Depression or similar feelings can interfere with your everyday life.
Depression is a medical condition that can cause you to feel apathetic, hopeless and sad, as well as affect your self-esteem, your willingness to work or even to get out of bed in the morning. Depression is quite common, especially among young adults, but its effects can be felt for weeks, months, or even years. Talking to your doctor or a professional can provide you with assistance, but you can also help yourself. Depression is a challenge and can make you feel as though you would rather do nothing at all, but you have more control over it than you might think.
Instructions
1. Exercise daily, or maintain some form of daily activity. Simply taking a walk can help, but go for a short jog, lift weights, or some other form of activity that can get you outside and active. When you exercise, your body releases endorphins, which can result in feelings of euphoria. This is because the endorphins act as analgesics and sedatives, which essentially diminish your perception of pain. Keeping in shape can also help your mental state in general, whereas a more sedentary lifestyle is more conducive to feelings of depression.
2. Reach out to others, such as family and close friends. Simple interaction with others can help immensely, so don't shut yourself off from others, even if you often feel like being completely alone all the time. Spending time around others can keep you from focusing too much on your depression. You can also talk to your friends and family about your depression itself. This may seem intimidating, but getting these feelings off your chest can ease some stress and be easier than trying to hide everything from others. Your loved ones care about you and are willing to listen to what you have to say.
3. Call an anonymous hotline, such as Crisis Clinic or The Listening Ear Crisis Center, especially if you are having suicidal thoughts. These lines will connect you to people who can listen to anything you have to say. Talking does help, and the people you call are not there to attempt to talk you out of anything or convince you of anything -- simply to listen. If you are feeling overwhelmed, panicked or worried, call one of these lines. They are completely anonymous, and they do not report you to anyone.
4. Take a deep breath. It can be easy to get lost in your feelings of depression, and they can distract you with irrationality and make you feel even worse the more you think about them. Remember to take a deep breath every so often to keep yourself calm and bring yourself back to reality. Write yourself a sticky note and put it somewhere you will see it often to remind you to breathe and focus.
5. Change your diet to make sure you are eating healthy. Depression can leave you with a decreased appetite and without the motivation to focus on eating properly, but eating the wrong foods can make you feel even worse. Make sure you're getting the daily nutrients you need. Even if you do something as simple as eat a fruit and vegetable with every meal, that will help very much in the long run. Try to eat a few good meals a day, as opposed to snacking all day and into the evening.
6. Maintain a sleep schedule that keeps you from sleeping erratically and for too long. Depression can make you want to lie in bed all day, or alternatively, can make it difficult to fall asleep at all. Even if you can't sleep, try to get some rest during the night. Resist urges to get up and read, use the computer or watch TV. Avoid sleeping in until the afternoon or through the day. Being awake during the day and asleep during the night promotes a more "normal" schedule that can help .
7. Get some sunlight. When your skin comes into contact with sunlight (or, rather, the UV rays from the sunlight) it produces vitamin D, which is shown to have many positive health benefits for many issues, including depression. Spend some time outdoors each day, such as an hour (or more, if you have darker skin). It is impossible to have too much vitamin D, as your body regulates itself, but note that you won't feel its effects overnight. It takes time to build up vitamin D levels in your body, so keep at it. Mix this with your physical activity for the best effects.
8. Avoid drugs and alcohol. While they may make you feel better temporarily, they will make you feel worse in the long run. Make efforts to smoke and drink less regularly, and if you already do neither, resist the temptation to start them. Keeping your body healthy is incredibly important to making sure you keep a healthy mind.
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