A Few Uplifting Tips of Beating Back Depression
- Reduce Your Stress
Stress is the body’s natural way to respond to a threat in its environment. In the short term, stress boost the energy and allows for fast decisions that can save life and limb when escaping a predator, for example. But, this natural defense mechanism has been misappropriated in our highly artificial societies.
Many people today live in a state of perpetual stress and the stress drug “cortisol” can have serious implication on physical and mental health. Get in the practice of recognizing stressors and stress in your life and applying de-stressing activities as needed throughout your day.
- Improve Your Sleep Hygiene
You can greatly improve your regular mood by ensuring your sleep habits are on point. There have been many studies that establish a strong link between the occurrences of sleep disorders and poor quality sleep habits.
If you notice that you are having a harder and harder time falling asleep, or that the slightest disturbances keep you awake at night, you may think about improving your sleep hygiene. This could include relaxation practices and other sleep-smart ideas like shutting off electronics an hour before bed time.
Furthermore, if you aren’t sleeping or engaging in sexual congress, you have no reason to be in bed. The bed is not a place for watching TV, eating, texting or otherwise exciting the mind and body.
- Improve Your Eating Habits
There are many well-established links between healthy eating and good mood as well. As a matter of fact, many of the essential vitamins and nutrients that should be included in a healthy diet can be considered anti-depressants. Vitamin D is one good example
Other studies have linked a lack of zinc in the diet to conditions of depression. One of the best ways to make sure your resilience to depression is strong will be to make sure your diet is well-balanced. Be sure to discuss any diet changes you are hoping to make with a qualified nutritionist who can make suitable suggestions.
- Learn How to Stop Negative Thoughts
Depression is often associated with negative thought patterns that can have very real emotional effects that can hamper mental and physical health. Learning to recognize these thoughts as they enter your head is an important step in learning to beat them back.
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a type of treatment that can be used to more clearly identify these tendencies of the mind and improve mental positivity. There are also many apps, books and courses online that can offer help in this regard. Visit claritychi.com or professional advice.
- Beat Procrastination
Depression symptoms can disguise themselves in many ways, fatigue and difficulty concentrating are two things that can make procrastination a tempting option. But, this will only give you more things to be depressed about in the long run. You will actually find that getting up and getting things accomplished adds to your sense of self-worth and helps fight off worry, stress and guilt.
- Get a Handle on Your Household Chores
Depression can make you neglect the small things that make your home an inspiration to live in. Things like regular clean up, chores and paying bills can then begin to pile up.
Don’t allow this to happen to you. Take full control of your daily work and watch the results. Your natural environment is a reflection of yourself and seeing things neat and orderly can help with your self-image.