A very well known and popular magazine called Psychology Today recently stated to its readers that: “If we did not have mental health, we would not have health at all. Over the last ten or more years, it has been discovered that more and more people have been diagnosed with depression. Research has shown that every one in four persons throughout the whole of the United States of America will have experienced some form of severe depression throughout their life time. Unfortunately, Overcoming depression is not as easy as people have often assumed. Have a look at the approaches we have come up with to assist you in taking control over the depression that you are experiencing. These approaches will help you not to let it control you and take over your life.
Mental health is something that is a major part of our routines that we do every day. Ask yourself these specific questions: what do you do to look after and control your mental health? What do you do to help remove the symptoms that can cause depression?
In this article, we will have a look at how those with depression can come up with approaches that will help them in Overcoming depression.
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Pay Attention To What You Can Do Well.
There are a large number of times in life where we can often pay too much attention to the negative things, or people in our lives or around us. When we pay too much attention to the negative things, our confidence and self-esteem levels and drop very quickly. Once our confidence and self-esteem does drop, it can be very easy to fall into depression. The thing to ask ourselves then is: What do we do to pay attention on the positive things rather than that which is negative? Psychology Today suggests:
“Before going to bed, make a list of a couple of things that you know you succeeded at. Don’t think too much about this. An example could be: “A friend of mine forgot to text me to say he could not come around today. Instead of getting angry about this, I decided to ask another friend to see if they could come”.
When Overcoming depression it is very worthwhile looking at a particular situation from a positive point of view. Don’t worry about the negative things that might have been in that situation. Doing this simple thing will help you in Overcoming depression. Do this as often as you can. You will be surprised at how quickly this works.
Watch out And Be Careful Of Rumination.
Psychology Today also advises: “There are a lot of ruminators that can keep those with depression in a depressive rut. This is because their negativity often prevents them from trying to solve difficulties and issues in a positive way”. Rumination usually takes place when people are always thinking too much about situation. This is a good way to end up in depression. So, what can be done to prevent rumination from occurring so that you can be much less depressed? Psychology Today suggests:
. Always remember that rumination will not give you a better way of looking at things.
. Only do small things when working on solving difficulties and issues.
. Avoid thinking about the negative things that are in your experiences. Don’t have high expectations of those you interact with.
. Remove goals that cannot be achieved and goals that are not healthy for you. Come up with several means of social support.
Stress is one of the major things that can cause depression. We need to go deeper within ourselves to bring us into the depth to find a way that nature wants us to be. We can be in control of ourselves and be strong again. We can and we will resolve what we have lost.
Learn to handle our mood, physical strength and health.
Nature knows when somebody is experiencing depression and other known diseases.
The immune and hormone symptoms can be tapped into when necessary. All it takes is believing and breathing exercise and we will feel great again. That is all.
Have a go at using your imagination. Imagine receiving some encouraging words from someone you know. Imagine yourself being in a super happy state. Imagine yourself sitting there with peace in your heart and in your mind. Whilst these things are not big, it is the small and simple things that can play a major role in assisting us in thinking about a positive future. That positive future will have many good and happy things to come.
Don’t be afraid to have a go at using your imagination. This is not just limited to kids or to artists who like to dream dreams. Imagination is for everybody. It can be used to create a exiting future even in down and depressive times. It an also be used to come up with a future story for a new life to come. Or be used to give a sense of hope.
Have a go at reaching out and staying connected with others. Receiving suitable support and assistant is vital when it comes to Overcoming depression. In saying that, it can be very hard to seek help and support when experiencing this condition. When a person is depressed, more often than not they will stay away from people and avoid connecting with them. They will even keep away from those who know them well. This can make it hard for all who are involved.
Those with depression might find it too tiring to communicate with others. They may also feel guilty or embarrassed. Particularly if they have avoided important relationships in their lives. This however, is simply the condition of depression doing the talking. It is important to remain connected with people. It is also vital to do as much social activities as possible. It is amazing how much good these things can do. Your outlook and mood will improve drastically in a good way. Please understand that connecting and reaching out to other people does not mean that you are being or doing too much for other people. Those who know you will love you and would love to do what they can to assist and support you. If you would rather not turn and communicate with them, know that it is worthwhile creating brand new friendships and relationships with those you do not know yet. This will be a great way to give you a greater support network. You will be amazed at how much you can learn from new people in your life.
A few other things you can do to remain connected with others regularly include the following:
Take part in some volunteering somewhere. Ask a friend or relative to contact you as often as possible. Telephone a friend you have not spoken to for a while or send them an email. Have a deep and meaningful with a clergy member. A sports trainer, a teacher, or another employee in your workplace. Tell someone you trust what you are feeling at the moment. Go with a friend or relative to see a concert, or a movie. Join a club of interest or a class of a new hobby you would like to try. This is a great way to come across and meet new people at. Go on a dinner date with someone once a week or once a fortnight. Go out for a drink or for lunch with someone you are close to. Do some exercise with an exercise buddy who can keep you motivated to do this.
Have a go at creating a “wellness toolbox”. The purpose of this activity is to create a number of things that can and will help improve the mood you may be in. The more things you come up with for Overcoming depression the better it will be. See if you can come up with a few different things every day. Whether you are feeling good or not. Some ideas might include the following: Sit there and listen to your favorite music. Write down the good qualities you like about yourself. Spend some time with an animal. See and have a conversation with a relative or close friend. Do something completely random that you would not normally do. Get out and about in nature. Work on some small jobs that have been neglected. Spend some time reading an enjoyable book. Have a good relaxing and long bath. Watch a humorous television show or movie to get you laughing.
Make sure that you are eating well and healthy. Stop consuming foods that will affect your body in nasty ways and replace them with good things. Limit alcohol, trans fats and caffeine. Never miss meals. If you are not eating the right meals at the right times, this is a great way to get you feeling tired and irritable. Always consume something every three to four hours or so. Limit refined carbs and sugar. Many people love to eat snacks that are full of sugar or consume comfort foods to try and make themselves better again. But this really has a terrible effect on energy levels and the mood. Do your best to remove as many of these types of foods as you can. Try consuming more vitamin B foods. B-12 and folic acid are great foods that will cause depression. Vitamin B however does not. Eggs, citrus fruit, chicken, leafy greens and beans are great foods that contain vitamin B. Try including more of these into your diet. Improve your moods with foods that contain omega-3 fatty acids in them. These things are vital when it comes to taking control of our mood. The foods that contain omega-3 include: cold-water fish oil supplements, salmon, tuna, herring, sardines, mackerel and anchovies.
Get out into the sun as often as possible. A good amount of sun will increase your serotonin levels drastically. Your mood will also be improved greatly. Always try and get outside as often as you can during the daylight so that you can get some good sun on your body. At the very least, aim to get no less than fifteen minutes every day. Avoid wearing sunglasses if possible and remember to put sunscreen on. Get out and go for a good walk during morning tea or lunch break. Have a drink outside. Eat some good food outside. Or get out into the garden. Exercise could also be done outdoors. Consider going for a long walk, or a hike. Have a go at a game of tennis or golf with someone you know. When at work or home, try and get as much natural light into the building as you can. Sit near windows, and be sure to open the curtains and blinds as much as possible. A light therapy box would also work well. Particularly when there is not much sun available.
Consider challenging any negative thinking that might creep in. Do you have times where you think you are week? That you can’t do anything about the negative things that happen? That there is nothing you can do about your situation? Unfortunately, depression is a condition that will allow negative thoughts to creep in about everything in life. You’ll find yourself thinking negatively about yourself, and you will find yourself doubting future expectations.
Have a go at practicing a range of different mindfulness exercises. A mind that has experienced depression of any kind will often always concentrate on what might be wrong. It will focus on the worries and the negative things that they think might take place in the future. This type of thought cycle will only cause a person to be miserable. It certainly will not help in Overcoming depression. Mindfulness is something that will cause a person to pay close attention to what is happening right now. This is something that has to be practiced regularly. Our brains are always having a lot of thoughts running around. Paying close attention to what is happening right now is not a natural thing to do at all. Have a go at getting your senses and thoughts into the here and now. Pay attention to the smells, the tastes, the sounds, the touches and the sights around you. Doing this will soon begin to take away the worry that is on your mind.
Do all that you can to distract yourself from thinking too much. It is very easy to get into the habit of thinking too much when facing depression. The thoughts that are occurring in your brain are not what you want to have when in depression mode. To distract yourself from this, have a go at getting out and going for a walk. Spend some time with an animal. Go to the library and find a new book to read. Have a go at a good puzzle. Whatever it is, just do what you can to distract yourself from thinking too much. You will be surprised at how well keeping busy can help in Overcoming depression
Give cognitive therapy a go. This type of therapy is fantastic when dealing with depression. The idea of it is to look at what it is that can bring about your depression. The counselor you are seeking will assist you in how you can work out what thought patterns are being used. They will also be able to work out what dangerous ideas are in your thoughts. The purpose of this is to get you to come up with different ways of thinking. They’ll soon be more helpful and realistic to you after participating in cognitive therapy.
Consider putting all of your thoughts on a witness stand. When you know what the negative thought patterns are that may be developing and resulting in depression, the next thing to do is to begin asking challenging questions. Some of these questions might include: ‘If i did not have depression, how would I see this situation? If someone I know had similar thoughts, what would I say to them? What is another way of seeing this situation? How else can I explain this? When you challenge your negative thinking, you’ll soon realize how quickly the negative thoughts disappear. As you are doing this, a new and improved perspective will assist in Overcoming depression you have in your life.
For some people, Overcoming depression can be difficult. Even after trying a wide range of other things it is still possible for the depression to get worse. It may come down to the fact that you need to get professional help, support and assistance. Please understand that getting professional assistant will not mean that you are weak or pathetic. When in depression, negative thinking may cause a person to feel lost. But the good news is that depression can be overcome. It is possible to start to feel better in due time.
If you are already getting professional assistance, it is always worth considering the above tips for Overcoming depression. These things may still be included in your recovery plan. In fact, it may even make the recovery quicker and stop the depression from coming back again in the future.
It is however, very important to remember that Overcoming depression will require effort. It will not happen with the click of your fingers just like that. Your professional assistance therapist will not be able to do all of it for you. You are the one that can make things happen with as much help and support from others as possible along the way.
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