Written by Sarah Samsia Ahmed
Human life is a wonderful gift from nature. But at times we face a situation that makes us feel living this life is not worth it. Depression and negativity don’t let us think properly.
Yes, we are talking about depression here – a disease many people don’t know about. So, they cannot help or deny help if their close ones suffer from this. There are many stigma attached to this disease. But one must deal with this technically and reach out for help.
How can you Manage Depression?
Managing depression is not easy. Usually, women are more prone to depression than men. People can suffer depression for a short period of time. But if a person suffers for a long time (more than a year) then the term clinical depression is used.
People who suffer anxiety or any sort of mental or physical trauma in childhood can suffer depression later in life. Depression may just show up without any reason at times due to genetic reasons.
Depression can be life-threatening if left untreated. If you see your family member or close one in the depressive phase for more than a month, you should not ignore it. Immediately consult a professional for treatment.
But if we don’t give up, success will follow.
Please do not neglect the first signs or symptoms of depression. You may not feel like doing anything, or you may feel it’s not worth living. You may go through a melancholy phase and feel lonely. Usually, when we deal with negative situations in life we find ourselves alone.
But there are always solutions to a problem. Below we have discussed a few points you may find worthwhile reading; if you are trying to keep depression at bay.
Seeing a psychologist as soon as possible
A psychologist can listen to your problems with empathy. You will feel lighter when you are able to share your problem with someone. Psychologists can help you to set small goals and navigate through tough times.
Increase self-love
Love yourself. Take little steps at one time. Look yourself in the mirror and smile. Grow a can-do attitude. Spend time with yourself. Find problems in your thought process. Fix them slowly. Be patient. Be gentle and loving towards yourself.
Talking to someone close
Talking to someone close can help you a lot. Not sharing and keeping it all to yourself can make you more depressed.
Trying Light stretching
You can do stretching or light exercise. It helps to clear brain fog and feel confident. Light exercise also helps us to relieve anxiety.
Journaling
Write what you are doing every day. This will help see your accomplishments end of the day. You can add up a little more activity every day to improve your situation.
Avoiding toxic people
Set a boundary. Avoid mixing with people who talk negatively about you. Create a surrounding where you meet or talk to someone who likes to lift you up.
Talking to yourself
In depression, we feel negative constantly. Talk to yourself to feel hopeful. Counsel yourself as many times as you need to feel a positive vibe. If you feel afraid to start any project convince yourself that you can do this. If you work hard with patience you can change your situation.
Feeling Gratitude
Research says if you feel gratitude for whatever you have it increases the positivity of your mind. Practicing gratitude is a gentle yet powerful way to feel hopeful.
Walking under the sunshine
Walking under the sun helps to feel lively. Sunshine increases hormones in the body that help us to feel good. Also, sunshine is a natural source of vitamin D. Many patients with depression are found low vitamin D levels.
Sleeping more
Regular going to bed at the same time helps us to have a deep, peaceful sleep. Sleeping in the daytime is not recommended when someone cannot sleep at night. Keeping the internet off during sleep is also a good practice.
Keeping a pet
Are you a pet lover? Keeping a pet can make you feel good.
Practising Mindfulness and breathing exercises
Under the supervision of a trainer, you can learn about practicing mindfulness. There are different types of breathing exercises available. If you practice it can bring your body and mind into a relaxed state.
Listening to motivational speeches
There are many motivational speakers who can ignite the spark of hope inside your core. Listen to someone you like. Believe them and focus on your goal.
Developing a passion
Do something you love to do. Be it gardening or reading books. It can be even baking. Follow your heart. Keep yourself busy.
Following a healthy diet
Seeing a nutritionist can be a big help. Quitting processed foods and too much sugar can help in reducing mood swings in depression. Taking Omega3-enriched foods helps. Increase vegetable intake. Avoiding smoking is a healthy choice.
Traveling
Traveling to a serene place can help you to rejuvenate your mind and body. Spending time with nature heals us.
Finding support in peer groups
A peer group can be very supportive and understanding in the process of healing depression. Usually, people don’t understand what depression means and how it disturbs the process of maintaining day-to-day life.
But, in a peer group, you can share your problems and gain more knowledge about managing depression. Also seeing a video on YouTube who had depression but has overcome it successfully can help.
For major depression, a person can take anti-depressants under the supervision of a psychiatrist. Chronic and major depression always requires intense treatment and guidance. A person should not take or stop taking medicines without a doctor’s advice.
Managing depression may require a lot of patience. But one must not give up. Please remember you are not alone. There are many people who suffer from depression. Now a day, our lifestyle has changed. We must follow an active lifestyle. A sedentary lifestyle contributes to increased depression. Live, love, and breathe.
