Five Easy Ways to Fight Depression

Amy Taylor April 06, 2016

Depression is a serious mental health disorder that can have debilitating effects on one’s life. It can be hard to deal with depression once you already have it and it would need professional intervention. But there are simple things you can do to ease the pain and speed up your recovery. Here are some of them:

Talk about it. Depression is something you may feel like keeping just to yourself. You may feel embarrassed of it. Or you may feel like no one cares anyway so there’s no need to open up. But even though other people may not fully understand what you are going through, your friends and family can provide emotional support that you need to make it through. Don’t let yourself become isolated.

Take good care of your body. When you are depressed, you don’t just deal with emotional symptoms but also physical symptoms like fatigue, sleep problems and pain. Failing to take care of your health worsens your condition while taking good care of it is likely to ease the burden. During depression, the most that you need is self-compassion.

Set a daily routine. Getting yourself to do your daily tasks can be a real challenge when you are depressed. It is normal to lose interest to your hobbies and the physical and emotional symptoms of depression will greatly sap your energy. That is why health experts recommend sticking to a daily routine as much as possible. Do your daily tasks at the same time. Create your to-do list. Being able to accomplish your tasks can make you feel much better. But don’t overly exhaust yourself. Make sure you give time for rest.

Eat well. Part of taking good care of yourself is ensuring that you are eating a healthy and balanced diet. Take note that what you eat affects your mood. Eating sugary foods has been shown to worsen mood while healthier options like fruits, vegetables, lean meat and fish promote good mood. Also, research shows that foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids can help fight depression.

Invest on quality sleep. Depression often goes hand in hand with lack of sleep. People with depression often have troubles getting a good night sleep whereas lack of sleep can exacerbate depressive symptoms. You want to make quality sleep a priority all the time. Try not to resort to prescription drugs as they may have undesirable effects on your body. If you are having sleep issues, experiment on natural approaches such as drinking chamomile tea, getting aromatherapy, or inhaling lavender scent. Talk to a mental health professional for other means to promote good sleep.

That’s about our simple ways to fight depression. Have you got other tips to share? Feel free to post a comment below.