Depression
It’s a common monster, but nobody likes to talk about it.
When we talk about ‘being depressed,’ a lot of people (including ourselves, sometimes) don’t give the statement the full gravity it deserves.
The thing to understand is that depression is a real mental illness—and sometimes, it requires real medical treatment.
This could mean therapy, medication, and lifestyle changes.
A lot of people think that depression is something that you can ‘will’ yourself out of.
But nothing could be further from the truth.
Let’s dig deep, and talk about it from a modern clinical health standpoint.
The First Key To Coping With Depression: Stay Connected
Coping with depression is difficult (if not impossible) to do on your own.
See, humans are social creatures.
And just like we need each other to survive, we also need one-another to thrive.
Depression, however, causes us to withdraw.
So overcoming your tendency to isolate is really the first step to getting the help you need.
Here are some tips for staying more connected when you start to feel depressed:
- Talk to someone who loves you and cares about you about your feelings
- Help other people
- Get together with a friend
- Ask people to check on you
- Go out and do social things with your friends
- Start working out with a buddy
- Schedule a dinner date with your significant other
- Try to meet new people by signing up for new activities
- Talk to someone in leadership (a clergy, coach, teacher, etc.) about your depression
The Second Key: Do Things To Help Yourself Feel Better
Action is truly the key to shifting the scales when it comes to depression.
Try doing more things that you enjoy, that bring you happiness, and/or that make you feel fulfilled.
Try to laugh and have a good time.
Here are some tips for ideas on how to make yourself feel better:
- Get plenty of sleep
- Try to reduce stress in your life
- Meditate
- Spend time in nature
- Watch a good movie, or read a good book
- Take a hot bath
- Make a small to-do list and be productive
- Play with your pet
- Listen to music that you enjoy
- Spend plenty of time with loved ones
- Do spontaneous things
- Keep moving and stay active
- Eat healthy foods that’ll nourish your body and your mind
- Get plenty of sunlight
- Try not to think of things as ‘black and white’
- Try to overcome negative thought patterns by replacing them with positive ones
The Third Key: Seek Professional Help
Sometimes, no amount of ‘self work’ can shift your depressed feelings.
And in such cases, seeking professional help should be the next step.
One thing to understand is that needing extra help for your depression doesn’t make you weak.
In fact, you may be happy to find that, in the vast majority of cases, depression can be successfully treated.
You’ll most likely start to feel a lot better after working with a professional.
You may need to make additional lifestyle changes, work through some trauma, or take medication.
But at the end of the day, the most important thing to remember is that your life and happiness are worth it.
Getting happier is not just possible—it’s highly likely, and it’s something that you can accomplish.
So get out there, get connected, do things to feel better, and seek a professional’s help if you’ve been feeling depressed.
You got this!