

Improve your eating habits and sleep

Sleep and mood are directly proportional, if you had a good sleep last night you’ll be fresher the next day. You might feel like you just don’t want to fall asleep but thinking about the next day and the new plans might be a self-thought to fall asleep and wake up the next day and start a new day with a new set of achievable goals. Have a balanced diet, try to eat foods that are nutritious they will help beat your deficiencies like zinc which is proved to be a good recovering sign. Some people feel healthy when they avoid sugar or preservatives. Remember it is all about how you feel healthy and happy. This is one of the most important factors to deal with depression.

Practice Yoga and Meditation

Stress and anxiety might boost your depression. Find ways or techniques that relax your mind and the body at the same time. Go out for a walk, practice yoga, observe the beauty of nature, practice meditation in the fresh air. This will help relate to yourself more and will help you avoid those critical thoughts. It will help you lower your stress and invite joy and happiness.

Try something new

Get on your hands on something that is completely new to you. It may be anything like drawing, painting, dance, join a cooking class or a Zumba class, etc. Try to discover yourself, see what makes you happy. Maybe there is something that you haven’t done before but doing it now might make you happy. This will keep you and your mind involved and your mind will no longer have time to ponder on those negative thoughts.