The article was prepared by a specialist for informational purposes only. We urge you not to self-medicate. When the first symptoms appear, consult a doctor.
Depression is a consequence of frequent stress and the lack of possibility of so-called emotional “release.” For this reason, a person loses some of his energy and the ability to resist even the most insignificant experiences. All this is a direct road to depression.
The task in such a situation can only be to accumulate energy and rest, which will help you forget about stress. This is the only way to get out of depression on your own. Below are 10 principles that will definitely help.
Depression works on 3 levels: body, mind, spirit
To effectively get rid of depression, you need to work on each of the three levels. This is explained by the fact that they are interconnected, strengthening or weakening each other. You need to start by choosing a specific goal in life that will push you to move. The more significant this activity is, for example, charity or community service, the faster the replenishment of energy reserves will be.
It is best to find an activity that will help connect all three levels: body, mind and spirit. An excellent practice in this regard is yoga, which activates all the senses and awakens vitality. It is very important not to forget about the frequency of classes. So, the more time you spend on yoga, the faster you will get out of depression. The body needs to be launched so that it enters a certain rhythm and does not leave it. It is recommended to do what you love at least 2-3 times a week.
Content:
Exercise is very important to cope with depression
There is nothing more important and useful than physical exercise. They make it possible to activate the body, which has a positive effect on the emotional state. After all, all this is interconnected, making up a single organism.
Desirable physical exercises to overcome depression include:
- Swimming;
- Biking;
- Fitness;
- Any dances;
- Yoga.
All these practices are good because they don’t give you time to think about the negative side of life. In addition, they give vigor because they push a person to constantly improve himself and his capabilities. Thus, physical exercise perfectly combines all three levels outlined earlier.
Am I sick?
If you have carefully studied the list of symptoms and discovered that you have most of the symptoms, do not be alarmed ahead of time. Until the doctor, based on research and a series of tests, has given you a clear diagnosis, it is too early to worry about how to get rid of depression.
The presence of short-term periods of melancholy or the appearance of weak and rare suicidal thoughts can be associated with excessive stress at work, accumulated fatigue and a host of other reasons. However, too many coincidences are a reason to think whether your usual lifestyle will lead to the fact that sooner or later you will face the problem of getting out of clinical depression. Perhaps you should now evaluate whether periods of dissatisfaction with yourself are dragging on, and think about how to get rid of sadness before it develops into a full-fledged disease.
The best cure for depression, as with most diseases, is prevention and preventative measures.
Depression comes from our negative emotions
Negative emotions are feelings such as envy, resentment or guilt. To one degree or another, they are present in the life of every person, but not everyone experiences depression. If they do appear, then it is necessary to figure out exactly why this happened. Next, you should fight exclusively with this factor, cutting off unnecessary layers of information. Of course, this cannot be done without the help of a qualified psychologist. However, in the early stages it is quite possible to cope with this on your own.
Is it possible to recover without drugs?
Any doctor will say: in the case of a real confirmed medical diagnosis, it is better not to even ask the question “how to get rid of depression on your own.” This is akin to the question “how to cure cancer by laying on of hands” or “how to amputate an affected limb without a knife” - a specialist cannot prohibit you from trying, but he will immediately relieve himself of responsibility for your health.
However, if you ask another question - “how to help yourself with depression”, the doctor, most likely, in addition to a prescription for antidepressants designed to correct the disturbances in chemical activity that have arisen in the brain, will suggest certain everyday methods - long walks, physical activity, etc. Thus, if a specialist nevertheless prescribes a course of medication to the patient, you should not neglect it, however, some simple tips that will tell you how to cope with depression will help speed up the process and overcome the disease.
Independent work with depression
Psychologists recommend wishing every person happiness for just 5 minutes every day, in the morning and evening. Benevolence towards others, kindness and openness will help you find peace of mind. This will help you get out of depression with minimal losses. Such people who are truly benevolent never encounter such a harmful condition.
Independent work with depression also implies a hobby that will not only be regular, but will also give a person the opportunity to develop. We can talk about taking photographs, attending any courses and much more. It will be equally useful to get an energy boost by walking in the fresh air, outside the city.
How to get rid of depression on your own, advice from a psychologist, 10 proven methods
Deep apathy is accompanied by powerlessness. However, the patient probably has enough energy to watch a comedy, take a walk around the house, or call a childhood friend. Next, we will give advice from psychologists on getting out of depression, most of which may be useful in your case.
Tip 1. To get rid of depression, you can’t isolate yourself!
Thinking and reasoning about why depression began is the most useless thing because:
- If you have become depressed because you are unable to change, then you just need to face it;
- If you suddenly want to delve into memories, then this will only make things worse; you must understand that life goes on.
- When you cannot answer the first two questions for yourself, and you begin to oppress yourself more and more, ask yourself the question - Why do I need this? If there are a lot of advantages from what happened to you, you simply forgot them.
Remember: “What doesn’t kill us makes us stronger.”
You need to abstract yourself from the situation and do what you love or hobby. Watch a cool movie, meet with friends, read an interesting book, do anything that requires you to be very busy.
Tip 2. Stay connected and you will get rid of stress and depression
Despite the strong desire to isolate yourself from the outside world, you should not do this. On the contrary, interaction with society is necessary to get rid of stress to quickly restore your mood. Connecting with the outside world can cultivate changes in your views and beliefs and help you overcome depression. Even if you feel like you have no one to talk to, it's never too late to make friends.
- seek support from loved ones around whom you feel comfortable;
- communicate by phone, correspond by email and on social networks;
- have lunch with someone in a cafe or restaurant;
- watch news media, stay up to date;
- support others - psychologists say that helping other people is a strong incentive to get out of depression;
- take care of pets or homeless animals;
Tip 3. To overcome depression, don’t make a mountain out of a mountain.
Quite often people get depressed because of the little things they accumulate. In such situations, people feel like problems are haunting them. We hasten to please you - this is not so. You have set yourself up to believe that everything is bad, and you are fixating your attention on various unnecessary little things. You need to make a list of your problems and give each failure a rating out of 10 that makes you think you are depressed.
Immediately rank the importance of the problem in ascending order.
For example, 3 = broken plate, 7 = quarrel with father, and 10 = betrayal of a loved one.
If the problem is not that serious, forget about it and that’s it, it’s nonsense. It’s better to concentrate on problems starting from 7 and above, you need to think about how to solve this problem. Our people are already turning into Americans, who are almost all on antidepressants.
It is necessary to solve the problem as it arises.
Tip 4: Money Rubber Method
The money band method is a unique method that helps overcome depression. How it works? Take one regular elastic band for money and put it on your wrists.
The moment you start thinking about something negative, you pull the rubber band and hit yourself on the wrist. It hits quite hard, you feel pain and switch your thoughts to something positive. Every time you repeat this action, the so-called “Anchor” in psychology is activated, which will then automatically transfer you to good thoughts, and you will easily get out of depression.
The main thing is not to forget to put on a new elastic band when the old one breaks!
Tip 5. There are always things that can cheer you up
Sometimes, to get out of depression, it is enough to experience pleasure. There are plenty of recreational activities that can lift your spirits. Plan your every day.
- watch an old comedy;
- take up a hobby or sport;
- try to immerse yourself in creativity (draw, write stories or compose a melody);
- go on an excursion or to the stadium;
- try to get 8 hours of sleep;
- take a walk in the fresh air - preferably on a sunny day;
- drink coffee or eat in the fresh air;
- spend time on a park bench;
- do yoga;
- take a bath;
Tip 6. You can get out of depression on your own with the help of positive thoughts
Lie down on a comfortable bed and try to look at your problems from the other side. Think it over carefully
Try to conduct a psychotherapy session with yourself, starting an analysis of troubles with the words: “In the end...”.
- Got fired from your job and started to feel depressed?
If you are depressed due to being fired from your job, there is no need to panic at all, new doors have opened for you with endless possibilities. You should have no time to sit and gnaw at yourself from the inside. You should strive to find a better place for yourself and improve.
- Separated from your husband or boyfriend?
As a result, you have gained freedom of action and are open to new emotions and feelings. You will no longer be annoyed by various actions that caused quarrels and scandals.
Look for the positive sides, only you know them. After you do this, you will feel the depression begin to lift and become much easier.
Tip 7. To quickly get out of depression, be energetic.
When you're depressed, even getting out of bed can seem like a daunting task. But physical activity and exercise are a powerful depression fighter and one of the most important tools in your recovery arsenal. Regular exercise is as effective as medications for relieving symptoms of depression. They also prevent relapse after recovery.
The most beneficial are rhythmic exercises: walking, strength training, swimming, martial arts or dancing. Do something that requires you to actively move your arms and legs.
Tip 8. Eat right
Everything a person eats directly affects his mood. You should avoid consuming foods that can negatively affect the nervous system: caffeine, alcohol, trans fats or foods high in preservatives, stabilizers and hormones.
- don't skip meals;
- Eliminate sugar and refined carbohydrates from your diet. Although sweets and baked goods lift your spirits, their long-term effect is to make you feel more depressed;
- help the body with vitamins. Eat more citrus fruits, greens, legumes, chicken and eggs;
Tip 9: Enjoy the sunshine
Daily doses of the sun's best boost serotonin production and improve mood. Whenever possible, go outside during the day to spend at least 15 minutes in the sun. Leave your sunglasses and sunscreen at home.
- Take your lunch break for a walk, drink coffee in the fresh air or enjoy a meal in an outdoor cafe;
- Do street sports. Play golf, tennis or badminton with a friend;
- Take up gardening or work in your garden;
- Your apartment or office should have enough natural light. Open the curtains, sit near the window;
Tip 10. Contact specialists
If you have tried all our advice from a psychologist on getting out of depression on your own, but you still haven’t managed to change your mood, and your depression is still getting worse, you should seek professional help. This does not mean that you are weak. Self-medication does not always have a positive result.
However, drug treatment for depression should be accompanied by following our advice. This way you will speed up the healing process and avoid relapse.
Demanding leads to depression
Man is a demanding entity, confident that everything must happen in accordance with the rules he has established. At the same time, this is what creates expectations within each of us that may not be realized. This creates a kind of psychological funnel: resentment, aggression, and anger accumulate there. All this leads to depression or, at least, a constant bad mood.
In order to avoid this, you need to learn to act in accordance with simple rules:
- Do your duty without expecting anything in return from anyone;
- Everything that happens, as well as the past and the future, should be perceived with love;
- Achieving your goals is necessary, but under no circumstances should you resort to extreme measures.
Thus, the key to getting rid of depression is to give up expecting anyone or anything. Such processes only waste mental and energy reserves, which are necessary to maintain emotional and physical health. Being demanding of life will not make it easier, because everything will happen as it happens, regardless of thoughts and experiences. Therefore, there is no point in wasting time and nerves on this.
Practice meditation and development
Focusing your thoughts and putting them in order can rewire your brain to heal. If you purposefully and thoughtfully begin to control your thoughts and yourself, then your brain, body and mind will be able to work harmoniously, paying attention to the joys of life that have long been forgotten.
Constant visualization of your desires and auto-training help a lot. They provide an opportunity to take a fresh look at yourself and your capabilities. Self-confidence increases, and new programs appear in the head that tune the brain to positive thinking.
Obsession with any problem gives rise to its protracted nature. Therefore, it is necessary to find a place (hobby) where you will unwind and draw energy. It is not for nothing that poets and artists in this state produced masterpieces that are valuable to this day.
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To cope with depression, it is important to reconsider your life
An effective way to get rid of depression is to review your life. It will be necessary to do a lot in this regard: from reconsidering your life: reassessing values to getting rid of the burden that pulls a person down. To make this stage go much easier and faster, you can seek help from a psychologist. Group therapy works great.
It is very important to pay attention to this stage, so that after some time new energy appears that can be directed to changing the life situation. Without this, getting out of depression is simply impossible.
Symptoms of depression.
Depression is a healthy reaction of the body to the loss of something or someone important, or encountering life’s difficulties. But when symptoms of depression dominate the daily emotional landscape and occur over a long period of time, it can prevent a person from leading a normal life.
Symptoms of depression:
- unable to concentrate, memory loss;
- laziness, powerlessness;
- feelings of guilt, sadness, helplessness and uselessness;
- feeling of hopelessness, pessimism;
- loss of sleep;
- irritability, restlessness, anxiety;
- lack of interest in previously enjoyable activities;
- lack of appetite;
- headaches, cramps;
- health problems that cannot be treated with medication;
- thoughts of suicide, suicide attempts.
The correct reaction to the world is the prevention of many problems
Without observing this point, depression will return again and again. It is necessary to respond appropriately to the world around each of us. It's not just about optimism, but also about realizing your true nature. It is necessary to “look to the very root”, to see the essence of the problems: psychological, career. This will help you cope with them and soberly assess your chances.
I would like to note that many people take antidepressants. This does relieve depression for a while, but then it comes back again, because such remedies only treat the symptoms, and not the depression itself. In this regard, taking antidepressants is extremely undesirable.
On the subject: 3 medicinal plants that will help with depression
How is the healing process going?
Each patient's disease progresses differently, but there are general patterns that are very characteristic of all cases. Recovery often proceeds as follows:
- During the day, the patient experiences “enlightenments.” They last 1-2 hours.
- Then these intervals become longer.
- Then the patient can afford to work a little (from 12 noon until the evening).
- The finale is a complete restoration of the state that was before the disease.
In the end, the victim notices that he no longer has a headache, stomach, heart, fear has subsided, he is able to do some work and at the same time no longer needs to urgently take an antidepressant. These are clear signs of remission.
So, we looked at the causes of depression, its typical manifestations, ways to independently combat the disease and modern principles of its treatment. It is better to overcome deep depression under the close supervision of a doctor, but it is quite possible to cope with mild forms on your own. Don’t be afraid if you are faced with this disease, but it’s even better to take action to prevent it. Alternate work with rest, eat right, walk a lot, love yourself and the people around you, and most importantly, teach yourself to look at every shade of the amazing picture called “Life.”
Learn to enjoy the little things
It seems that joy should appear by itself, but in practice it turns out to be completely different. It's hard to be happy about a new day. A new task at work - hence the depression. Therefore, you need to change yourself and your approach to life. It is necessary, and this is very important, to learn to enjoy every little thing, to enjoy communication and other things that seem everyday.
This is perhaps the most important thing - to rejoice in what already exists or will soon be. You shouldn’t fall into an apathetic state because something didn’t work out, but you shouldn’t give up on this endeavor either. While a person is alive, he has everything to achieve his goals and enjoy not only this process, but also the result.
Methods
How to relieve depression? This state is similar to prolonged indifference - the patient seems to be in a dream; during the recovery process, both ups and downs of mood can be observed. Perhaps the chosen method will not help the first time - but there is no need to fall into despair.
A person is able to help himself with depression, he just needs to understand that depression will try to absorb him again, so he will have to show some effort.
There are various methods of struggle, but whichever one is chosen, you should start with small steps, gradually approaching the goal. Choose any opportunities - every saving way helps you remain yourself and overcome difficulties, but this takes time.
Establish nutrition
It would seem, how is nutrition related to mood? However, this connection exists because the supply of all necessary components to the body (vitamins, minerals) through food is the most important component of health, and, therefore, mood.
In order to avoid depression, you will need to include a significant amount of foods such as vegetables, fruits and freshly squeezed juices in your menu. For example, bananas contain a huge amount of endorphins, which are responsible for happiness.
