10 GREAT TIPS FOE DEALING WITH DEPRESSION
Hello there Depression...
I see you're back again, I thought you had your fill the last time?
Oh you didn't..
It's alright, we'll pick up from where we left off.
Sadly this is an everyday experience for more people than they care to admit.
They are probably like the old me, we prefer to bottle up our feelings and emotions than talk about them.
Like people say, "time heals", so we just let time wave it's magic wand in our faces.
Plus 'we are strong', ain't no one gonn' see me vulnerable.... Hehe..
But then let me ask you this, how much time have you put into that bottled up feeling, and how much has it healed?
You see, let me tell you a story about me.
About a year ago, I got into a motor accident where I fractured both bones on my left leg. The doctors were on strike and little could be done for me at the time, so my leg was just immobilized with POP (you should know that this was done whilst my bones were still overlapping each other, so I had my left leg shorter than my right by a few inches).
A month passed, two months passed without any treatment. In the third month, I went to see an orthopedic consultant, and he told me that my leg had already begun healing itself. I was shocked because I knew nothing was right with my leg, the bones were healing wrongly and it was getting even worse.
Yes time had happened and healing had begun, I should have been happy, but I wasn't, this was definitely not the healing I wanted.
Not at all!
I wanted to be truly fine, and this wasn't anywhere close to it.
So you see, time truly heals, but you can decide if you want it right or wrong.
Keeping that depression all bottled up inside of you and waiting on time to heal you will only make it worse.
As the days went by I felt even more worthless as I throng deeper into the darkness.
I had lost every will to live, and at this point I knew I was going to give in to the suicidal thoughts throbbing my mind sooner or later.
I had already lost, so there was no need to fight anymore.
But here I am writing this, so yes I thought wrong.
Depression rubs you of every will to live, by making you feel less about yourself and magnifying your mistakes and insecurities.
The worst thing you can do while in this state is bottle up that feeling. I've been there, it'll only lead you deeper into depression.
I was able to fight back eventually, but i couldn't have done it all by myself.
Others may prescribe more to you, but here I'll list and explain in few details 10 ways I was able to deal with depression.
Talk To Someone
You can't do it all by yourself, you don't have all the experience and you definitely can't help yourself by sitting down and doing nothing, if not you'd be fine by now.
I know in this part of the world, it's rather uncomfortable to meet a shrink and start telling them about your life and your precious secrets. Nonetheless, isn't the well being of your heart more precious?
Don't Give It Time, Fight That Thought
I know at this point it feels right to just let go and not hold on anymore.
The battles in your mind leave you drained and weak everyday and you just want it to stop. You think the only option you've got is just to let go. You're wrong, you can fight back.
Depressive thoughts are negative thoughts, and how do you fight fire?
With water!
So try your best to focus on positive thoughts, engage in activities that make you happy. Don't give that thought any time, fight back!
Re-evaluate Relationships
Trust me, I'm not talking about just romantic relationships. I'm referring to any ship at all you've boarded..
Yes!
Know when it's the Titanic; it may seem really good but it could also be the reason you're heading to your doom.
There are people we have in our lives that make us feel less and demean us every chance they get, reminding us of our mistakes and bad decisions.
You don't need their words, and you definitely don't need them.
Your priority should be your happiness, and letting go of such toxic relationships is a step towards your goal.
Build A Routine
When folks are depressed, they tend to do too much at the same time in a bid to distract themselves.
NO! This is wrong in every sense of the word. Instead I implore you to find something that works for you.
Thinking and doing too much would only make you feel like you've not made so much progress.
Don't be in a hurry, it takes practice.
Start out with something simple, something you are good at.
It can be cooking, doing the dishes or even something tech related if you're tech savvy. Just make it a habit and be faithful to it.
Set Goals
So you've figured what to do, That's just the first phase. You need to set goals, it can be daily, weekly or even monthly.
Depression can make you feel like you've achieved less than you should have in a given time.
You'll fight that thought effectively by setting and achieving your goals as you've planned them.
Again, don't take on too much than you can handle.
Take On Responsibility
In a state of depression, your natural state is the 'I don't really care' state.
You refuse responsibilities mostly because you've concluded in your mind that you would probably fail at it.
If you don't take on responsibilities, you may never know your true potential.
Having something to look forward to everyday will also help you deal with that negative thought.
Challenge Yourself
Challenge yourself to learn and do something new.
It's self rewarding and a great feeling when everyday you learn and achieve something new.
Sleep Well
Depression can drain you emotionally and also physically and at the same time keep you up at night.
Not sleeping at all and sleeping too much can make your depression worse.
You have to sleep well, but not too much.
Your body needs an approximate 8 hours of sleep everyday to be at optimum performance.
Schedule sleep times and stick to it.
Eat Healthy and Exercise
A lot of people start eating way too much when they feel depressed. Watch what you eat and eat right.
Don't forget to exercise, take walks, go for a run, or even visit the gym.
Exercising can be a part of your daily or weekly routine.
You don't need to do too much, sometimes little is just enough.
Be Happy
I know this may sound pretty hard right now, still you've got everything you need to be happy.
You first have to decide within yourself to be happy.
That is the first and most important step.
Remember I told you earlier that I didn't become happier and feel better all by myself. I had help.
My girlfriend especially and some friends were very instrumental during my time of depression.
Plan to have fun, be around people that make you happy.
I know at first it may feel very weird, don't stop. Keep at it, I'll only get better.
If you've forgotten how, let your friends and loved ones teach you.
Make up your mind to have fun.
Smile without reason no matter how hard it may seem.