Depression is a serious condition that can debilitate a person’s normal day-to-day function, making even the most mundane tasks such as getting up from bed or eating breakfast seemingly difficult. However, coping with depression is still possible with or without professional help, if one knows depression management. Here are a few things that can help people deal with depression, it is important to note, however, that professional therapy is still very invaluable. These steps are just suggestions for alleviating the condition.
Natural depression management is possible and entails taking charge of one’s self and incrementally making changes in your lifestyle. Sadness does not disappear overnight; it takes time to get back on one’s feet. Little by little, one can get out of depression and have a normal life once more but every person’s situation is very different and specific to the individual. There is no one size fits all and some people may require medical intervention, but the key is lifestyle changes which include nutrition and environment.
Food Nutrition. The most important aspect of self-care is to avoid processed foods, foods high in sugar and harmful fats, some carbohydrates, and factory-farmed meats, inclusive of fish. Anything that is not organic and is processed and farmed is going to be laden with unnatural chemicals and pesticides, harmful components that are of no benefit to a living organism such as a human or animal. Instead invest in a clean eating philosophy, a plant-based diet, a sugar-free lifestyle, and watch your mood and your body improve exponentially.
Staying active is one way to take your mind off your circumstance. Activities that you enjoy help distract you from feelings of sadness, melancholy, or traumas, it also helps channel and expresses the positive energy suppressed within in you. Keeping active releases the very important and natural to the body endorphins which are your internal mood boosters.
Rest. It is important to take a rest. Experiencing depression can be very exhausting, so it is essential to regain strength and energy daily. Make sure to activate Melatonin, another internal natural hormone released by the pineal gland at night with adequate nighttime rest. Relaxation techniques will help you be more attuned to the self and the now, and enable you to be more still present and at peace. When resting, stressors should be kept away from the bedroom so that ample rest can be obtained, this includes television, radio, harsh lighting, and the most common, cell phones.
Express yourself creatively through song, dance, theatre, poetry is another key way to transmute emotions in a way that is positive and poses no harm to yourself and anyone else because suppressed emotions can cause major dis-ease in the body and the mind. People who are grieving either a loss or another type of trauma can be prone to depression if they are programmed to keep their emotions bottled up and to themselves.
Release those tears. A lot of people avoid crying because they think it might be a sign of weakness. However, it is important to cry because it releases one’s emotions and on a physiological level this is important. When expressing feelings, it is important to avoid catharsis – venting up one’s anger by instead doing vigorous exercise, strength training, boxing, or going for a walk into nature and allowing the environment to stabilize your mood or hug your pet and let the tears flow.
Help people or animals in need. Seek out people who may need help, and where you have the capacity to help them. They may be at a different stage in their life where things are outside of their control; poverty, illness, loss, environmental disaster, cruelty… your ability to empathize and help someone or something else, will inspire you and help to heal the receiver and the giver with tools towards a love of life no matter the circumstance. Stay committed to your self-care and help others less equipped to help themselves in their journey towards self-care. Helping animals too is incredibly rewarding, due to their unconditional, loving, divine energy.
Lastly, it is important to believe you are overcoming depression to see it manifest for you. A lot of people get depressed because they or society place them in the mental health category, as though it’s a too hard basket that is lifelong. But it is important to know that on a Quantum level of understanding, you must believe and imagine your way to the outcome you desire, like a movie screen imagine yourself well, vibrant, and thriving. Depression can be a red flag being held up by our soul and our body, to bring attention to something we are ignoring or something that does not serve us which then leads to dis-ease. It can be a transitory station to pass through, after trauma and deep grief. Those experiences are all valid and help us to see what and who we are and what we are capable of. Be kind to yourself and know you are never alone. There is an expansive universe out there and a long line of ancestors ready to assist us if we reach out and believe.
