Depression: 5 Ways to Fight It.

Posted On February 17, 2020

It is estimated that approximately 300 million people worldwide suffer from depression.

Whether you have been formally diagnosed or are simply feeling blue, depression can be debilitating and often leaves you feeling lonely and alone.

What causes Depression:

Depression may be caused by a combination of factors including biological, psychological, and environmental factors. Thus, symptoms of depression usually occur nearly every day for two weeks or more.

Furthermore, depression does not discriminate and it can affect people of any age, race, or gender.

If you think you may be suffering from depression you should speak to a healthcare professional right away.

Symptoms of depression include:

• Feeling sad, empty, hopeless, or numb
• Restlessness, irritability, or anxiety
• Difficulty concentrating or making decisions
• Less interest or participation in activities normally enjoyed
• Feelings of guilt or worthlessness
• Repeated thoughts of death or suicide
• Low energy and feeling tired all the time
• Changes in appetite or weight (eating more or less)
• Change in sleep pattern (sleeping more or less)
• Increased use of drugs or alcohol
• Self destructive behavior, loss of control, or uncontrolled rage
• May include headaches, aches, pains, digestive problems, dizziness, or lightheaded

Depression can present with symptoms that are both emotional and physical, so talking with an healthcare professional is essential to rule out other causes.

While depression requires treatment from a professional, there are things you can do now to potentially improve your mood.

Below is a list of ideas that may help you combat depression and move on with your life.

5 Ways to Fight Depression…

Measure deprssion by making a note of internal language:

Depression is often accompanied by negative thoughts that are designed to hold you back. In addition, thoughts like “I’m a failure” or “This is hopeless” are common conversations within the internal realm of depression. Therefore, these thoughts are often the start of an endless cycle.

As a result, it is important to catch negative thoughts. When you do catch this type of thinking, stop and make a conscious effort to replace those negative thoughts with positive ideas.

For example, If you are looking in the mirror and find yourself thinking ‘I am ugly’ take a moment to point out one thing about your reflection that you can appreciate. Similarly, positive thoughts can be forced upon your mind throughout the day. These thoughts do not have to be big, they can be anything at all. Perhaps your hair looks good, or maybe you like your eye color. Regardless, I promise you, even the smallest things are worth acknowledgment and they will lead you to find more positive things to think about.

Take a closer look at the One Thing Challenge to help change your thinking patterns

Fight depression by travelling to the bright side:

Depression involves psychological myopia – a short-sighted view of the world in which decisions are made based on immediate information. That is why negative thinking is so common in depression. Shake things up by taking a different perspective.

Going back to the example above, the idea of ugly is a very complex one that is socially constructed. If you catch yourself thinking this type of thought, you should question where it is coming from.

Did someone call you ugly? or do you just ‘feel‘ ugly based on society’s standards? Chances are the issue is the latter. (A topic we will discuss at length in future posts).

To combat this type of thinking it is sometimes helpful to take a different view. Take time to look at yourself through another’s eyes and see the amazing person you are. Not through the eyes of the pretty girl on the magazine cover, but someone who sees you very differently than you see yourself. More often than not there is someone who sees the beauty within you, even when you can’t see it yourself.

Once again, focus on the little things that are amazing about you. Once you start looking there will be plenty of them to consider.

If you are having trouble, stay tuned for more tips on creating a gratitude journal using our helpful guides which will be released shortly.

Take small steps:

Unfortunately, depression doesn’t disappear overnight. It takes time and effort to reset the way you think. However, it can be done.

Working to reset the way that you think will help you create a positive environment and enhance all aspects of your life.

Therefore it is important that you go easy on yourself, and be sure to start small.

Remember the One Thing Challenge each time that you catch a negative thought and replace it right away.

Future posts will help you to further build your self-confidence. Above all, this site can help to make this way of thinking a habit that will occur automatically.

Speed up this process by checking out the resources on this site for more useful tips that may help you succeed.

Make a Plan To Fight Depression:

Overcoming depression requires a plan of action. Take time to think about the ways that depression affects you and create a list. Next, look at that list and come up with 3 ideas to help yourself out.

For example: If depression has made you lose friends, a solution would be to reach out to some of those friends and have a light talk. You don’t need to spill all the details, just reconnect and ask how they are.

If you constantly feel ugly, make a conscious effort to get dressed each day (even if you are not going out) or create a list of all the fabulous things about you and pin it to your mirror.

These tips may sound silly, but over time they will have an impact on your well-being.

Ask For Help:

Finally, it is important to understand that depression is a mental health issue. Similarly, depression is not always something that you can combat on your own.

Needing help does not mean that you have failed, in fact, it means you have succeeded because you see the issue and realize what needs to be done.

Asking for help should make you proud, not ashamed!

Don’t be afraid to speak up and ask friends, family, or professionals for help. Chances are that people close to you have been waiting for the opportunity to lend a hand.

The advice in this article is not meant to replace the care and treatment of a trained healthcare professional. Depression is a serious issue that may require medical attention.

If you are experiencing thoughts of suicide or self-harm seek help immediately through your local hospital or crisis line.

Until next Time…

Look To The Bright side.