Understanding Depression
Depression is considered to be one of the most common mental health disorders, that affects all age groups. It can leave you feeling exhausted, irritable, anxious, or at its most extreme, suicidal.
Exercise, meditation, and healthy eating are just some of the ways that can help to improve your mood. These are simple, natural steps that you can take to boost the chances of effectively overcoming depression, without any side effects. Negative self-talk and overthinking are just some of the ways that depression can impact the way you process your thoughts.
It is important to remember, however, that the feelings you are experiencing are only able to manifest because of the current perspective that you hold. Do not fear however, you have the power to reprogramme your mind and deal with the emotions in a healthier, more positive way.
Natural alternatives can have just as much of an effect on your mood as medication, but that doesn’t mean you have to stop it altogether, because studies show they can work together. Changing your behaviors, physical activity, lifestyle, and way of thinking will empower you to cope with feelings and emotions rationally, changing the chemical balance in your brain.
Learning to cope with depression without medication, puts the power back into your hands. It means that you can be the creator of your own destiny and are no longer rely on something externally. So long as you are able to maintain your newfound perspective, you will be able to preserve a healthier sense of awareness and eventually overcome depression.
The seven steps in this blog can be used as coping mechanisms to help alleviate your depression. So, give them a try, in any order that feels comfortable.
Challenge Negative Self-talk
You’ve probably heard the saying, “if you haven’t got anything kind to say, don’t say anything at all.” It is just as important to apply this concept to yourself. Negative self-talk is fuel to depression and the catalyst to the onset of a pessimistic mindset that can arise from what you say about yourself.
This type of negative emotion is just a product of your own self-narrative, but it can equally be tailored to work the other way around. You are the sole creator of your thoughts and you have the power to alter your mind, by changing your attitude and perspective.
If you had a friend that always put you down, made fun of you, and pointed out everything that you did wrong, you would want to get this person out of your life. So the answer is to start reframing your thoughts.
Negative thinking is usually the result of anticipating the worst possible outcome. Someone might make a passing comment and you think to yourself, “everybody hates me.” Or you hit a traffic jam and say, “this always happens to me.” The idea is to recognise these moments and act on them right there before they can take effect.
Reframe those thoughts and bring them into a positive light. Instead of thinking “everybody hates me”, think rationally, and say, “Not everybody will like me, but there are many people that will”. When you hit that traffic, don’t think “this always happens to me”, reframe that to something like, “this will soon pass, now I have some time to listen to that podcast or practice my deep breathing.”
It is important that you start being kinder towards yourself. Try to develop a conscious awareness about what you are doing when you talk negatively about yourself. The more supportive you are, the better chance you will have of dealing with depression.
Meditate Daily & Stay Present
Depression will often affect you in waves and cycles. You might find that one moment you are beginning to feel a bit better, but then you are thrown back into an episode that may feel even worse than the one before. What causes this? And how can a split-second thought affect your mood so fiercely? The silver lining is anybody can recognise these negative thought patterns and act on them as soon as they arise.
Mastering the ability to be mindful and present will enable you to deal with negative thoughts and emotions from a safe distance, without any passing judgment. It will teach you to not become too attached to your thoughts, but to simply recognise and accept them. Resisting or pretending that you don’t have them will only make things worst, as you are not enabling yourself to process and move in full.
Meditation is a wonderful tool that will equip you to notice the early warning signs of a depressive episode. It can make it easier for you to pay attention to your emotions as they arise so that when you begin to feel sad or lose interest in the things that you usually like, you will choose self-care instead.
The mindfulness and meditation approach towards depression is one that is growing rapidly in popularity, and there is good reason for it. Recent studies have proven that it can lower your chances of depression relapse. It is important that you incorporate it into your daily routine because persistence is key. Even with just five minutes a day, you might notice small improvements early on.
Try something simple, to begin with. Light a candle in front of you and stare into the flame. Move all of your awareness there and try to let go of any unpleasant thoughts. Don’t worry if your mind wanders from time to time, it is important that you don’t beat yourself up and just allow the thoughts to pass as you redirect your awareness with self-compassion.
Routine & Sleep
Depression can strip away the structure of your life, where days seemingly blend together. Creating a new routine will relieve you of the burden of decision-making and help you to reorganise your life back on track.
You might have difficulty becoming motivated, so introduce a morning walk every day. This will soon become automatic, and you will gradually find yourself voluntarily waking up and getting out without even thinking about it.
Healing is a long-term process and self-care is crucial throughout. It is important to remind yourself of the basics like fitting in a time to eat healthy food and keeping a good level of hygiene. Doing more of what makes you feel better will remind your brain how to feel good. Caring for something else is a good way to remember how to care for yourself. Tending to a garden or an allotment will be really rewarding, or you could even consider caring for a pet.
There is nothing much else as important as winding down towards the end of an evening. Sleep and mood go hand in hand and there is a fine balance between them. If you get too much or too little of either, it will leave you feeling affected even without suffering from depression. Get to bed at the same time each night and set an alarm to wake at the same time each morning. This will help to condition your body clock. Try to get as close to eight hours every night and it will serve as regular maintenance for your mood. Sleep will act as your overnight therapy, helping you to concentrate and regulate your emotions easier.
You like anyone else are entitled to live your life happily, without emotion dictating what path you take. So try to incorporate a routine into your day, because I can assure you, it will really help to build back your motivation and nurse your mind back to health.
Get A Handle On Your Stress
Stress can impact your life everywhere you turn, and it is an added problem when you are dealing with depression. It is important that you are able to recognise episodes and learn how to deal with their effects there and then. Developing your own coping mechanisms to deal with stress is paramount when overcoming depression.
Do not despair, it is possible to reduce stress and reframe it when you transform your perspective. The first thing that you should know about stress is that it is a completely natural occurrence that is well-intentioned and is there to help protect you from threats.
Small amounts of it will help prepare you for deadlines, presentations, or arrive on time for an important interview. Long-term stress, however, can be harmful and increases the chances of developing depression or relapsing.
Stress can be reduced by introducing simple steps into your daily routine, some of which are mentioned elsewhere in this series. Maintaining positive habits and coping strategies will become a lot easier when you take stress out of the equation.
When it next hits you, understand that it is just a chemical change in your brain which is perfectly natural. Take a look around you, do you see any threats? Is your life in danger? The answer is most likely no. So take some deep breaths in through your nose and out through your mouth and try to look at the problem rationally. Take two minutes out to practice some mindfulness and just let go of any thoughts so that you can approach this with a clear mind.
Mindfulness is a wonderful tool you can use to help deal with stressful situations. Introducing mindfulness meditation into your daily routine will help you to develop a rational outlook on stress, giving you the ability to process thoughts without judgment. You can learn how to do this in our mindfulness series available on Spotify.
Eat Healthily To Reduce Depression Naturally
What you eat and drink can have a direct effect on how you think and feel. A well-balanced diet, full of nutrition, won’t only give you the energy needed to motivate yourself, but it can also improve the chemical balance in your brain. It is proven, that you can increase your happiness by choosing the right foods to eat.
Nutritionists and dieticians will be able to point you in the right direction when it comes to avoiding the things that can be contributing to your depression. Most will agree, however, that eating foods naturally high in omega 3, will help to boost serotonin levels in your brain, responsible for your feelings of wellbeing. Salmon, tuna, avocado, and nuts are all good sources of this, so increase these in your diet.
Vitamin D is something else you should consider including in your diet. The sunshine vitamin as it is also known helps to regulate your mood and can be found in foods such as shitake mushrooms, spinach, kale, and oily fish.
Avoiding food and drink with high sugar content is crucial. Sugar is the new fat of today, with much of it found in places that you might not expect. Drink plenty of mineral water, because it is a natural means of filtering toxins from your body and lowering your blood pressure too. More importantly, however, by drinking mineral water you are avoiding sugary fruit juices and fizzy drinks that can cause sugar highs and sugars lows. Something that you want to avoid when overcoming depression.
So, remember, the idea is to maintain a healthy, balanced diet, and avoid binging on carbs, junk food, and energy drinks. Remind yourself of the virtue of moderation and be your own witness to your newfound energy and improved mood.
Exercise
Do you exercise enough? If you don’t then you need to start! Regular exercise has been proven to be just as effective in treating depression as medication. You will begin to feel the benefits almost straight away. It is one of the most under-utilised anti-depressants, and best of all it’s free. When you partake in any physical activity, you change the chemistry in your brain and release the hormones that improve your mood.
Just 30 minutes of brisk activity, three times per week will be every bit as effective as medication, in raising your mood, motivation, and energy levels. It will become the anchor in your recovery and a pillar that you can lean on. Prolonged exercise will benefit you in a way that anti-depressants cannot and lower your chances of relapsing.
Not only will you see improvements like this, but your overall physical health will get a boost. You can set yourself goals to work towards. Try beating your best running time, swimming an extra length in the pool, or walking that extra block. It will give you the sense of achievement and belief that you need in order to feel better about yourself. It will encourage you to concentrate on the task at hand, and as you become increasingly present, you will let go of your worries and struggles naturally, and enjoy the moment for what it is.
Anything that gets your heart beating is perfect, it doesn’t have to be graceful or beautiful to watch. If you haven’t exercised in a while, gently ease yourself back into it and don’t overwork yourself. Just gradually build up your routine and see the benefits play out.
Try Music Therapy
For centuries, indigenous cultures have used music to enhance well-being and improve health. Carefully arranged harmonies, rhythms, and baselines can help to slow your heart rate, reduce blood pressure, and lower levels of stress hormones.
This is fantastic for depression. Music can also bring you a sense of pleasure and contentment. It has the ability to build joyful associations and take you back to happier times, so it is important that you choose the right song and style of music. Classical and meditation music can offer you the greatest mood-boosting benefits, as their tuning frequencies resonate with happier emotions.
Music therapy is a safe, low-risk way to reduce your depression and anxiety. The two most common reasons why people listen to music, are to boost their mood and self-awareness. Music plays an important role in relating arousal and emotion. You might find that you can only experience certain feelings when you listen to a particular song.
Try listening to happier, more uplifting music, more often. When you feel a depressive episode arising, sit down, relax, and put some uplifting music on straight away. Focus your awareness on the changes in your mood and set an intention when you press play to banish any negativity and just enjoy the music at that moment.
Although music therapy is not a cure for depression, it can offer short-term benefits by encouraging connection and self-expression. Be persistent with this and give it time.
Practice the other techniques in this blog and create a routine that allows you to integrate each of these suggestions. There is growing evidence now that your mind can be just as powerful in treating your mental health as medication. Join this growing movement and have faith in yourself so that you can start transforming your life into a happier one and beat depression forever.