I saw the world in black and white instead of the vibrant colors and shades I knew existed.
– Katie McGarry
The life which once felt like a playful journey suddenly came to a halt. Depression is like a silent killer; without notice, the sadness and dejection engulfs the person. Days seem hopeless and your inner self feels weak. You’ll go through extreme die-moments, and feel like someone has sucked up all the energy from you. (Visit: Depression and its signs and symptoms, if you feel you’re experiencing depression). But don’t worry. Depression is not a life failure. Thousands of people go through the blues at least once in their life. It’s not only you. Here are the few remarkable steps to beat the depression out of you.
The one who can help you is you yourself
Self-awareness is the key to get rid of the gloominess you’re feeling. It’s perfectly fine to be distressed about the life struggles you’re having. But as difficult as it may seem, you need to wake yourself from the misery and realize that some things in life are never in control. You need to accept yourself and see a clearer picture of the present situation. Try to reflect upon the thoughts that are causing all the distress.
Don’t depend on someone else for recovering you to normality. People around you will have a hard time figuring out the problem with you. It’s obviously not true that your family or friends don’t love you but you must also remember that they won’t be able to understand your ordeal unless you open up. The first person who’ll help is you and your own self.
Start with small daily goals
Start by setting small goals for everyday. Don’t expect that things will turn out good within a day or more. The process is slow but steady. Make a routine to get through the day. To begin with, set an appropriate time for you to wake up, eat, rest, sleep or any simple chores that fits in. Following a routine is going to be tough when you’re going through despair. But you need to ignite that determination to follow it. And once you get used to it, add extra activities in your plan. Separate time for exercise, writing, reading, painting or any other movement you’re interested in.It is obvious that nothing is impossible once you’re determined.
Consult a psychiatrist
Remember depression is not a self-weakness but an illness. Just like you visit a doctor when you have flu and fever, you need to consult someone who can medicate you. If the distressed feeling has started taking a heavy toll on you, leaving you detached from your work and family, consult a psychiatrist. There’s nothing to be ashamed of, as depression is the story of millions of people globally. He/she will guide you perfectly through fighting depression with proper medications on the clinical part to cope with the distress and counseling sessions to help you regain your inner strength. With this, you’ll easily get through the routine plan mentioned in the previous point.
Eat healthy
It’s not always the situation, but sometimes the biological state of your body too, that’s responsible for the low-mood. Add up nutrients in your body by having healthy meals. If you’re depressed, you might overeat or not eat at all. Taking a control in diet will make the body feel better.
There are excellent natural foods which can enhance brain’s strength. Studies show that fatty fish( like tuna and mackerel) and food containing amino acid can do wonders to your brain stability. You can find out which food from your kitchen can help you fight depression in Diets to relieve Depression.
Work out
As already mentioned to add exercising in your daily routine, working out will help you regain your stamina, physically and mentally. The sweating will help to release the tension of the body muscles. In fact, the brain gets a healthy distraction through exercises. It releases the happy hormones “Endorphins” making you feel better. You don’t need to join a gym for this. Go for brisk walk around the street corners, you will instantly feel relieved.
Do things that once excited you
When you’re depressed, you tend to isolate yourself from people and any pleasurable activities you once enjoyed. So try and get back to those things that once brought excitement in you. It will make you feel better.
If you loved painting, put your hands onto those colors once again. If you loved dancing, try moving yourself to a favorite tune once more. It doesn’t necessarily need to be any sort of activity. Simply If you enjoyed someone’s company, meet him/her and spend some quality time. The goal is to kindle the excitement and motivation in you.
Remember social media is not a solution
Avoid using social networking sites as a distraction. In fact, use of social media might only make you feel more left out. Going through others’ pictures and statuses of how wonderful their lives are and how they’re enjoying makes you feel alienated. This increases the feeling of despair in you. So, avoid scrolling through the tempting news feed of your social media sites when you’re in low mood.
As easy it may seem in words, it’s going to be challenging to put these words into action. But Don’t give up – The one rule that gets you through the tough time to the results of a better life. It’ll take time, but believe that you’ll eventually make it to the other side of the tunnel.