Depression is a condition not to be taken lightly. This single world speaks volumes about millions of people’s suffering in silence. Sometimes it just becomes a synonym for weakness due to the notion and stigma of mental health.
Dealing with depression is not easy! It takes a lot of courage, patience, willingness, and support from loved ones to withstand the challenges of depression. While there are several treatment methods available to treat depression, such as meditation, psychological counseling, mindful practice, etc. However, it takes more than just outside intervention to deal with depression. It also needs personal resilience to handle ourselves, which could be difficult.
What is Depression?
Depression is a mental condition that is defined as feelings of persistent sadness, hopelessness, low mood, tiredness, and worthlessness. A person loses interest in activities they previously loved to enjoy.
The following are the steps one can take to deal with depression:
Accept yourself:
Depression can be extremely challenging. Everyone who has recovered from it has been at this place. However, it is necessary to acknowledge those feelings of sadness. Your thoughts and emotions need to be acknowledged by you. It can help us manage our feelings of depression.
Don’t feel guilty
One thing depression deeply brings out in people is the feeling of guilt. The guilt of being a worthless person and being unworthy of love is a common sign of depression. But one needs to remember that it’s not your fault that you feel that way. It’s not a disease; it’s a condition that can affect anyone, and it’s okay to feel this way; you cannot help it.
Make it a routine
One thing that has been shown to help people deal with depression is making a routine. Making a routine of your daily activities and sticking to that routine has been said to help people navigate their lives and give them a clear picture of their place in the world. They seem to have something to look forward to every day. This can be your work, or engaging in hobbies such as writing, reading, painting, or simply going down a block for a walk.
Listening to music
According to research it has shown to improve the mood of a person. Music therapy is a form of therapy that aims to promote the flow of positive emotions in your body. Music is a way to ease restlessness and push your imaginative variety by giving you a mood boost.
Don’t isolate yourself!
Although the first thing that comes to mind when we are sad is to spend some time alone, while that seems to work to clear our thoughts, in the case of depression, those alone thoughts are not at all beneficial. In isolation these negative thoughts and feelings strengthen and take a grip on me. Always try to spend time with your family and loved ones. Even if you need to force yourself, don’t hesitate to interact with someone.
Express yourself
In cases of depression, a person wants to hide their feelings and build a wall around them to stay silent and not tell anyone. Probably because a person would not want it to say anything or because no one would understand. However, expressing yourself is key to clearing your thoughts and having a better understanding of yourself. There are various ways of expressing yourself, such as through journaling, podcasts, magazines, painting, or a simple face-to-face interaction. Sharing our thoughts helps a lot and provides ease with the burden.
Meditation
Oftentimes, we tend to over rely on medicines for any illness. This is true that medicines show a lot of improved results in cases of depression; however, overreliance may create a dependence where a person continues to crave medicine to ease symptoms of depression and anxiety. Meditation can work wonders in dealing with depression. Prolonged depression can cause a high level of stress and anxiety in a person. Meditation techniques can help reduce stress and promote calmness in the mind. Meditations such as yoga, deep breathing, and relaxation techniques have been shown to affect a lot.
Have a proper sleep schedule!
One of the most common reasons medicines sometimes take longer to heal symptoms of depression is a poor sleeping schedule. Disrupted sleeping patterns might counter the effects of medicines, having 8 hours of sleep every night is extremely important for a healthy mind.
Having a healthy lifestyle
Although no food treats depression like a miracle, but having a healthy diet and lifestyle can change your whole outlook on life. A healthy diet with adequate amounts of exercise can improve overall health. Exercise has lots of benefits for the body; it helps with weight management and keeps us active. A healthy lifestyle seems to also benefit our mind and self-confidence and can be helpful for people dealing with depression
Don’t neglect medications
Last but not least, the above-mentioned points are only for guidance on how to deal with depression in regular life. These methods can help an individual on a personal level; however, It does not mean that these methods stand above medication. Seeking professional help from mental health professionals and drug therapy deals with symptoms of depression and helps manage them. It is always better to consult a professional when you feel there are symptoms or signs of depression.
The road to recovery starts with you!
Remember,the journey to recover from depression is a long shot! Dealing with depression can take a lot of time and won’t be a smooth journey. There will be lots of ups and downs. So, appreciate the small baby steps you take along the way; even waking up and making your bed counts as a big achievement. Rewarding yourself and your achievements can have a lot of impact on your success.