Four Simple Ways to Cope with Depression

Depression is a severe mental health issue and is prevalent throughout culture today. Almost 6% of adults report having experienced depression in the last year, and among teens, the rates are significantly higher: 29% of females and 12% of male teens endorsed depression.

While you might know someone with depression, or you might find yourself feeling less than your best self, it can be helpful to understand depression and how to support people going through it.

Unfortunately, even when trying to change the channel of your mood or distract yourself, it's hard to just "snap out of depression. We can try and fool ourselves, but it's hard to feel better and not depressed without a deeper understanding.

As the mind and body are connected, depression affects the physical body. It can leave one feeling low on energy or with other odd symptoms like stomach aches, migraines, and sleep disturbances. Beyond making depression "go away," as we often want difficult states to pass, it's helpful to understand what these symptoms might be telling us. The body communicates messages to us, and when we become curious about ourselves, it's easier to decode depression's meaning and message.

Here are 4 ways to cope with depression

1. Prioritize Your Body’s Needs

When you feel good, you feel well, which starts from the inside out. Attend to your body, fuel it with proper nutrition, move it, and fill your time with people and things that support you. Strive to eat healthy and balanced meals. Eating well positively impacts hormones and sleep; both areas impact our emotional state and ability to tolerate stress. When we take good care of ourselves, we're set up well for whatever life brings us.

Movement is a great way to boost your self-esteem and mood by helping manage stress and anxiety. I say "movement" and not exercise because it doesn't need to be strenuous to have benefits. Find movement in a form that feels good in your body and one you enjoy doing. We all have an inner rebellious part: if we feel like "exercise" is work, we'll find ways to avoid it. If dancing around the house feels good and gets your blood moving, then dance. If stretching your body before or after bed is the most realistic, stretch when possible. If you like to be in nature, then move in some form outside. The point is to find something sustainable and small for where you are in life now and then incorporate movement in ways that work for and support you.

We all know that sleep is the foundation for overall health and wellness. Depression usually disturbs sleeping habits in extremes: often not enough or too much. Try to prioritize your sleep instead of avoiding it. Find a sleep routine and stick to it. Bedtime rituals are great ways to help your body start to wind down:

• Take a bath.

• Turn off screens.

• Lower the lights.

• Do things that feel calming and relaxing. Maybe you also...

2. Journal

Writing out what's jumbled up in your head is a great way to help manage your thoughts, feelings, excitements, and fears. Get what's inside and outside; you'll be surprised by what you learn about yourself. Writing down your feelings can help release any pent-up energy and emotions. Many clients tell me how they notice how they feel better by releasing everything, whether talking to someone or writing privately.

Journaling is also an excellent tool for reflecting and noticing how you progress and change over time. It helps you learn your inner manual and personal code to operate and navigate the complexities that are you.

3. Create a Structure With a Schedule

Schedules are crucial for functioning well. When faced with depression, life can feel messy or overwhelming, and having a schedule in your day-to-day life can help provide organization and structure. That way, you can utilize other time to explore and understand your depression.

Depression can be the cause or the effect of low self-esteem and impact motivation and often manifests in low self-compassion. Having a structure in place is compassionate towards oneself, reduces overwhelm, and gives guideposts for your goals forward.

4. Talk It Out

Depression lets you believe you're alone and that something is wrong with you for feeling low. Don't let it fool you. Shame about oneself often leaves us quiet and holding our struggles in secret. Yet shame lives in the dark, so to speak it out loud begins deflating the charge of the feeling. When you find safe, supportive people to share your woes with, you allow the alchemical process of depression to support transformation.

It's okay to reach out for help. It's brave.

Staying connected to others helps reduce loneliness. Connection quality matters way more than quantity when it comes to your social circle. Who can you be yourself with? Where can you let it all out? Where do you laugh? Don't be alone with your thoughts. Hang out with people and participate in activities that change your state.

Support groups are also a great way to talk about how you feel with others who can relate. Therapy is another great way to explore the mystery of depression. If you're curious about further exploring your depression, please reach out today: don't let the mystery message of depression stay unsolved. You deserve more from life.