How To Fight Depression & Be Happy
Depression is unfortunately something a lot of people live with. According to The World Health Organization “280 million people in the world have depression. Depression is about 50% more common among women than among men.”
It is common for us to talk about our physical health issues, but what about the mental health struggles we face every day? It seems we are all more embarrassed to talk about our mental and emotional health; I am not sure if this is due to the society we grew up in or other factors, but I want to use this blog post to open up and talk about this mental elephant in the room and ways we can work to overcome it.
What is Depression?
Depression is a word that encompasses a variety of mental health issues that circle around being extremely sad or indifferent toward life and the things going on around a person. A lot of times the person becomes detached from the world and want to spend the majority of their time alone or in bed.
Symptoms Of Depression Can Show Themselves As:
-Always Feeling Tired Or Low Energy
-Extreme Sadness Or Downward Mood
-Not Wanting To Be Around Others
-Feeling Empty Or Having Suicidal Thoughts
-Losing Interest In Things You Once Enjoyed
-Crying Episodes
Ways To Help Fight Depression & Get Happy Again
We may not understand why we are depressed, it could be a chemical imbalance in our brain, trauma we faced, the weather, or a response to things going on around us; but whatever the reason behind our depression is we can fight it in a few different ways.
Make Yourself Leave The House
As hard as it can be to leave the house when you are feeling depressed, it is one of the best things you can do. Getting outside to get some natural light and Vitamin D can be a huge factor in fighting depression. Also getting out there and making yourself do things you would normally enjoy can help bring happiness into your day. The hardest part is making yourself walk out that door.
Surround Yourself With Happy People
Surrounding yourself with other people who and feeling happier than you can actually wear off on you and increase your happiness. The saying “smiles are contagious” is actually a true statement. Think about this…if you are spending time with someone that is extremely sad it brings your mood down right? Same with if you spend time with a person that is very happy or energetic, these moods will wear off on you as well.
Get Some Bloodwork
Sometimes depression can be caused by lack of certain vitamins and minerals in our body such as magnesium, vitamin D, vitamin B, protein, zinc, selenium, iron, and calcium. There is more research being done our the levels of serotonin in the brain as well. Some studies are pointing to a lack of serotonin as a cause for depression.
If your bloodwork comes back showing you are lacking in certain vitamins and/or minerals, work with your doctor to get on supplements to see if it treats your depression.
EXERCISE!!!
Funny how exercise seems to be on the solution list to every problem we discuss. Getting daily exercise is one of the best ways to combat depression, some doctors say that exercise fights depression as well as or even better than anti depressant medications! Exercise releases endorphins, otherwise known as our bodies “feel good” hormones. Making sure your body gets a good dose of endorphins daily will help fight away the daily blues.
Avoid Depressants Such As Drugs and Alcohol
Alcohol and certain drugs such as opiates, are considered “downers” meaning they can intensify your depression. Researchers have shown that drugs and alcohol are directly correlated with depression and that people that suffer from addiction or have addicted personalities are more likely to be depressed.
Try eliminating drugs and alcohol from your lifestyle and see if it lifts your mood.
Eat A Healthy Diet Full Of Fruits & Veggies
Have you heard the saying “you are what you eat?” This can be true when it comes to depression as well. Eating processed crap foods cause stress and inflammation in your body. If our body internally feels bad then we mentally feel bad as a result. Try eating bright colorful foods for upping your mood. Foods such as bananas, berries, nuts and seeds, and leafy greens are known to enhance your mood and your overall health and wellbeing.
Try Meditation
With the hustle and bustle of the world today sometimes it is hard for us to find a time or place to just sit in silence. If you allow yourself the time to sit and breathe and observe your emotions you may be able to come up with a solution to dealing with them. Try playing a light meditation music and taking 10 minutes a day to start with to just listen to yourself breathe deep and observe the thoughts and emotions that come to you. If you find it hard to meditate on your own, look up guided mediations on YouTube or for a mediation class in your area that focus specifically on guided meditation to fight depression or for manifesting happiness.
Talk To Someone
We all need someone to talk to that we can trust and confide in. If you do not have a family member or friend to talk to, maybe you should try getting help from a therapist. Sometimes things can weigh on us like a big heavy weight and just talking to someone or having someone else know what you are going through can help release the weight. Therapy or speaking to someone can help us see outside of our situation and help us come up with solutions to issue that we couldn’t see ourselves.
In Conclusion
There is no shame in struggling with depression. Depression is actually a common issue people battle every day, and unfortunately it is on the rise as the years go on. The main thing to focus on is that there is still hope for those of us that suffer from it! These are just a few of the ways we can naturally fight against depression; if you are suffering with depression make sure to speak with your health care provider to come up with a solution. Do not try and fight this thing alone!
I hope you know how deeply I care about you as one of my readers, and I hope this blog helped you in combating your depression or is just the start of you finding the resources you need to take your life back.
