Self-Care Tips To Reduce Symptoms Of Depression
Depression can be challenging to live with, but it’s often quite treatable. A few ways you can reduce depression symptoms include exercising regularly, eating a healthy diet, exercising compassion for yourself, and keeping up with a regular routine. Taking walks outdoors and socializing with friends and family can also be helpful. In most cases, pairing these strategies with professional treatment like therapy can increase their effectiveness. One way to start therapy may be by joining an online therapy platform.
A healthy diet and regular exercise can reduce symptoms of depression
Depression is a psychiatric disorder, but it also often comes with somatic (bodily) symptoms like fatigue, appetite changes, and a sense of slowness. Regular, moderate exercise and nourishing food can help ease these symptoms.
Exercise boosts mood
Engaging in regular exercise can boost neurotransmitters. Exercise usually increases many chemicals in the brain, like endocannabinoids and endorphins, both of which can help you feel better mentally and physically. While it's often hard to feel motivated when depressed, even doing something small, like going for a walk, can have a positive effect.
Nutrition keeps us fueled
Nutritionally dense food gives your brain the basic ingredients with which to craft neurotransmitters, hormones, proteins, and more, so eating a diet rich in vegetables and healthy fats can give your brain more fuel to function properly.
Eating some of your favorite foods can also help by leading your brain to release endorphins, which can improve your mood—chocolate, for instance, is a popular endorphin boost. It’s generally best to try to strike a balance between whole foods, like fruits, vegetables, and lean meats, and the treats that bring you joy.
Depressive feelings can translate into depressive thinking
Depression can make it seem like you’re mired down in unhappy and painful thoughts. These thoughts may seem important to you, like puzzles or problems you must solve. However, you might discover through therapy or introspection that not all of these thoughts may be helpful.
We can get “stuck” on depressed thoughts
Ruminating—or staying stuck in a spiral of negative thoughts—is unproductive. For example: Pondering the meaning of life can be an enjoyable, satisfying pursuit for those who enjoy philosophy. But getting stuck on thoughts of how your life feels meaningless or how the future feels grim is more destructive than constructive, and can feed into a cycle of feeling bad, engaging in negative thoughts, feeling worse, and then engaging in more negative thoughts, and so on.
Depressive thoughts can be addressed
If you're depressed, it can be hard to focus on any of the good and happy things you can do with your life. However, there are strategies you can use to break this cycle.
Reduce this symptom of depression through mindfulness
Putting off thinking about difficult things may seem dishonest to you. It could seem like you're hiding from reality, for instance. However, when you are depressed, your mind may tend to gravitate more toward negative ways of viewing the world, yourself, and others.
A therapist can teach you how to choose which thoughts to dwell on and which to let go of. They may also help you develop a more optimistic attitude, increase the time you spend being grateful for the good things, and nurture your hopes for the future. They can help you become more mindful of yourself and the environment and have a sense of well-being.
And give self-compassion a go
People who struggle with self-worth may be more likely to develop depression. Their low self-esteem could make it seem as if they are inferior, incompetent, or helpless. These feelings are often hallmarks of depression and should not be ignored.
It can be helpful to regard and appreciate the positive traits you possess. As you pay more attention to these characteristics, you may gain a more balanced view of yourself. What's more, you can choose to do things that make you feel more whole, capable, and interesting.
Symptoms of depression can make it difficult to keep up with regular responsibilities and enjoy life. However, implementing a few of the following strategies can prove to be helpful:
- Get regular exercise
- Eat a balanced diet
- Practice self-compassion
- Maintain a regular routine
- Take walks outdoors
- Socialize with loved ones
Self-care routines, like mindfulness meditation, can also help
When we're depressed, we may lose touch with the rhythm of our daily routines. You may find yourself neglecting your grooming or skipping meals, for example. If you don't feel like doing something at a scheduled time, it can be easy to just let it slide.
Adequate self-care addresses nutrition, sleep, and more
However, sticking to a daily hygiene or self-care routine, for instance, can help you face each day with a fresh outlook. Eating, sleeping, and exercising regularly typically keep you physically healthier, potentially giving your mind and body more strength to face challenges.
Developing a routine with all these daily tasks, including activities for self-care, can help you feel that you've accomplished something each day.
Exercise can be as simple as brief outdoor walks
When you're depressed, it can be hard to find pleasure in anything. However, you can relearn how to enjoy small pleasures. You might take a walk in a quiet place and focus on the natural objects, plants, and animals in your environment.
You could also try listing the sights you see on your walk that have seemed beautiful to you in the past. Describe them in a way that would make others want to see them. The simple task of writing these things down can create pleasurable experiences in time.
Social support
Depression can make you believe that you're a burden to others just by being around them. However, it can be crucial not to isolate yourself. Instead, try to take opportunities to connect with the people you care about and who care about you. Those people, who are likely an important part of your life, probably don't need you to hide behind a mask all the time and pretend to be happy if you are not. Instead, they may appreciate your honesty and willingness to open up to them.
What if you don't have a companion or a lot of friends? Consider going out and meeting people. You could get involved in a hobby, community organization, or volunteering. Even though it may seem difficult, the more you reach out to others, the more chances you may have to create fulfilling personal relationships.
Professional help, such as medication
People who are depressed can often remain functional, but their symptoms may make it seem as if they are not living a full life. If you're experiencing depression and there isn't a clear trigger, then you may benefit from consulting with a licensed mental health professional.
Support through counseling
Therapists, counselors, and psychologists are usually very experienced in treating depression, as it can be quite common. A therapist can also teach you techniques based on cognitive behavioral therapy and interpersonal therapy, as well as suggest effective ways to adjust your lifestyle.
Medication
Meanwhile, your doctor or psychiatrist may recommend medication. Some research suggests that a combination of therapy and medications like antidepressants can be more effective than either treatment on its own.
Online counseling
Although one of the best ways to manage depression can be to speak to a therapist, the symptoms of this disorder often make it hard to schedule an appointment and travel to a therapist’s office. Fatigue and feelings of social withdrawal can lead someone with depression to want to stay at home. Online therapy frequently presents a more feasible alternative for these individuals. This convenient treatment option can be availed from home and scheduled around any other obligations you may have.
Impact of online therapy and counseling
Online therapy and counseling have generally been researched extensively, especially post-pandemic. A recent study showed that internet-based cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) usually resulted in positive outcomes for people experiencing depression and anxiety.
What is the most effective way to treat clinical depression?
The ideal depression treatment plan depends on the person and their situation. While there may not be a single most effective way to treat major depressive disorder, persistent depressive disorder, or other types of depression, talking therapies and prescription medications are two of the most commonly used. However, these treatments may not be right for everyone. Some medications may have side effects like weight gain or reduced sex drive, and most can take several weeks to reach full effect.
For more severe forms of depression, residential or outpatient programs may also be helpful. Electric and magnetic brain stimulation therapies such as electroconvulsive therapy are sometimes used as well to relieve depression symptoms.
Some types of depression have other treatments that only apply to that condition. Premenstrual dysphoric disorder, for example, can sometimes be treated with hormonal contraceptives or a special medication schedule where medication is taken or increased during the premenstrual phase. Inpatient injections of allopregnanolone, a metabolite of the hormone progesterone, has demonstrated significant efficacy for postpartum depression.
How can I reduce stress and depression?
Several techniques may help you improve depression symptoms. These include:
- Getting some physical activity in each day
- Maintaining regular sleep patterns
- Eating a nutritious diet, or taking dietary supplements like vitamin D3 or omega-3 fatty acids
- Practicing mindfulness
- Socializing
- Helping others
- Spending time outdoors
- Avoiding recreational drugs, which can interfere with prescribed medications and worsen depressive symptoms
- Using relaxation exercises, like box breathing, yoga, meditation, or progressive muscle relaxation
You may need to try a few of the above techniques to find what works for you. It may also be worth exploring treatment options like psychological therapy or medication.
Why is it important to reduce symptoms of depression?
Like bipolar disorder, anxiety disorders, and PTSD, depression is a mental illness. Depressive disorders can get in the way of daily life. It can also contribute to chronic pain, obesity, and high blood pressure. Reducing depression may improve health, quality of life, and overall well-being.
How can I stop negative thoughts?
Thoughts can have a powerful effect on our emotions, but we may not always realize it. Learning to recognize negative thoughts may help prevent them from triggering unhealthy emotions.
Methods that may help you build awareness of negative thoughts include journaling, practicing mindfulness, making a log of positive events, and using grounding exercises to reconnect with the present moment. Cognitive-behavioral therapy may also be a tool for identifying and reframing negative thinking patterns.
Why is it important to talk about depression?
Talking about depression can be important for reducing the stigma around mental health conditions and encouraging those affected to get their depression diagnosed and treated by their primary care doctor or other physician. It can remind people with depression that they are not alone, “broken,” or “weird.”
Depression may cause feelings of loneliness, so support groups and meetups can also be opportunities to share experiences and develop coping skills. Having this sense of community may be an important factor in recovery.
Can mood disorders like depression be treated naturally?
Non-prescription options such as exercising or avoiding too much alcohol can often treat mild to moderate depression. Some individuals take herbal or vitamin supplements, or engage in calming spiritual practices, to relieve symptoms such as trouble sleeping, intense irritability, and low mood. Frequently, these are most helpful in conjunction with therapy and/or medications, but some individuals don’t need further intervention. Just make sure that you avoid abruptly stopping medications prescribed by a physician, as it can cause discontinuation symptoms.
How long does depression last?
The length of a depressive episode varies broadly. Per DSM-5 criteria for major depressive disorder, symptoms must usually last for at least two weeks to qualify as a depressive episode. This is to ensure an accurate diagnosis—that is, so that circumstantial depression caused by stressful life events isn’t overtreated as endogenous depression.
Some individual’s episodes last months or years—in persistent depressive disorder, for instance, symptoms last for at least two years. Premenstrual dysphoria causes cyclical episodes that last anywhere from approximately one to two weeks at a time but which recur monthly or almost monthly until menopause, barring pregnancy and other anovulatory cycles.What triggers depression?
There are many factors that can contribute to someone developing an episode of depression, such as:
- Medical history: One of the most reliable predictors for whether someone will experience a depressive episode is if they’ve had one in the past. The presence of medical conditions such as fibromyalgia or cancer also corresponds to an increased likelihood
- Family history: Someone who has close family members and other blood relatives with depression and related mental disorders are more likely to get it themselves.
- Personality: Certain personality traits are associated with a higher risk of depressive illness.
What are calming techniques for depression?
What is high functioning depression?
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