You should always have some knowledge of what you need to look for and what you
can do to deal with depression. You need to know what resources are available to
you, and who can provide you answers as to what you need to improve your life.
Here are a couple helpful tips to get you started.
When you exercise,
your brain releases endorphins. Brain endorphins are a stimulant that enhances
your mood. When you are feeling down or depressed, start moving and get involved
in a workout. Rigorous, high-energy workouts will be most advantageous. The
endorphins make you feel better, and the exercise itself gets you in shape,
which also makes you feel better.
A good tip to battle depression is to
make sure you get enough rest each night. A common symptom of depression is
restlessness and insomnia, so make sure you are making every effort to get at
least 6, preferably 8, hours of sleep a night. Retaining a high level of energy
and activity in the daylight hours can lead to deeper sleep when you go to
bed.
Change your negative behaviors that contribute towards your downward
slide into depression. The idea here is simple: Ditch those bad habits and
replace them with only positive habits. If negative situations get you down and
depressed, keep reminding yourself that self-berating and self-blame only lead
to depression, and that is not the answer. Do not continue to sabotage yourself
with problems.
Avoid using the words "depressed" or "depression." Even
though they are real words, they carry quite a few extra meanings and that can
make feelings of hopelessness seem a lot worse than they really are. Instead, if
you start to feel upset, just imagine that it's a low mood. Simply concentrate
on happier things, rather than dwelling on fighting depression.
A poor
diet can be an aggravating factor in depression. Unhealthy foods can have a
depressive effect on thought patterns, making you feel like you're in a loop
with no way out of the symptoms you're experiencing. Fatty foods especially
should be avoided as you try to plan a healthy diet.
Sometimes depression
can be made worse if you are not watching what you eat. If you face depression
it may be due to making unhealthy eating choices, leading to more unhappiness
and bad health. Change your diet to include more fruits, vegetables, lean meats
and whole grains.
As you have seen in the above tips, there is a lot of
knowledge you can acquire before seeking treatment for your depression and it's
this knowledge, along with assistance from a doctor, that can help improve your
symptoms. Do everything you must to find a treatment that works for you.