If you are the victim of a constant sense of helplessness, sadness and hopelessness, you are probably depressed. Depression is a clinical syndrome that falls within the framework of mood disorders and that prevents you from carrying out normal daily activities, therefore it should not be confused with sadness, understood as a normal and physiological response to the difficulties of life. Although it is difficult to imagine being able to recover lost happiness, you may learn to manage depression and improve the quality of your life by expanding your network of friends, changing your way of thinking, dedicating yourself more to your health and adopting a healthy lifestyle..
Steps
Method 1 of 4: Increase Social Relations and Support Network
Step 1. Consult a therapist to help you focus your attention on your current problems
Effective psychotherapy usually has as its main goal the removal of symptoms, rather than a radical change in the patient's personality.
- If you are not attracted to the idea of traditional psychotherapy, find out about alternative therapies. Pet therapy, art therapy, drama therapy and music therapy are therapeutic modalities that use mainly non-verbal expressive channels to promote communication and help the patient overcome depression.
- Learn about the psychologists working in your area. You will be surprised by the number of people who follow a path of psychotherapy. Asking someone you trust for information could help you put your trust in the psychotherapist even before you meet him, thus facilitating your recovery.
Step 2. Surround yourself with positive people
Building a social network is essential for overcoming depression, it can help you deal with traumatic events (loss or change of job, bereavement, etc.) and also distract you from negative thoughts that lead to depression. Try to hang out with friends, family, and colleagues who have a positive impact on your well-being. Do they help you? Do you like being in their company? Do you have fun when you go out with them? If your answers are yes, then they are the right people to spend most of your time with.
- Organize an outing with a friend once or twice a week who can offer you the support you need. You could just go for a coffee, have lunch together, take a short trip to visit a new location or spend the afternoon in a canoe. Whatever you do, the important thing is to go out and be together!
- Keep your distance from people who show parallel states of anxiety and difficulties or who are unable to understand your emotional disorder, as they could contribute to worsening your condition and would not favor your recovery.
- Make plans for the future. Plan a camping holiday or a short vacation a few months later. This way you will have new motivations and goals to strive for.
Step 3. Physical contact can be a valuable aid in the healing process
Intimate relationships and gestures of affection such as hugs and caresses release the hormone called oxytocin, also called the 'happiness hormone', into the body, which can positively affect the treatment of depression.
- Hug a friend.
- Hold him by the hand.
- Play with your dog or cat or pet them.
Method 2 of 4: Change Your Thinking
Step 1. Think positive and be realistic
Negative and unpleasant thoughts are a symptom of depression and, if you can't control them, they will repeat themselves in a cycle of negativity that will drastically worsen the depressive state. Making changes to prevent negative thoughts from arising takes time, but if you don't give up, you will notice a noticeable difference.
- Write down all automatic negative thoughts. You may feel like you're not that pessimistic, but making a list of all your negative thoughts will give you a realistic feedback on the situation. By analyzing the quantity, as well as the content of your thoughts, you can identify the cognitive distortions that fuel depression.
- Later learn to replace each negative thought you have written down with more realistic interpretations. For example, instead of thinking "I am ugly", you will have to repeat to yourself "I am unique and beautiful as I am. I do not have to conform to the standards of beauty that society imposes on us".
- Try to reverse negative or irrational thoughts. Whenever you are assailed by a negative thought, replace it with a positive and more realistic one. While it may seem silly or strange at first, in the long run this strategy can help raise your mood and improve your quality of life. For example, if you are tempted to think, "I know it will turn out badly," try to assess the situation differently and convince yourself that it could also have positive effects.
Step 2. Congratulate yourself
You may be skeptical about it, but positive self-talk helps reduce depression and increase the sense of well-being.
- Make a list of your ten favorite physical and character characteristics. For example, you may like the color of your eyes and your goodness of mind. Place the list in a prominent place, to have a look at it when necessary.
- When you are down in the dumps, congratulate yourself on something. You can take a look at your list to remember some of your strengths.
- Accept the compliments of others. Instead of asking yourself if they are sincere, consider them sincere. This can help you build your self-esteem and make it easier for you to exchange compliments with others.
Step 3. Don't preclude yourself from any chance
The negative thoughts and feelings that accompany depression keep you from taking risks and getting busy. In reality, negative distortions are simply the result, as well as fuel, of your depression and therefore do not reflect your true potential. Take small steps in pursuing your goals so that they seem more achievable.
- Break down the tasks into more manageable goals and "do what you can, with what you have, where you are".
- Remember that your recovery will not be immediate and it will take some time for you to start feeling better, but you will eventually succeed. Focus on feeling better today and how to achieve this, rather than focusing your attention on the more difficult task of returning to normal within several months.
- Try to be realistic and avoid perfectionism. If you want to do a sporting activity every day for thirty minutes, but miss a few days of training, don't make a big deal out of it, because you can continue working on your goal the following day.
Step 4. Learn to deal with negative mental filters
Cynical reflection is a consequence of mental filters that push you to focus only on the negative aspects of a situation, preventing you from living the positive experiences. For example, you could make the mistake of remembering the date with a guy only for an inappropriate comment, rather than for the pleasant conversation and the final kiss. Accept the good and the bad, not one or the other.
- Instead of generalizing a single negative experience, try to be more realistic. If you keep mulling over an unpleasant episode, you won't even be able to notice all the other successes. Remember that a single experience cannot forever affect your future prospects, thoughts and behaviors.
- When faced with a negative experience, remember that it is only a single episode and not a chain of events with decisive repercussions on your existence.
Method 3 of 4: Improve Your Physical Health
Step 1. Focus on your physical condition
Health problems could worsen your depressed mood and negatively affect your general well-being. Objectively assess your state of health.
- Identify health problems potentially linked to your depression. For example, it could cause sleep disturbances such as insomnia and hypersomnia, weight gain or loss, and physical fatigue.
- Make a list of goals you think you can achieve, such as losing weight, exercising, and eating a healthy diet.
- Consult your doctor if you have any health problems that you have overlooked. Depression can sometimes be caused by drugs, substance abuse or other disorders. Undergo a thorough medical examination to rule out the presence of an organic pathology.
Step 2. Get regular physical activity
The "runner's high", that is the runner's high, is not a false myth. During prolonged physical activity, endorphins are released, a group of substances produced by the brain which are attributed analgesic properties, capable of producing a feeling of euphoria and well-being. In fact, physical activity plays an important role in treating depression, because it helps to reduce its severity over time. Set yourself the goal of raising your heart rate up to 120-160 beats per minute for about thirty minutes a day, to increase the release of endorphins.
- Traditional physical activities like running and weight lifting aren't the only ways to increase heart rate. You could practice swimming, hiking or try your hand at team sports, horse riding and yoga.
- If you do not have thirty minutes a day, because you are very busy, try to do some stretching at home or go to work by bike, to get a general improvement in your mood.
Step 3. Follow a healthy and balanced diet
Consuming junk food not only promotes lethargy and sleepiness, literally draining your energy, but also contributes to depression. It has been widely shown that depressed adults do not consume sufficient fruits and vegetables, so try to eat healthy foods and antidepressants.
- Omega 3 fatty acids are considered natural antidepressants because they help fight depression and anxiety, so try to consume foods rich in omega 3 two or three times a week. Excellent sources of omega 3 are fish, such as salmon, sardines, trout and tuna, but also walnuts, flax seeds and olive oil.
- Limit the consumption of excessively processed foods, which weigh down the body and make you feel less energetic, rather opt for whole foods, such as cereals and vegetables and fresh fruit that energize the body.
Step 4. Try to improve your sleep quality
In the case of depression, sleep is generally altered in its aspects of continuity and duration. Hypersomnia, in association with other signs, can manifest itself as an early symptom of depression, destined to persist for the entire depressive phase, or it can be replaced by insomnia. Although you have a bad habit of going to bed at one in the morning and waking up at 11, remember that irregular or disorganized sleep-wake rhythms contribute to worsening the symptoms of depression. The best time to go to sleep is when it is completely dark outside, because in the dark the body produces more melatonin (a hormone that promotes sleep and modulates the sleep-wake rhythm).
- Try to fall asleep at the same time every night after dark, but not too late, to avoid staying in bed until late in the morning. The ideal time would be around 10 in the evening.
- Wake up at the same time every morning so that your body gets used to the new rhythms. At first you will need an alarm, but later you will wake up naturally.
- Before going to bed, do not use your mobile phone, computer and tablet, because exposure to the light emitted by these electronic devices slows down the production of melatonin, prompting you to fall asleep later than the ideal time.
- Night shifts at work represent a stressful condition for the body, because they disrupt the normal rhythm of the sleep-wake cycle. Try to get as much sleep as possible during your rest shift and take naps. If possible, opt for daytime working hours.
Step 5. Avoid taking drugs and alcohol
These substances are responsible for many negative health effects. Furthermore, alcohol increases the risk of depression.
If you are a regular user of drugs and alcohol, consult your primary care physician or psychotherapist for help in quitting
Method 4 of 4: Making Changes to Your Lifestyle
Step 1. Recover an old hobby of yours
A common symptom of depression is a lack of interest in the activities you used to enjoy doing. If you loved reading, playing sports or hiking, instead of continuing to avoid these activities, commit to doing them again!
- If you think pursuing your old hobbies isn't feasible, choose a new one. Find out about courses in the area where you live or try something that has always attracted your interest. Art classes and stimulating activities are a great way to relieve symptoms of depression.
- Start practicing a hobby when you have some free time. At first it may seem boring or unimportant, but over time it will become pleasant and you will not be looking forward to practicing it.
Step 2. Try to be outdoors
Vitamin D, produced through the action of sunlight, has been shown to help reduce depression. Spend 30 minutes a day in sunlight (without sunglasses) or take a vitamin D supplement.
- A walk in the park or in contact with nature, as well as stimulating the production of vitamin D, allows you to admire the beauty of nature. Gardening is also a great rebalancing of the nervous system and could help your mind stay active and regain focus.
- Exposure to sunlight can help your body regulate its circadian rhythm, or the sleep-wake rhythm, providing you with more energy during the day.
- If your area tends to be rainy and gloomy, get a phototherapy lamp to improve your mood.
Step 3. Practice mindful meditation
Some studies have shown that this technique has a therapeutic effect on subjects suffering from anxiety and depression. It could help your mind spot mental distortions and reject them.
- To practice mindfulness meditation, sit in a comfortable position and focus on your breathing. As you breathe, focus your attention on the present, accepting the worries and negative thoughts, but realizing that they are just thoughts that do not correspond to reality.
- Meditation requires patience and training. It will take a long time for you to focus on the present, especially if you are used to ruminating on the past or worrying about the future. Try to be patient and remember that this can be an extremely effective technique if you practice it consistently.
Step 4. Take care of a living being
Some research has shown that people who are responsible for caring for an animal or plant recover from depression much earlier than other people. Grow a garden, buy a seedling or get a goldfish. Being in charge of a lifetime will help make sense of your days and make you work harder.
- Don't think you have to rush to buy a husky; your mental health could benefit from a simple seedling or a small animal. If you had considered buying an animal before falling into depression, consider buying a different one.
- Volunteer at a kennel or borrow a friend's dog to be in contact with animals, without having to commit to one of your own. Spend a few hours a week in the company of the pet of your choice, to reduce anxiety and depression.
Step 5. Do volunteer work
Helping others is essential to promote well-being and strengthen positive social identity. Find out about local associations that need volunteers. Helping out the canteen for the homeless or engaging in socially useful jobs will give you the opportunity to stay away from home, make yourself useful and socialize.
- Try to kill two birds with one stone by volunteering at a center that would also offer you therapeutic benefits. For example, you volunteer at a kennel where you would have the opportunity to be with the dogs and at the same time exercise and be outdoors.
- At first, do not overdo it, because you would not be able to enjoy your new experiences and you would probably give up everything. Start with an hour or two a week and then gradually increase the number of hours, as long as you are passionate about this kind of activity.
Step 6. Use relaxation techniques
Depression favors the accumulation of anxiety. Try to reduce anxiety by avoiding the stressful agents closely linked to depression, in particular some people who cause you anxiety and work problems.
- Take a hot bath, go to a spa, read a book, or do anything else that helps you relax.
- You can also practice progressive muscle relaxation, which is a technique based on alternating contraction and relaxation of certain muscle groups, starting from the toes up to the face. Releasing tension helps you reduce stress and relax.
Advice
- Take note of all the changes you have made in your life, so you can identify the positive ones and eliminate the unproductive ones.
- Always keep busy.
