Coping with Depression

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Depression can feel overwhelming, making it challenging to take steps to improve your mood. However, these coping strategies can help you manage depression and work towards recovery.

Understanding Depression

Depression saps your energy, hope, and motivation, making it difficult to do things that could help you feel better. It can seem like a catch-22: the things that help the most are often the hardest to do. However, it’s important to remember that while recovering from depression isn’t quick or easy, you have more control than you might think. Starting small and gradually building from there can make a significant difference.

Tip 1: Reach Out and Stay Connected

Support from others is crucial in overcoming depression. Depression can make you want to withdraw and isolate yourself, but staying connected can greatly improve your mood and outlook.

How to Reach Out for Support:

  • Find Safe People: Look for support from people who make you feel safe and cared for. They don’t need to fix you; they just need to be good listeners.
  • Make Face-Time a Priority: In-person interactions are more effective than phone calls or social media for relieving depression.
  • Stay Social: Keep up with social activities even if you don’t feel like it. Being around others can make you feel less depressed.
  • Support Others: Helping others can boost your mood. Volunteer, be a listening ear for a friend, or do something nice for someone.
  • Care for a Pet: Pets can bring joy and companionship, helping you feel less isolated.
  • Join a Support Group: Being with others who are dealing with depression can reduce your sense of isolation.

10 Tips for Connecting with Others:

  1. Talk to one person about your feelings.
  2. Help someone else by volunteering.
  3. Have lunch or coffee with a friend.
  4. Ask a loved one to check in with you regularly.
  5. Accompany someone to the movies or a small get-together.
  6. Call or email an old friend.
  7. Go for a walk with a workout buddy.
  8. Schedule a weekly dinner date.
  9. Meet new people by taking a class or joining a club.
  10. Confide in a clergy member, teacher, or sports coach.

Tip 2: Do Things That Make You Feel Good

To overcome depression, engage in activities that relax and energize you. This includes following a healthy lifestyle, managing stress, setting limits on what you can do, and scheduling fun activities into your day.

Engage in Enjoyable Activities:

  • Pick up a former hobby or sport.
  • Express yourself creatively through music, art, or writing.
  • Go out with friends.
  • Take a day trip to a place you enjoy.

Manage Stress:

  • Identify stressors and find ways to relieve the pressure and regain control.
  • Create a balanced schedule that includes time for enjoyable activities.
  • Practice relaxation techniques such as yoga, deep breathing, or meditation.
  • Practice gratitude by noting the things you appreciate in your life.

Develop a “Wellness Toolbox”: Come up with a list of things you can do for a quick mood boost, such as spending time in nature, reading a good book, watching a funny movie, or talking to friends.

Tip 3: Get Moving

Exercise is a powerful tool for fighting depression. Regular exercise can be as effective as medication for relieving depression symptoms and can help prevent relapse.

Exercise Tips:

  • Aim for at least 30 minutes of exercise per day, even if you start with just a 10-minute walk.
  • Find exercises that are continuous and rhythmic, such as walking, swimming, or dancing.
  • Add a mindfulness element by focusing on how your body feels as you move.
  • Pair up with an exercise partner for motivation.
  • Take a dog for a walk, or volunteer to walk dogs at a shelter.

Tip 4: Get a Daily Dose of Sunlight

Sunlight can boost serotonin levels and improve your mood. Try to get outside during daylight hours for at least 15 minutes a day.

Ways to Get Sunlight:

  • Take a walk on your lunch break.
  • Have your coffee outside.
  • Enjoy an al fresco meal.
  • Spend time gardening.
  • Exercise outside to double up on the benefits.

Tip 5: Challenge Negative Thinking

Depression can make you see everything through a negative lens. Recognize and challenge these negative thoughts to develop a more balanced perspective.

Types of Negative Thinking:

  • All-or-Nothing Thinking: Seeing things in black-or-white categories.
  • Overgeneralization: Generalizing from a single negative experience.
  • Mental Filter: Ignoring positive events and focusing on the negative.
  • Diminishing the Positive: Coming up with reasons why positive events don’t count.
  • Jumping to Conclusions: Making negative interpretations without evidence.
  • Emotional Reasoning: Believing that the way you feel reflects reality.
  • ‘Shoulds’ and ‘Should-Nots’: Holding yourself to strict standards and beating yourself up when you don’t meet them.
  • Labeling: Classifying yourself based on mistakes and shortcomings.

How to Challenge Negative Thinking:

  • Keep a negative thought log.
  • Examine the evidence for your thoughts.
  • Think outside yourself and consider what you would say to a friend.
  • Allow yourself to be less than perfect.
  • Socialize with positive people and adopt their optimism.

Tip 6: Support Your Health by Eating and Sleeping Well

What you eat and how you sleep can have a significant impact on your mood.

Diet Tips:

  • Aim for a balanced diet with plenty of fruits and vegetables.
  • Don’t skip meals to avoid irritability and tiredness.
  • Minimize sugar and refined carbs.
  • Boost your B vitamins and omega-3 fatty acids.

Sleep Tips:

  • Aim for 7-9 hours of sleep each night.
  • Establish a consistent sleep schedule.
  • Avoid bright screens before bed.
  • Develop a relaxing bedtime routine.
  • Find healthy ways to get back to sleep if you wake up in the night.

When to Seek Professional Help

If you’ve taken self-help steps and made positive lifestyle changes but still find your depression getting worse, seek professional help. Needing additional help doesn’t mean you’re weak. Sometimes the negative thinking in depression can make you feel like you’re a lost cause, but depression can be treated, and you can feel better.

These self-help tips can be part of your treatment plan, speeding your recovery and preventing depression from returning.