4 Effective Ways to Cope with Depression
from your RAFT Counseling Team
Depression is a serious mental health issue. Unfortunately, you can’t just “snap out of it” and instantly feel better and not depressed anymore.
Depression can leave you feeling low on energy, isolated, empty, exhausted, and more.
That being said, you can take small steps and work towards coping with your depression. By actively working towards taking the right steps to cope, you’ll feel more in control of your life and your depression.
Here are 4 effective ways to cope with depression.
1. Prioritize Your Needs
When you feel you look good, you feel good. This starts from the inside out. Focus on what your body needs to get through the day.
Fuel your body with the proper nutrition. Strive to eat healthy and balanced meals. Try to avoid comfort foods you may crave when you’re feeling anxious or stressed. You may just end up feeling worse after. Eating nourishing foods will make you feel better all around.
Exercise is a great way to boost your self-esteem and mood. It’s also a great way to help manage your stress and anxiety.
Start small. Finding a fitness routine doesn’t mean you have to become a marathoner or a bodybuilder. Find what works for you. Go on walks around your block or hikes at your local park. Go rollerblading or on a bike ride with friends. Hit up a gym class. Or roll out a yoga mat in your living room and practice yoga or meditation.
Sleep is essential for rest, recovery, and overall health and wellness. Depression usually causes disturbances in sleeping habits. Try to prioritize your sleep. Find a good sleep schedule and routine and stick to it. You want to make sure you have enough energy to get through each day.
2. Journal
Journaling is a great way to help manage all of your thoughts, feelings, and emotions. Write down how you’re feeling. This exercise can help release any pent-up energy and emotions. You’ll feel better by releasing everything on paper.
Journaling is also a great tool to look back on later for learning and digging deeper into how you’re feeling and what you can do moving forward to overcome your emotions next time.
3. Stick to a Schedule
A sleep schedule is crucial for your body to function properly. When faced with depression, having a schedule in your day-to-day life is also very important.
Depression is known to cause feelings of low self-esteem and lack of motivation. Having a schedule in place can help to keep your life a little more in balance. Try to create and keep a routine so that you’re more likely to get out of bed and check off some tasks on your to-do list.
4. Talk It Out
Depression will leave you feeling like you’re alone. Don’t let it fool you. Friends and family are there for you whenever you need them. They always have been. It’s okay to reach out for help.
Lean on them for support. Don’t withdraw from your loved ones. Your social life is very important, and it can save you from some symptoms of depression that can cause you to pull away. Social groups can prevent you from falling into a deeper state of depression. Don’t be alone in your thoughts. Hang out with friends and participate in activities that make you happy.
Support groups are also a great way to talk about how you’re feeling to others who can relate to you. Therapy is another great way to be able to talk about how you’re feeling with an unbiased third party.