8 Ways to Fight Depression

Depression drains your energy, hope, and drive. It empties your soul and strips it of the energy to see anything good or beautiful around you, which in-turn, makes it difficult to carry out your daily activities.

Overcoming depression isn’t easy, but  it’s not impossible. There are a lot of things that can drive a person into depression. The loss of a loved one, a heartbreak, broken trust or marriage, failed career and a lot more. It is not just easy to will yourself to “snap out of it,” but you have more control than you realize, no matter how often you slip into it. Start small and build from there. You may slip a couple of times, but that’s okay. Feeling better takes time. Here are 10 ways you can help yourself fight depression.

1. Limit your time on social media

Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, Instagram… they are casual tools used to keep in touch with friends or stay in the social circle. It can however, be a terrible distraction. Constant time spent on social media sites can lead to an unconscious need to compare yourself to everyone in your social circle. This will no doubt lead to jealousy, insecurity, misplaced feelings of superiority or, feelings of inadequacy, which can depreciate into moods of depression. Cutting back on these apps may be hard at first, its the right step to ease away pain. After all, the life 80% of people display on social media sites are absolutely fake.

2. Reach out and stay connected

When you’re depressed, the only thing you want to do is stay away from everyone. Even reaching out to close family members and friends will be tough. It’s not that you don’t want to reach out, you just can’t bring yourself to reach out to them due to your disturbed emotional state. Support is absolutely essential on the road to recovery. Staying connected to other people and the outside world will make a world of difference in your mood and outlook. You may feel that you have no one to turn to, but you do. You can always make new friends and build a better support system.

3. Stop Comparing Yourself to Others

This is one of the fastest ways to worsen depression. Sure, sometimes it pushes you to work harder or motivates you. When you aren’t in the right frame of mind, this only increases the feeling of inadequacy. This is unnecessary and a tremendous waste of time and energy. The neighbor or friend you envy for their fancy car or huge house or perfect body has just as many problems as you. Try to focus on yourself, your own betterment, and your own life. Don’t obsess over other people.

4. Distract Yourself

If possible, do your best to distract yourself from over thinking. Your thoughts become your enemy when depression sets in. Play with a pet, go for a walk, read a book, listen to soothing music and if you are able to concentrate, finish a puzzle. Do anything that takes your mind off your fears and worries. Keeping busy is an effective way to overcome depression.

5. Write It Out

Record your thoughts. Writing down what sets you off or drags you down can be therapeutic, especially when expressing yourself doesn’t come easy. Some people feel better and less stressed after systematically sorting through their emotions on a written page. In psychotherapy, a field of study called Journal Therapy exists. Developed by Dr. Ira Progoff, it specializes in helping patients write their way to better mental health.

6. Get Enough Sleep

Inadequate sleep can cause irritability and stress, while healthy sleep can enhance well-being. Studies have shown that even partial sleep deprivation has a significant effect on one’s mood. Take steps to ensure you get adequate sleep, as this will lead to improved mood and well-being. The quality of your sleep directly affects the quality of your mental sharpness, productivity, emotional balance, creativity, physical vitality, and even your weight. No other activity delivers so many benefits with so little effort, so aim for between 7 and 9 hours of sleep per night.

7. Forgive 

When we hold a grudge, we are the ones that feel the anger. The person you’re angry with is going about their business completely unaware of your feelings. Don’t allow others to have this power over you. They have may have caused you grief in the past, but try not to allow that grief have a hold over you, as it affects one person only – You. Find a way to forgive whoever, or whatever may have hurt you, they are not worthy of your time.

8. You have to work on your happiness, it won’t just happen on its own

After all is said and done, much is said and less is done. Happiness is a state of mind that takes practice. You have to be willing to take a hard look at your life, cut out bad habits and people, and make changes internally. You have just one life, so it is important to live it to the fullest, in the most healthy and peaceful way possible. Work, invest, subscribe and believe in your own happiness. Everybody is capable of being happy.