It can be a darkness that digs a hole through the middle of your body and cocoons itself there to hibernate.
It can release itself into the world as a great sadness, causing you to become one with your bed or couch, unbathed, eating too much or not enough, not socializing as you used to.
Or perhaps it’s mood swings of great anger. You’re easily triggered, jumpy, on edge, almost frightened. In public, you may be forced to put on the drama mask of the “happy face” while you’re squishing down all those emotions, eventually waiting to rip through the cocoon.
This is depression.
I’m sure you have been told, “We all get sad sometimes, cheer up,” or “Stay positive, it will get better.” These statements have made us feel even sadder, and we become emotionally dysregulated.
We are already trying our hardest within our own survival mode. So when we hear, “stay positive,” it isn’t going to make us climb out of our darkness any faster or become more “happy-go-lucky” to the social norm.
Since it’s caused by one or a combination of a chemical imbalance in the brain, or trauma, no, depression is not simply going to go away or “be cured.”
There is a speck of light to the darkness of it at least. There is hope, you are not alone, and there are many coping mechanisms.
Let me show you how to deal with depression.
Take Note of Where You Are
Affecting millions of people daily, depression is a common occurrence which may include some of those people in your life. What you may not realize is that they face similar challenges, emotions, and obstacles.
The way to navigate your depression is by being open, accepting, and loving toward yourself and what you are going through.
Each day is different, and with the importance of taking our mental health seriously, we need to accept that we will not always be where we are, right in this moment.
A Simple Walk
Yes, I realize this is easier said than done on days we feel we cannot yank ourselves out of bed. It feels like the very last thing we want to do, however exercise and physical activity help lower our depression symptoms and boost energy levels. For some, it can not only relieve symptoms, but also help prevent future depressive episodes. This would be getting into a regular exercise routine that works for you.
If you are stuck in bed, a small step is trying to get out for a simple walk and it doesn’t have to be for a long time or very far.
Exercise can help release the hormones known as endorphins which can help to relieve stress, pain and invoke positivity.
If you’re not one for going hard at the gym, walking, running or any kind of sport, perhaps something like Zumba would help. You’re moving, and you don’t have to be coordinated, however you may just find yourself with a slight smile by the end of the session. If you aren’t into being around people just yet do a Yoga or Tai Chi YouTube video from home.
The key thing to note here is to find what exercise works for you. What makes you feel good?
Know that Today is Not Revelatory of Tomorrow
Journaling or keeping a mood diary can help track our inner emotions and thoughts which change each day.
If you didn’t manage to get out of bed today, it doesn’t mean tomorrow is lost. Each day brings new opportunity for tiny victories, and to not beat ourselves up if we do not accomplish something in the day. In that case, we can always aim for the next.
Give yourself the kindness to accept that you will have dark days, and you will have lighter days. Look toward tomorrow’s fresh start if today is one of those darker days.
Consider the Parts Instead of Generalizing the Whole
Depression can shade memories with difficult emotions, and you may find yourself focused on things that are seen as difficult or unhelpful to you.
We want to recognize the positives to stop the overgeneralization. If writing helps, jot down what was meaningful about your day or specific event that happened, tracking what was achieved, and what you enjoyed. Do your very best to find a few positive things as much as that may not be easy to do at the beginning.
When we experience the weight of overgeneralizations, focusing on the one thing that might help to direct our thoughts away from the whole and toward the individual pieces that we found helpful.
Oppose the Inner Voice
You already know about that teeny tiny voice inside our heads that gives us that horrible ‘negative self-talk’. “You’re fat.” “You’re worthless.” “You’ll never get that promotion.” “No one supports you.” This nagging, mean and toxic inner voice may talk you out of self-help, but only if you let it. These automatic and even nasty thoughts we have tend to not be helpful, and we do not always realize it because it plays like a comfortable recording in the background.
When you recognize that mean voice nagging inside your head, you can learn to work through it, to reverse, oppose, or transform the inner voice.
Let’s say you’re getting ready for an event, and that voice is telling you, “It’s going to be awful, you’re going to have a bad time, stay home.” Try turning it around and tell your inner voice, “Stuff it! Unless you go, how do you know you will have an awful time?”
A Routine Might Be Just What You Need
When your depressive symptoms disrupt your day-to-day life, scheduling a routine will help you feel like you are back in control, and they do not even have to map out your entire day.
Create a loose, structured routine to help keep your daily pace going. It could be in the form of using a calendar app on your phone, a daily planner, a white board, physical calendar, many regular phone alarms set to regular times/days, or a combination of these or what works best for you.
Start small and then gradually work your way up to make sure all your needs are being met, like any supplements and/or medications are being taken on time, exercise, meals, meditation etc.
Do Those Things You Like Doing
With depression comes the loss of pleasure in doing the things we like. It is time to push back and grab hold of these unpleasant emotions and shake them from us.
Do something you love, something meaningful or gives you great joy, anything from playing an instrument to painting, bowling, swimming, reading, playing a card game with friends.
LISTEN TO YOUR FAVOURITE UPLIFTING MUSIC!! Music vibrations raise your energy.
When we do the activities that are meaningful to us, our mood can be lifted and our energy engaged, which further motivates us to continue to do these activities to help with navigating our symptoms.
Spend Time with Loved Ones
Depression is an isolator. It keeps us closed in, not only emotionally but also physically locked away in our homes and/or our rooms, not wanting to socialize or feel like a burden to those we love and those who love us.
Face-to-face interaction can help take away the feelings of burden and replace them with much-needed love, kindness, and maybe even laughter.
No matter if it is a phone call, text message, video call, or in person, spending time with these people helps them as much as it does you, as you take the time out of a busy schedule to show you care.
Try New Things
When you do the same things every day, you will use the same parts of your brain every day.
By doing new things we can feel rewarded, improve our overall well-being, and strengthen our social relationships. Try a new sport, take a creative class, learn a new skill, or play that card or video game to obtain these benefits.
Relaxation Techniques
Along with depression, we’ve got to deal with stress and anxiety too. Luckily, we have meditation we can practice. Relaxation techniques have been known to help lower stress and allow for more enjoyment and balance in your day.
Improving our sense of well-being and feeling connected to what’s happening around us can be achieved through meditation, yoga, deep breathing, and journaling.
Getting Enough Rest
Sleep disruption is common with depression. Either we sleep too much or not enough, and both make our symptoms worse.
We want to aim for 7-9 hours of sleep and have a healthy sleep routine of going to bed and waking up at the same time each day. Proper sleep should help us feel more balanced and energized throughout our day.
Resetting our sleep clock is not an easy task. Take it one night at a time. Make sure you get what you need, whether it’s calming music or hypnosis audio from a pair of headphones, a sleep aid like a sleepy time tea, a nice relaxing hot bath with essential oils or a relaxing book before bed.
Your Emotions Are Valid
We know we suppress and compartmentalize our feelings by squeezing them down into that cocoon of darkness, which is an ineffective and unhealthy coping mechanism.
When you are having a dark day, acknowledge it. Notice and name your emotions and bring your attention to engage in activities that help bring the good emotions rather than focus on the negative emotions.
Your emotions are valid. You are allowed to feel them when you are feeling them, so acknowledge them, and sit with them. Take notice where you feel them on your body. When doing this, you can start to use tools like breathing techniques to help you process these emotions.
You can then focus on finding an activity that will help boost your emotions and energy levels from negative to positive, when you are ready to do so.
Therapies Like Hypnotherapy Can Also Help
Speaking to a Clinical Hypnotherapist professional will help you figure out the root cause of your depression, what coping mechanisms may be best for you. Hypnotherapists can assess your symptoms and work with client centered therapies to help you. We also refer out to other medical professionals if needed.
The right kind of treatment takes time, so be open with your doctor or healthcare professional about what you find is working and what is not, and they will work with you to find the best option.
Hypnotherapy is a good option for your mood lifting toolbox. It can change that demanding and unhelpful inner voice, so it becomes an encouraging and supportive one. It can also help you find the focus and motivation you need to do all of these things mentioned in this article, in the event you’re feeling stuck and don’t know how to start dealing with your depression.
