7 Amazing Ways to Cope with Depression
Depression is a pretty common ailment that affects millions of Americans, including young and older adults. It is a mental health condition that makes one feel helpless and hopeless, losing interest in many things that make life worth it.
One can cope with depression in many ways. While some people resort to drugs, simple lifestyle changes can help cope with depression. Before exploring the ways to cope with depression, here are the signs that reveal depression
- Loss of interest in activities that you once enjoyed
- Changes in appetite and sleep pattern
- Memory problem
- Feeling down, low, irritable, and worthless
- Suicidal thoughts
- Difficulty with concentration and making a decision.
If you experience any of the following, here are ways you can cope with depression:
Make Time for Fun Activities
You will not be able to escape depression if you hardly have time out from responsibilities. In other words, make time for pleasurable activities, things that make you laugh and bring joy to you. Such can go a long way to lift your mood, make you happy and defeat depression.
Ensure you are not just going about the day ticking items off your to-do list. Take some time out by calling a friend, connecting with nature by taking a walk, spending time in the shower, reading a book, etc. If you have a dog or pet, spend time with her. Such activities also can help lift your mood.
Use CBD Gummies
One can also resort to some natural substance to cope with depression, and CBD is one such substance. It is a derivative of the hemp plant and features a series of properties that can affect the body positively.
Research suggests that CBD might relieve depression by changing the brain’s serotonin level. This is the hormone in charge of stress and mood.
CBD is available in many forms like CBD vape, CBD oil, and CBD gummies to help alleviate depression. You can buy CBD from Trusted stores like Sunday Scaries.
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Be Connected With Friends and Family
One of the signs of depression is that you lose interest in connecting with friends and families. Rather than spending time with people in social settings, depression makes you avoid such, so you prefer to stay at home, alone, instead.
You, however, should not isolate yourself as such activity only feeds the depression. Being alone and dwelling on your thoughts will make them worse because you will capitalize on thoughts of sadness and hopelessness.
With this, make an effort to socialize and force yourself out of the nest you have created. Go for a night out with your friends, go to the movies, and attend evening parties.
Exercise
Working out is not about building muscles and losing weight alone. Exercise releases endorphins – the happy hormone which improves the mood and makes you feel satisfied. Working out benefits the health, both physical and mental health. In addition to developing muscles and reducing body fat, exercise makes you feel better about yourself.
While getting out of your shell might be a challenge, start slowly. Consider getting a partner that can make you accountable. It can be as simple as taking a walk or jogging. Make it three times a week and for 30 minutes each day to be effective.
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Challenge Negative Thoughts
Many times depression is accompanied by negative thoughts and voices in the head. I can’t seem to do anything right,” “I am a failure,” “I always screw things up,” and many more are common thoughts that characterize depression. Such ideas gradually work their way to the subconscious, solidifying the depression.
One way to navigate this is to challenge the negative thoughts with facts. For example, when the voices tell you that you are a failure, ask for evidence. How many times have you failed and screwed things up?
When you do not accept such thoughts, the chances that you will fall into depression are low. Not every thought going through your head are worth accommodating.
Meditate
Depression makes you fixate on wrong things that could go wrong. It could be past mistakes or possible future experiences. The mind fixates on such negativities, which makes the person helpless.
Since depression takes you away from reality and makes you fixate on things that are either gone or future occurrences, meditation can help.
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Work on Your Sleep Health
Unknown to many, sleep is directly linked to mood. According to a study in 2014, four out of every people who experience depression had issues with sleep. Depression might make people struggle with sleep with a constant feeling of exhaustion.
You can improve your sleep health in many ways, which will go a long way to help you sleep well. Please stay away from electronics and all screen forms when it’s time to sleep. Reduce liquids in the evening so you won’t have to wake up too much to go to the restroom. Caffeine is a stimulant and will probably keep you awake for long, so avoid coffee in the evening. Also, develop a healthy coping mechanism for stress.
This and many more will go a long way to improve your sleep health.
Conclusion
Depression need not limit your life. It is possible to engage various tips to cope with depression. This article has explored seven tips that can help live above depression.
