I occasionally suffer from mild depression – see my previous post for more insight into what that means.
But today I’m happy to have – I HOPE – just put another low period behind me.
So this is an ideal time to share my personal tips for ways to prevent, treat and minimize periods of depression. I prefer to avoid medication and go for natural remedies as much as I can, so the 5 methods I’ve mentioned below are all natural or alternative forms of therapy.
1. Get plenty of sunlight
Whether you’re a morning person or a night owl, there’s no denying that humans are essentially diurnal creatures, proven by our need for sunlight to produce vitamin D. Some people seem to be more affected by a lack of sunlight than others, and I certainly seem to fall into the “more” category. My bouts of depression usually occur in the winter when the days are shorter and the weather is worse. But I’ve noticed that if I force myself to go outside and get some daylight every day, I feel better in the following days.
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2. Get plenty of exercise
If you like walking out of doors, this step goes naturally with the first one. But any kind of exercise is beneficial. Yoga, gym, team sports, aerobics etc. Depression often comes with a feeling of listlessness making me want to lie around all day, but I know it’s a bad idea because it eventually leads to a lowered metabolism and even less energy. Going dancing or hitting the gym is my favourite way to get the blood pumping!
3. Don’t sleep too much
We’re always hearing about how we live in a sleep-starved society and that everyone needs more sleep. However, if you’re depressed, this may not be true. I recently read THIS article from the BBC:
which suggests that sleep deprivation may be a way to combat depression. I myself have noticed that I often feel more cheerful in the late evening, which might be when the lack of sleep starts to kick in and improve my mood. But whether this theory is true or not, I think it’s a good idea not to let yourself sleep more than you really need because oversleeping contributes to the lack of energy I mentioned in point 2.
4. Force yourself to socialize.
This is a tricky one and requires some judgement on your part. I have had a lot of success with forcing myself to be sociable with friends, even if I didn’t feel like meeting them beforehand. It’s true what they say that meeting good friends can cheer you up. It’s also true about “fake it till you make it”. Sometimes, I force myself to smile and act happy, it turns into actual happy feelings.
On the flip side, there are times when I simply cannot bear to be around people, and I know that I will simply burst into tears for no reason. In these cases, I can’t stand the thought of having to explain why I’m so miserable (when there’s no logical reason for it). And it just makes people uncomfortable. So like I said, the socialising thing is something that you have to gauge for yourself.
5. Acupuncture
My family has a lot to thank to this amazing healing art. Although it’s often recommended for physical ailments such as arthritis and headaches, but it does wonders for emotional disorders too. In my early twenties I had a terrible time with a period of depression that lasted months. Two visits to the acupuncturist and I found the joy in life again.
It also really helped my mother process her grief after my father died. It might not work for everyone, but is surely worth a try.
If you’re reading this and are suffering from depression yourself, I really hope the tips that I have recommended can be of some help to you. Please comment below if you have other tips to share, or your own stories about recovering from depression.
Thank you for reading! This is an original post created for Steemit by @Victoria-Kelly
I also love reading. Read my most recent book review here
First image from Pixabay
Second image: mine