More Than The Blues: 4 Small Ways to Begin Combating Depression

Many people go through depressive episodes in their lives. It’s not just feeling down or sad; it’s a pervasive sense of hopelessness, emptiness, and numbness that can make even the simplest tasks seem daunting.

However, there are small steps you can take on your own that can lift your mood and take care of your mental health. While these may not be a cure-all, they can serve as valuable tools for combating your depression.

1. Challenge your negative thinking

Depression is marked by cognitive distortions or irrational ideas about yourself and others. You may berate yourself over small mistakes or believe your depression is a sign that you’re a bad person. These cognitive distortions can be incredibly damaging to your mental health. To challenge them, keep a journal of your negative thoughts. Pay attention to their patterns—do you usually have a thought spiral after specific interactions or activities? Once you know the shape these thoughts take, you can begin questioning their validity. Look for evidence that they’re true. When you start to doubt yourself on these, you’ll find that you’re holding yourself to an impossible standard and that these thoughts are unrealistic.

2. Make time for sunlight

The sun can have a huge impact on your mental health. Find ways to get outside during daylight hours. This might mean having morning coffee outside, taking walks after lunch, or spending weekends in the park. Bonus points if you combine sun-soaking with exercise—tennis, hiking, or walking through the park. If you don’t get much sunlight where you live, invest in a light box that mimics the real thing.

3. Create a schedule

Your depression probably makes you want to stay in bed, avoid responsibilities, eat junk food, and stay away from the things you once loved to do. While that may feel better in the moment, this is a long-term recipe for depression taking a huge toll on your life. Create a schedule you can stick to that works in things you enjoy. For example, if you used to love a morning routine, set aside time to brew yourself coffee and read before getting started for the day. Create a practice of relaxing routines in the evening, such as doing yoga or meditating before bed. Pencil in walks outside, meeting up with friends, or even going to the movies alone every week. Once something is on your schedule, it’s harder to ignore it. You’ll feel more in control of your life and satisfied when you cross things off your to-do list.

4. Reach out to a friend

The very nature of depression means it’s hard to talk about—you might feel ashamed or afraid to open up to others. But if you tell a friend, family member, or partner about how you’ve been feeling lately, chances are they’re willing to listen. It’s important to have someone on your side who can hold you accountable for things like getting outside the house, socializing with others, taking care of your body, and talking through your feelings. When you have that accountability with someone who cares, you might be able to stop depression from taking too strong of a hold on your life.

Are you trying to combat depression?

For some people, especially those with seasonal affective disorder, depression isn’t a permanent state of being. They may have an easier time of lifting their mood and getting back to normal. But for others, this feels like an impossible task. If natural, at-home methods of combating depression don’t seem to work for you, it might be time to talk to a mental health professional. You may need medication, therapy, or some combination of the two.

To learn more about how depression therapy can help lift you out of depression, please reach out to us.