Reach Out For Support
One of the best ways of overcoming anxiety and coping with depression is to make yourself feel safe and cared for. Find a good listener, someone who will listen to you attentively and empathetically without judging you or being distracted. Connecting with support via phone calls or social media is a great way to make yourself heard, but nothing can replace face-to-face quality time. The simple act of talking to someone face to face about how you feel can play a significant role in relieving depression and keeping it away.
Depression Is Different From Sadness Or Grief/bereavement
The death of a loved one, loss of a job or the ending of a relationship are difficult experiences for a person to endure. It is normal for feelings of sadness or grief to develop in response to such situations. Those experiencing loss often might describe themselves as being depressed.
But being sad is not the same as having depression. The grieving process is natural and unique to each individual and shares some of the same features of depression. Both grief and depression may involve intense sadness and withdrawal from usual activities. They are also different in important ways:
- In grief, painful feelings come in waves, often intermixed with positive memories of the deceased. In major depression, mood and/or interest are decreased for most of two weeks.
- In grief, self-esteem is usually maintained. In major depression, feelings of worthlessness and self-loathing are common.
- In grief, thoughts of death may surface when thinking of or fantasizing about joining the deceased loved one. In major depression, thoughts are focused on ending ones life due to feeling worthless or undeserving of living or being unable to cope with the pain of depression.
Grief and depression can co-exist For some people, the death of a loved one, losing a job or being a victim of a physical assault or a major disaster can lead to depression. When grief and depression co-occur, the grief is more severe and lasts longer than grief without depression.
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Anxiety And Depression: 7 Proven Tips To Treat Both
Many people try to address anxiety or depression separately, but the two conditions often co-occur. The reality is that these disorders tend to hang together, and its more common than you think to experience both depression and anxiety at the same time.
If youre experiencing both conditions at once, well show you how to recognize the signs and symptoms and, even more importantly, how to treat them.
Many people try to address anxiety or depression separately, but the two conditions often co-occur. The reality is that these disorders tend to hang together, and its more common than you think to experience both depression and anxiety at the same time.
If youre experiencing both conditions at once, well show you how to recognize the signs and symptoms and, even more importantly, how to treat them.
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Listen To Relaxing Music Improves Your Mood
In this case, music therapy can relax an agitated patient, improve the mood, and encourage open communication in patients. In truth, it manages pain. On this occasion, by reducing stress levels and providing a strong competing stimulus to the pain signals that enter the brain, music therapy can assist in pain management.
Rainbow Fruits And Vegetables
Eating fruits and vegetables of many colors is a smart way to get a range of important plant nutrients, plus fiber for the good bugs in your gut to thrive on. The nutrients in purple produce like eggplants and blueberries, for instance, have amazing anti-inflammatory properties. Orange options have carotenoids for vitamin A.
Aim for: At least half a cup of rainbow produce at each meal.
Get more: Roast them, stir-fry them, or use tomatoes and bell peppers as the basis for pasta sauces and stews.
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Dealing With The Winter Blues
For some people, the reduced daylight hours of winter lead to a form of depression known as seasonal affective disorder . SAD can make you feel like a completely different person to who you are in the summer: hopeless, sad, tense, or stressed, with no interest in friends or activities you normally love. No matter how hopeless you feel, though, there are plenty of things you can do to keep your mood stable throughout the year.
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Create And Stick To A Routine
Its a fact: our bodies and minds crave routine.
I get it sometimes routine can feel monotonous.
However, when were having a tough time trying to beat depression and anxiety, establishing a routine and sticking to it is one of the most effective ways to heal.
So make a schedule with some variation in it day-to-day. Your schedule should include:
- When youll wake up
- Defined time to work
- Defined time to practice self-care and relax
- Which actions in this blog post youll take and when
- When youll go to bed
The importance of consistency
A super important part of this schedule is waking up and going to sleep at the same time every day.
Ever since I committed to waking up at 7 am every day and going to sleep by 11 pm every night, my mood has drastically improved.
We cant function and deal with our depression and anxiety when were sleep-deprived without a routine anchoring us. Start this step now and youll thank yourself later.
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The Depression Epidemic: Our Stone Age Brains
There is an undeniable connection between lifestyle and depression. A modern lifestyle is making us sick. The more modern a society, and the more removed it is from the primitive hunter-gatherer way of life, the higher its rate of depression. Our world has changed phenomenally and our lifestyles have changed along with it, but our brains have hardly changed at all. They remain remarkably similar to the ones that powered people in the Stone Age when sleep was abundant, food was nutritious, and people wandered in groups, constantly on the move in the sunshine.
Our Stone Age brains just werent designed to handle the sedentary, isolated, indoor, sleep-deprived, fast-food-laden, stressed-out pace of twenty-first-century life. -Dr Stephen Ilardi
Our brains are beautifully crafted to support Stone Age bodies that live Stone Age lives. When Stone Age brains are forced to live a modern lifestyle, the effect can be devastating. The brain and the body become depleted of the very things that have been fuelling them for thousands of years before now.
Hop On To That Running Track
When youre suffering from anxiety and depression, even getting out of bed can feel like a daunting task. Working out may seem like a far-fetched thing at such times. But it has been proven that exercising is a powerful depression fighter.
Having a regular workout regimen can have effects as good as medication in combating depression and anxiety. It can also help prevent any relapse.
Remember, it is okay to start small. You do not need to work out like The Rock every day. Even a 10-minute walk can improve your mood for hours!
Yoga is a great stress-buster and is proven to help with depression and anxiety alike. Exercise releases endorphins and lowers your cortisol levels. Most people feel fatigued when they start working out, but it is a temporary thing. Stick with it, and the situation will improve.
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Seeking Help For Depression
Get help if you’re still feeling down or depressed after a couple of weeks.
Treatments for depression include psychological therapies and antidepressants.
You can refer yourself for psychological therapies like cognitive behavioural therapy or counselling on the NHS. You don’t need a referral from your GP.
You can talk it through with your GP first if you prefer. Your GP can also tell you about antidepressants.
If you start to feel that your life isn’t worth living or about harming yourself, get help straight away.
You can:
- contact Samaritans on 116 123 for 24-hour confidential, non-judgemental emotional support
Procrastination Is Nothing But Avoiding Responsibilities And Activities That Feel Forced On You
And the best way to do stop procrastinating and start doing is by letting go of any stress we face.
How can you make it happen? There are several simple but extremely useful methods that you could try.
Take a second and think about how your life would be different if you werent plagued by procrastination.
Imagine what youd be able to accomplish in your work, education, or personal life. You could get more things done in less time, and there wouldnt be any stress or anxiety over having to catch up later.
And when you realize that, you also realize that there should be steps one can take to overcome their own perspective and start getting things done, instead of wasting time by being stressed out, therefore, by procrastinating.
Yeah, there are steps but you arent sure exactly what kind.
You might think to yourself: Maybe I should sign up for therapy. But its expensive, and I dont have time to talk about my feelings every week anyway. And Ive already wasted half the day doing nothing. So really, whats the point?
The truth be told, good therapy is more than just helpful. But theres an even better way.
Well, thats what VirtueMap is: Its a program that helps people overcome procrastination by rewiring their daily habits so theyll be productive no matter what theyre doing.
And it all starts with a Quiz. Why? Because everybody loves a good Quiz. It helps you think about your life from different angles, and you might get some self-reflection on the way.
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Focus On What You’re Doing
Depression causes you to be absorbed in your own thoughts. To counter this as you go about your daily routine, focus your thoughts on the outside world. For example, when you wash a dish, feel the water on your hands and listen to the dishtowel rubbing the plate. “By focusing on the outer world with attention,” says Luciani, “you’re really teaching yourself to let go of that inner ‘gerbil wheel’ where you are spinning depressive thoughts.”
Depression & Anxiety Disorders Are Rising Dramatically
Many rely on therapy and medications to alleviate symptoms, but often this is not enough. Now, we know there has been a missing factor. With the latest scientific advances in neuroscience, nutrition, and the mind-gut connection, we have discovered that how and what we eat greatly affects how we feel, physically, cognitively, and emotionally.
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Helping A Suicidal Friend Or Relative
If you see any of the above warning signs in a friend or relative:
- get professional help for them
- let them know they are not alone and you care about them
- offer support in finding other solutions to their problems
If you feel there’s an immediate danger, stay with the person or have someone else stay with them, and remove all available means of attempting suicide, such as medicine.
Over-the-counter medicine, such as painkillers, can be just as dangerous as prescription medicine. Also, remove sharp objects and poisonous household chemicals such as bleach.
The Strong Link Between Anxiety And Depression
Over 40% of those diagnosed with depression also had one or more anxiety disorders within the same 12-month period. Nearly half of those with anxiety disorders will also experience major depression at some point in their lives.
Plus, anxiety disorders are the single most significant risk factor for developing depression. In cases where depression and anxiety exist simultaneously within a person, its most common for anxiety to precede depression.
Approximately 85% of people battling depression also experience some significant symptoms of anxiety. Similarly, nearly 90% of patients with anxiety also experience some significant emotional and physical symptoms of depression.
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Set Your Messages Aside
A common symptom of depression is difficulty concentrating. If a constant flow of e-mails and phone calls is interrupting your train of thought, you may be diverted from the more important tasks you need to accomplish. If this is a challenge for you, resist the urge to constantly check your e-mail, and allow your phone calls to be handled by voicemail. Set aside several times throughout the day to respond to these messages.
Do Things That Elevate Your Mood
Do things that make you feel good and energize you. This can involve following a healthy lifestyle, setting limits to work/studies, etc. You can also schedule activities that you enjoy doing, such as reading a book, writing, watching a show, painting, etc.
We understand that you cannot push yourself to have fun, but you can push yourself to do things that bring you joy, even when you dont feel like it. Youll immediately feel more upbeat and energetic as you make time for your hobbies or a sport that you like.
You could also take a trip with friends. Make sure you keep your stress in check by practicing relaxation techniques. While all this is going on, aim for 8 hours of sleep.
You can also develop a wellness bucket to deal with things :
- Spend some time outside, and soak in the sun.
- Make a point to read a good book, listen to a podcast or calming music every day.
- Do something spontaneous for once.
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Forgive Yourself And Wait To Worry
Are you particularly critical of yourself and the blunders you make? Well, imagine if you had a friend who constantly pointed out everything that was wrong with you and your life. Youd probably want to get rid of them right away.
But people with anxiety often do this to themselves so frequently that they dont even realise it anymore. Theyre just not kind to themselves.
So perhaps its time to change and start forgiving ourselves for the mistakes we make. If you feel like youve embarrassed yourself in a situation, dont criticise yourself simply realise that you have this impulse to blame yourself, then drop the negative thought and redirect your attention back to the task at hand or whatever you were doing.
Another effective strategy is to wait to worry. If something went wrong and you feel compelled to worry , dont do this immediately. Instead, postpone your worry set aside 10 minutes each day during which you can worry about anything.
If you do this, youll find that you wont perceive the situation which triggered the initial anxiety to be as bothersome or worrisome when you come back to it later. And our thoughts actually decay very quickly if we dont feed them with energy.
Assess The Parts Instead Of Generalizing The Whole
Depression can tinge recollections with difficult emotions. You may find yourself focusing on things that are unhelpful or perceived as difficult.
Try to stop this overgeneralization. Push yourself to recognize the good. If it helps, write down what was meaningful about the event or day. You can track what you achieved that day, and which activities were enjoyable.
Seeing the weight youre giving to one thing may help you direct your thoughts away from the whole and to the individual pieces that were helpful.
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Getting Ahead Of The Game
What this program did, essentially was rewire my daily routine so that procrastination wasnt even something I thought of. It simply made no sense to wait to do something when I could do it right then.
That complete sea change of perspective was what broke me free of procrastination, and as I began to take a proactive approach to my life, my self-esteem began to grow as well. I no longer felt like a failure I no longer felt like someone who no one wanted to be around.
And that has made all the difference in my life as a mother, and professional.
Finally, I feel like Im not constantly playing catch-up, and I hope never to feel that way again.
And to think, it all started with a simple quiz!
After that, its only a matter of choosing to give it a whirl.
After all, if youre in a situation like mine, theres so much to gain and so little to lose by trying.
Best of luck on your journey!
Put Your Thoughts On The Witness Stand
Once you identify the destructive thoughts patterns that contribute to your depression, you can start to challenge them with questions such as:
- Whats the evidence that this thought is true? Not true?
- What would I tell a friend who had this thought?
- Is there another way of looking at the situation or an alternate explanation?
- How might I look at this situation if I didnt have depression?
As you cross-examine your negative thoughts, you may be surprised at how quickly they crumble. In the process, youll develop a more balanced perspective and help to relieve your depression.
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How Does Procrastination Affect Your Life
Procrastination harms your life in many ways, and understanding its adverse effects is an important step to motivate you to overcome it.
These chronic behaviors can escalate and eventually affect not just your productivity but also your:
- Physical health
- Emotional equilibrium
- Spiritual relationships
Do not take the effects of procrastination for granted. Here are some of the most serious dangers you face when you continue on this path:
Volunteering Can Be A Great Way To Do Both
Knock out a few birds with one stone spending time with other people and doing something new by volunteering and giving your time to someone or something else.
You may be used to receiving help from friends, but reaching out and providing help may actually improve your mental health more.
Bonus: People who volunteer experience physical benefits, too. This includes a
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