Top Ten Depression Tips

I know you came here looking for depression tips and help that you can use to feel happier. Having suffered from depression in the past, I know how difficult it can be to get yourself out of the endless cycle of despair, lack of interest and lack of motivation. The good news is that whether or not you’re stuck in this cycle or feel like you’re headed in that direction, there are some simple things you can do or pay more attention to which can help you turn ship much faster than you’d imagined. I’ve put together my best tips for you which can serve as your armor in the fight against depression if you’re able to consistently and actively incorporate them into your daily life.

Some of these depression tips are focused on the physical aspect of your life and about your health, both of which are vital in overcoming depression. Others consider how your mind and your thinking patterns work, and how these can be improved to boost your mental well-being. The best part is that you can put all of this advice into action starting today, and if you start forming habits from them you’ll start to notice the changes in your life and your mood almost immediately!

So here we go, my top ten tips for beating depression – all equally important:

1. 1. Fresh Air. Open the windows in your house and breath in fresh air. Go for a walk and enjoy the benefits that a fresh supply of oxygen has on your brain. Just getting outdoors will relax you and melt away your stress. Your negative thinking will disappear and you’ll feel happier.

1. 1. Exercise. This follows on from the previous tip. Exercise will help you to forget your worries and will help you feel more positive. Your energy will increase and you’ll feel ready to face the world with a new happier attitude. Exercise also helps to make you look better and will boost your confidence. Just try exercising and being negative – you can’t!

1. 1. Light. You may feel unhappy in the winter or on dark days. Don’t you feel happy when the sun shines? Try to make your home as light as possible. If necessary change the colours so that light reflects off the walls. Go outside when the sun is out. Sunlight has health benefits (don’t overdo it of course). More light will make you feel happier and healthier too.

1. 1. Imagine. Let your imagination help you to break out of your negative thoughts. Using your imagination to visualize (see your dreams becoming real) is very powerful. Actually, just using your mind to imagine for a moment what might happen if things improved or if you had what you want or need can help you incredibly. Your depression will start to melt away as you begin to imagine what is possible, instead of what is impossible. If you can dream about something you CAN achieve it.

1. 1. Set some goals. Depression gets worse as you feel hopeless. Having a sense of hope comes from having clear aims. Are you drifting without direction in your life? If so you’ll feel unhappy and dissatisfied. Clear goals will help you to feel more positive. So how should you make goals? Your dreams for a happier future will seem more reachable if you break them into smaller achievable steps. Make each goal easy because when you suffer from depression you need hope that you can complete the steps and goals you set. What do you want or need to change? What challenges or problems do you need to overcome? Note them down. What is making you so unhappy and depressed? What goals will help you? Setting achievable goals will change your thinking so you become less negative and unhappy. As you achieve each goal your negativity becomes positivity.

1. 1. Take action. Doing nothing or procrastinating feeds depression. It increases your hopelessness and unhappiness so take action as soon as you can. When you know what you need to do, don’t wait, get started and you’ll feel happier imediately. Action works against depression and lifts you into a more positive frame of mind. Beware of indecision. Inaction because of indecision only leads back to unhappiness and depression. Fear is often behind indecision and inaction so focus on facing any fears which stop you from acting positively. Take action – any action – today! One action you may decide to take and that is often the hardest is to seek help. Many times the problem and symptoms depression produces are overwhelming and you may need professional help. There are many options, some of them are listed here. You will also find some useful information about different types of depression, addiction and some medications used for treatment.

1. 1. Express your emotions. Talk to a friend and explain how you feel. It may do you a lot of good to talk about your pain. A friend will give you a different perspective. A friend can share their experience and support you. Maybe your friend has also suffered from depression and can help with some advice.

1. 1. Write about your progress. Writing about the pain that depression is causing you is helpful but not if you focus on that too much. The best way to use writing to heal yourself is to create a journal and write about your progress. You should write down how you behave and feel as you face challenges each day. In particular, note down how, despite your unhappiness and negativity, you are not giving up rather you are slowly taking steps to escape the darkness. Rate your performance in difficult situations and the improvement in how you feel about yourself.

1. 1. Read a book that will make you feel happy. Books are so motivating and there are so many out there that can strengthen you. I advise you to take a look at some of the wonderful books about depression on this site.

1. Listen to inspiring music. This is an instant mood changer. When I feel stressed or angry for some reason I slip on my headphones and listen to soothing music. In an instant my negative thoughts become positive and my unhappiness leaves me. There is so much great music out there. I particularly like Enya or Origen for example but anything inspirational be it classical, new age or rock can work. Try it. Depression is closely linked to stress, so inspirational music can relax you and help you to calm yourself.

BONUS TIP!

If you haven’t checked it out already, you have to consider the best-selling Natural Depression Treatment Program. I have received nothing but positive feedback from all my patients who have tried out the program and, having tried it myself, I can promise you this is one of the best steps forward you can take in the fight against depression. Have a read through of the program summary here and then decide whether it’s for you or not!

I hope these tips help you begin forming better habits which lead you to peace and serenity in your life. Of course it may require time and a lot of effort, but isn’t the prospect of a depression-free, happier and simpler life worth fighting for? Always remember that you are not alone and that people do care about you. I certainly do.

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Please feel free to contact me here or through our Facebook page if you feel you need further advice or need someone to talk to – I’m always happy to help!