Maybe it’s gray and stormy. Maybe it’s black clouds, hovering over everything.
Depression blocks out joy, pleasure, and most of the things you once found meaningful.
It’s as though the distinct, vivid details of your life are blanketed in a dull, heavy haze.
How long has it been since you had a light-hearted, cloudless day?
It’s time to clear things up. Ease your depression in the following 10 ways:
- Seek help right away. With support and proper attention, rays of hope can shine again. Fight your initial first reaction to withdraw. That’s just depression trying to maintain its grip on your mind. Reach out to a trusted professional anyway. Depression won’t just let you go; you’ll need help to pry yourself away.
- Chase the sun. Lift your spirits by reconnecting with nature. Look away from your phone, tablet, or laptop. Turn off the Netflix marathon. Get to a window or get outside. Soak in the smell of something green, the sound of the rain, or the chill of the wind. It doesn’t matter which you choose, engaging nature has a way of making us feel alive.
- Exercise and diet. Nourish your mind. Healthy, whole foods with mood-improving omega-3 are key. Be sure to reduce sugar intake and processed foods immediately too. Then, fueled well, take time to move your body. Studies show depression is significantly diminished by regular exercise. In fact, incorporating mind-body activities, like yoga, have been shown to profoundly improve outlook and resiliency.
- Maintain a routine. Depression prefers you unmotivated and glued to the couch. A routine can help ease persistent fatigue or malaise. Try to get up at the same time, set regular lunch meetings, run errands, cook dinner and eat it. Rumination and negativity have less impact, when you have things to do and places to go.
- Layer your accomplishments. Ease depression by setting small goals. Slowly work your way up from there. Use your low amount of energy judiciously and don’t push too hard. As you accomplish small things and reward yourself, energy, self-esteem, and pleasure will start to increase.
- Hug a pet. The unconditional love of someone soft and furry can do wonders. The needs of a pet make it difficult to completely withdraw from the world. Walks outside, ventures to the pet supply center, and trips to the veterinarian make depression a little harder to indulge.
- Rest appropriately. Quality rest is not the marker of depression. You definitely cannot afford to go without sleep. Your mind is too cloudy and easily prone to dark, negative moods without sleep to energize you. Avoid staying up all night or sleeping the day away. Strive for balance instead.
- Call on your people. You need support. Connection and interaction ease depressive thinking, lift dark moods, and work against that niggling thought that you are meant to be alone. Every day, do one thing to reach out. Call or text a friend. Make plans for coffee or lunch.
- Rein in your thoughts. You’ll feel less bullied by negative thinking, when you find ways to take back your mind a thought at a time. Examine your negative thought patterns, as you record moods and responses in a journal. Discuss triggers, symptoms, and solutions with your therapist.
- Forgive. Depression and withdrawal often stem from an inability to accept ourselves, others, and the mistakes we make. We get stuck in trauma, grief, or offenses that weigh us down, and separate us from our best lives. Forgiveness allows you the mental space and capacity to lay some things to rest, and live with a higher degree of freedom and authenticity.
