You know Depression will hit about 30 million people in America this year. It can hurt everyone around us, including the person suffering from it. I want to offer you five tips that can help you deal with your depression a little better. Remember there is no one way to deal with depression and no one person experiences depression the same. I hope with this helps.
1. Acceptance
Depression is a process not a problem. Furthermore, depression must be accepted before we can heal from it. When we get depressed, we spend most of our time saying, “I don’t want to be depressed,” “it’s too hard”, I don’t like it.” Pretty soon we start complaining about being depressed. Then the next thing you know depression has consumed us by the simple act of pushing it away. By letting go and accepting your depression, you are actually creating a place to embrace the part of you that is suffering. You start to acknowledge and grow to believe that you have choices, and your choices include manage and conquering depression.
2. Eat Healthy
We are what we eat and food affects our mood. If you have lots of carbs and sugar, you are going to feel more depressed and have lower motivation. Same goes with fatty foods that are really heavy. They can cause your mind to be sluggish and sad. If you eat more proteins like chicken, turkey, lean meats, and your five servings of fruits and vegetables daily, your mind will be clear, you body will be healthier and your emotions will be level.
3. Be Thankful
When we are thankful, we begin to notice the richness of our surroundings. When I wake up and am thankful, I feel present. I am using each of my senses. I am seeing, thinking, smelling, touching and tasting the now. Remember, it’s hard to be in the future or the past if you are just thankful for this moment.
4. Don’t be Alone
Spending time with people whom you love will go a long way to come out of the blues. When you know that there are loved ones whom you can turn to, it makes a lot of difference. You can share your feelings with them, which will ultimately alleviate the pent up emotions in your mind.
5. Move
Go for a walk or exercise. It releases hormones and chemicals similar to those that are found in common antidepressants. I know it might be hard to get motivated, but a simple 15 minute walk or a few yoga moves or some sort of activity can make a big difference in your depression level.
Please check out our main Overcoming Depression page where you can download my free resource Ending Depression.
This is Tyler Woods saying walk in peace