Depression claws its way into the brain at unpredictable moments, often for no discernible reason at all. Medication, therapy, and lifestyle changes can offer relief, dulling depressive feelings and allowing you to operate at your peak potential. Consider the options below when depression and anxiety impacting your life.
1. Stay Physically Active
Staying active can help you take the sharp edges off depression and anxiety. While physical activity can put your mind in a healthier place, there’s no need to do 500-pound deadlifts. Even leisurely walks around the block release endorphins in your brain, provide your body with vitamin D from the sun, and force you to focus on other things apart from whatever’s churning in your mind.
Take a look at some good ways to exercise your body when you feel depressed:
Walking
Running
Pushups or situps (especially great if you’d rather not leave the house)
Biking
Swimming
Avoid high-risk activities! If your mind is wandering to depressive places, you don’t want to hurt yourself due to a lack of focus!
2. Stay Mentally Engaged
Mental activity guards against depression just as much as physical activity does. Sometimes, we get depressed when we don’t accomplish the things we set out to do. When an imminent deadline looms over us, it sometimes feels easier just to watch TV or play video games. But these passive activities give your mind more time to dwell on the depression or anxiety you feel, ultimately intensifying the negative emotions.
At a loss for what to do? That’s a common symptom of depression. Here are some ideas to kickstart your mind:
Read a book
Write in your journal
Cook a healthy meal
Write a letter to a friend or family
Do a puzzle
Practice your favorite musical instrument
Work on an art project or home-improvement task (again, stay away from high ladders and dangerous tools!)
3. Reach Out to Friends or Family
Loneliness and depression go hand-in-hand, so reaching out to friends and family during tough times can help. Of course, there’s always the question of how you’ll feel if they don’t respond or aren’t available. That can worsen the depression you feel.
Sending a greeting card or handwritten letter to someone you care about removes the need for instant gratification we feel when we send a text or Facebook message. Putting a pen to paper also feels liberating and empowering!
Some ways to consider reaching out:
Invite them to meet for food or drinks
Invite them to the movies
Invite them to a sporting event or concert
Congratulate them on a recent life event
Share a favorite mutual memory
Just say hello!
4. Get Some Sleep
Sometimes, depression causes people to oversleep. On the other hand, people who are depressed might stay up late, hoping to make something out of the day so they don’t have to file it in the “did nothing” bin. However, adequate sleep is absolutely essential in treating depression.
Follow these guidelines to get better sleep:
Before bedtime, avoid overstimulating your brain through too much screen exposure
If you decide to do some physical activity, make sure to slot in some downtime before you go to sleep
Meditate and/or take some deep breaths before you fall asleep to make yourself more relaxed
If you wake up in the middle of the night, try to continue sleeping instead of getting up to watch TV or use the computer
5. Seek Help
If the symptoms and effects of your depression and anxiety are severe, do not hesitate to bring your problems to qualified medical professionals. Medication, therapy, and support groups are all perfectly legitimate and beneficial avenues for dealing with your illness. Your life has value, and you deserve to live it at your full potential. There’s no shame in using the tools available to you to live your best life!
For more information visit our depression and anxiety counseling page.