Being depressed is never fun – or easy. I have talked about this often and openly on this blog. Sometimes every day is just another grind you feel that you have to get through. There’s light at the end of the tunnel, but it never feels that way when you’re in the midst of it.
Fortunately, there are some methods that you can use to get yourself out of a hole so that you can function again. Check out our ideas below.
Do Some Fun Exercise
Many people feel depressed because they are living in boxes and don’t have enough movement in their daily lives. But you can correct this by adding some fun exercise to your routine.
Here are some ideas you might want to try:
- Washing your car
- Taking your dog for a walk
- Riding your bicycle
- Planting flowers in the garden
- Playing outside with kids
Do Something Kind For Yourself
Self-kindness is so important in life. You need to be on your own side.
Unfortunately, many of us are in the habit of allowing our minds to work against us. They only concentrate on the negatives instead of exploring the positives.
If this sounds like you, you can try being kind to yourself. If you feel depressed, run yourself a warm bath or change your internal conversation to make it more realistic. Concentrate on the things that you do well, instead of the qualities that you lack.
Spend Time Around Other People
Loneliness and depression tend to go hand-in-hand. For instance, when older people can’t get out of the house to see their friends and family, rates of depression go up.
Spending time around other people releases the feel-good hormone oxytocin in the brain. You’ll often find that when you spend time around others just chatting, it transforms your mood. Suddenly, you feel much better able to take on the challenges of life.
Work Out What Went Wrong
Depression can strike out of the blue but as Eclectic Psychotherapy points out, it usually stems from something in your past. Dealing with depression typically involves resolving the underlying trauma and then finding ways to move on. Once you process what happened to you, you often find that you can go back to your old self again.
Spend Some Time In The Sun
This is my personal favorite! Many people living in western countries feel depressed because they spend so much time living indoors. They never get out into nature to experience the sun on their face and its warmth on their skin.
Evolutionarily speaking, our bodies need sun. It lets us make vitamin D and it regulates our body clocks. People often find it more difficult to sleep if they fail to go out in the sun during the middle of the day.
In some cases, being in the sun can also boost your serotonin levels – great if you’re feeling blue. That is why my happy place is the BEACH!
Eat More Fruit And Veg
Studies show that people who eat more fruit and veg tend to be less depressed than those who eat less. That’s because a healthy diet reduces inflammation in the brain – a contributing factor to ongoing depression.
What tips do you have for beating the blues whether it be a phase or chronic depression? Please share!
