Can I Get Over Depression On My Own

If Youre Up For Exercise Consider A Walk Around The Block

On days when you feel as if you cant get out of bed, exercise may seem like the last thing youd want to do. However, exercise and physical activity can be powerful depression fighters.

Research suggests that, for some people, exercise can be as effective as medication at relieving depression symptoms. It may also help prevent future depressive episodes.

If youre able to, take a walk around the block. Start with a five-minute walk and work your way up from there.

Sleep disturbances are common with depression. You may not sleep well, or you may sleep too much. Both can make depression symptoms worse.

Aim for eight hours of sleep per night. Try to get into ahealthy sleeping routine.

Going to bed and waking up at the same time every day can help you with your daily schedule. Getting the proper amount of sleep may also help you feel more balanced and energized throughout your day.

Read The Starter Guide

The starter guide on the official Bullet Journal website offers a deep dive into the entire system, from start to finish.

As you comb through the guide, you might already sense that there are parts of the system that will serve you well, while others might need to be modified. Take note of potential tweaks and keep them on standby for when its time to set up your journal.

More Spirit Fillers Less Time Killers

Very often, the cycle of depression feeds on itself. We feel depressed, so its really hard to find the motivation and energy to do the uplifting things that have the potential to feed our spirits. Then we feel even more depressed. And so it goes.

This tip is about raising your awareness of how you fill the hours in your day. Its far too easy to spend our days doing things that fill our time, but dont necessarily fill our spirits. I know it can be hard to break out of our usual routines and do something thats new or different or that might bring up emotions. But in the end, finding activities to fill our spirits helps so much with decreasing depression and increasing peace.

Of course, everyone needs to find what feeds their spirits. One person might love gardening and another person might find it to be a chore. One person might enjoy cooking and someone else doesnt like cooking at all. Its such an individual exploration, but the bottom line is, if we keep doing what were doing, were going to keep getting what were getting. If you have been spending a lot of time in negativity, inactivity, or isolation, in order to lift your spirits, youll need to make some changes.

Think about the ways that you spend your time. Not just the usual things you do each day like work, school, childcare or meal preparation, but the things you do in between the things you do:

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Tend To Your Social Life

When you’re depressed, there’s no reason to go it alone, and there are all sorts of reasons to reach out to friends and family. Make plans with loved ones and keep those dates. Join a club or sign up for a group activity such as a local dodgeball league or a French class.

Other things you might try:

• Join a support group. Talking to other people who are going through similar experiences and challenges can be informative and helpful.
• Schedule activities. Having routines can be helpful when you are going through depression. Create a daily schedule that includes spending time with others. You are more likely to stick to it if it’s a scheduled event.
• Volunteer.Joining a cause that you care about is a great way to meet new people and expand your social circle.

The problem is that depression often causes people to withdraw, which only further exacerbates feelings of isolation and loneliness. Even when you don’t feel like going out or being social, try reaching out in whatever way is most comfortable for you. Enlist a few of your closest loved ones who understand what you are experiencing.

Doing the things you used to do might not bring you quite the same enjoyment when you are depressed, but getting out of the house and spending time with people who care about you can help you feel better.

How To Find Treatment Near You

The first step in getting treatment for depression is making an appointment with your general practitioner. They can recommend doctors in your area.

If youre religious, ask your religious leader if they have counselors to recommend. Some people prefer faith-based counseling, which incorporates their religion into a treatment plan.

You can also check healthcare databases for therapists, psychiatrists, and counselors. These databases can provide you with information such as certifications, accepted insurance providers, and reviews left by other people. You can start with these databases:

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Using Simple Coping Strategies

Tip : Eat A Healthy Depression

What you eat has a direct impact on the way you feel. Reduce your intake of foods that can adversely affect your brain and mood, such as caffeine, alcohol, trans fats, and foods with high levels of chemical preservatives or hormones .

Dont skip meals. Going too long between meals can make you feel irritable and tired, so aim to eat something at least every three to four hours.

Minimize sugar and refined carbs. You may crave sugary snacks, baked goods, or comfort foods such as pasta or French fries, but these feel-good foods quickly lead to a crash in mood and energy. Aim to cut out as much of these foods as possible.

Boost your B vitamins. Deficiencies in B vitamins such as folic acid and B-12 can trigger depression. To get more, take a B-complex vitamin supplement or eat more citrus fruit, leafy greens, beans, chicken, and eggs.

Boost your mood with foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids.Omega-3 fatty acids play an essential role in stabilizing mood. The best sources are fatty fish such as salmon, herring, mackerel, anchovies, sardines, tuna, and some cold-water fish oil supplements.

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How To Find The Right Treatment

Sticking to your treatment plan is one of the most important things you can do. Its easy to get discouraged in the first few weeks of treatment, and you may feel like you dont want to continue. All types of treatment can take a few months before you notice a difference.

It can also feel like youre doing much better, causing you to stop treatment altogether. Never stop treatment without consulting your doctor first.

You should feel comfortable talking to your therapist. If you dont, try switching to a new one. You may have to meet with several therapists before you find the one thats right for you.

You should also talk to your therapist about your feelings toward your therapy sessions and your overall treatment plan. This allows them to work with you and make changes if your treatment plan isnt working.

Finding the right treatment is often a trial-and-error process. If one doesnt work, its good to move on. If 2 or more months have gone by and youve stuck to a treatment but dont feel any relief from the depression, its likely not working for you. You should experience relief from depression within 3 months of starting a medication.

Talk to your doctor immediately if your:

• depression doesnt improve after several month of treatment
• symptoms have improved, but you still dont feel like yourself
• symptoms get worse

I Beat Anxiety & Depression

My name is Kellene Diana and I used to struggle with anxiety and depression. Nobody understood or wanted to understand in fact they called me names and passed judgment before they even knew what I was going through. It made me so afraid to speak up and speak out about it that it completely silenced me for years. For a very long time I was full of anxiety, depression, fear, anger, self-doubt, low self-esteem and alcohol. Everything was hurting me emotionally, mentally and physically!

But, as scary as it was, I took a stand and put up a serious fight for my soul, my health, my spirit and everything that matters in this life! I stopped caring about what people thought and started caring more about getting better.

I got so tired of the panic attacks, the constant tears, the what ifs, the fears, the lack of self-confidence and the hangovers! I knew in my heart that there was so much more for me! So, one day I made a conscious decision and I said out loud ENOUGH IS ENOUGH! It is time to fight for the Kellene that I knew was on the inside waiting for an invitation to show her greatness.

First, I acknowledged my struggles, and then I immediately made an appointment to see a therapist. I started journaling, reading stories of hope and triumph on the ADAAs website, praying, meditating, exercising and speaking life and love over myself every SINGLE day!

No more excusesno more waiting! It is time to give yourself that invitation to step into your greatness just like I did.

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Getting Out Of A Funk: How To Help Yourself Through Depression

Everyone has off days where they feel tired, irritable, and sad. Its normal to feel sadness as a response to challenging life events, loss, or changes, but sometimes these feelings can stick around for a while if left unaddressed and make it difficult for you to get through each day.

Heres how you can tell when youre in a funk or maybe even experiencing a mild depression as well as what you can do to help yourself feel better.

Visualize A Happy Memory

When a patient continually revisits a painful memory , it can tip him or her into near emotional catatonia. I say, Wait, before you go down the rabbit hole and all the dark feelings overwhelm you, close your eyes and go to a happy memory. *Paul remembered, When I graduated from college, looked out at the audience and saw my family looking so proud, I felt amazing and powerful. I said, Great, go there. Lets relive that wonderful experience. As he described details from that lovely day his posture went from slumped over to peacock proud. He actually smiled. I suggested, The moment you feel yourself sliding back to an awful memory that takes you under, take a breath and instantly conjure up graduation day. Counter the gloom with an immediate dose of positivity!

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Recognising That I Needed Help

The first big step for me was accepting, or as is often more difficult, realising that I was mentally unwell. It took me a long time to do this. The days I spent lying in my bedroom on my year abroad, telling myself I was ‘just bored’, was me refusing to accept the reality that was my mental ill health.

Likewise, in my final year, when my depression reached its peak, I would progressively miss more and more lectures and seminars, leave social outings early or skip them altogether, spend more and more time alone in self-imposed isolation, and tell myself that it was just because I’m introverted, or that I was ‘tired’. And I was tired, but not for lack of sleep this was actually a symptom of my depression.

I had, however, been seeing my GP on and off for a number of years about my mental health. I first went while I was still at school, but I had always refused treatment, always believing that I was in control enough that I didn’t need it.

Yet, in late April 2017, it all became too much. After somehow finishing my dissertation, I knew I couldn’t go on and started to consider temporary withdrawal. It was a step I was so reluctant to take, as at the time, it symbolised failure, it was me letting my depression defeat me by rendering me completely unable to carry on with ‘normal’ life.

Identify Any Underlying Conditions

I would venture to say that most people with treatment-resistant depression are also suffering from undiagnosed conditions. My list was long: Crohns disease, small intestine bacteria overgrowth , hypothyroidism, low stomach acid , adrenal fatigue, Raynauds phenomenon and connective tissue problems, pituitary tumor, aortic valve regurgitation, and certain nutrient deficiencies .

Its really best to work with an integrative or functional doctor. Many are listed on the website for the Institute of Functional Medicine, but you need to proceed with caution, because some of them are very expensive and will run unnecessary tests if youre not careful. At the very least, I would ask your primary care physician or psychiatrist to run these four blood tests: a complete blood count comprehensive metabolic profile a thyroid full panel, including TSH, free T4, free T3, and thyroid antibodies and the 25-OH vitamin D test, as well as B-12 levels. It may also be worth finding out if you have a Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase gene mutation , because we need the MTHFR enzyme to convert folate to its active form, methylfolate and folate deficiencies make it difficult for antidepressants to work. In fact, many studies link low folate levels to depression.

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What Causes Depression

Although some peoples depression can be influenced by major life events, the truth is that depression can happen to anyone without cause or warning. In fact, depression is one of the most common mood disorders 8.7% of women and 5.3% of men experience depression every year. Research has suggested that factors such as genetics, biology, environment, and psychology can all play a role in depression.

Its important to note that depression exists on a scale from mild to severe, but even in mild cases it should be taken seriously. Depression is not simply a bad mood or something that someone can snap out of, but luckily it is very treatable.

Take A Different View

With depression often comes a psychological myopia: the sufferer robotically repeats to him or herself soul-sucking negative thoughts: Nothing I try ever works out How could I have been so stupid? I am not worthy of being loved. A patient deep in the throes of that kind of thinking can, if unchecked, spend an entire session staring at one spotoften the floor. At those moments I prod, You are so stuck on only seeing things one way that you miss any other possible view. Literally. If you force yourself to look up, there are a variety of objects in the room to observe and pondera bookcase lamps: paintings a window with sunlight streaming in Its not that my office is so fascinating, but there is so much you miss when you refuse to look. The patient then sheepishly lifts his or her eyes to take in the entirety of the room as I hammer home the point: There are a plethora of ways to view anything. Instead of continually convincing yourself everything is hopeless consider all the other options. There is always a Plan B.

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Add Greenery To Your Home Or Office

You may also find it helpful to add indoor plants to your home or office environment. Natural settings are associated with improved mental well-being, so it makes sense that “bringing the outdoors in” might help improve your mood.

Studies have shown that adding indoor plants to your home or office can help in a variety of ways, including:

• Improving the workplace: Research has shown that office spaces enhanced with indoor plants improve worker concentration and workplace satisfaction.
• Reducing stress levels: Another study found that actively interacting with indoor plans by caring for them can reduce both physiological and psychological stress.
• : Research has found that students who spent most of their time at home during the COVID-19 pandemic had better mental health if they were exposed to more green plants. While about a third of the participants reported symptoms of moderate depression, those exposed to more greenery had lower levels of depression and anxiety.

Choosing certain plants may provide additional benefits. For example, research suggests that the scent of a lavender plant can help people feel calmer and more relaxed. No matter what type of plants you choose, greenery can be a great way to beautify your surroundings and potentially improve your mood.

What Is Focused Meditation

Meditation is the practice of becoming self-aware through breath and attention to connect the mind, body, and spirit.Meditation as a whole can change the structure and function of our brain. That being said, focused meditation or a guided meditation for focus is by far the best one. Meditation for focus and concentration can come in different forms. Experienced meditators use the following:

• Mindfulness this meditation involves us to be focusing on your breath and observing thoughts. This allows us to focus on our feelings without becoming too absorbed in them.
• Concentrative a meditation that gets us to focus on a particular point be it a word, breath, object, or a point in the space youre meditating. This is meant for us to pay attention to that point and prevent our minds from getting distracted.
• Moving this meditation involves gets us to focus on slow and repetitive movements similar to yoga or tai chi. The goal is again to be focusing on your breath while relaxing your body and mind with the movements.

Focused meditation, also known as concentrative meditation, is the practice of meditating and bringing your attention to one single object. This object can be something practical and tangible, such as a mandala painting or a candle flame. It can also be something abstract, such as a phrase or a sound .

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