When you are stuck in the throes of depression, the easiest tasks can seem almost impossible to finish. This is not a quality way to live -- there are so many opportunities out there to have a great life that you do not want to miss. Put some or all of these tips to work for yourself!
Often there is nothing like a hobby to serve as an outlet for your energies. When you are engaged in this hobby, you don't have as much time to focus on your problems. Have you always been into jogging? Train for a half-marathon. Always been into crafts? Learn how to make mosaics or stained glass. Always enjoyed Spanish food? Take some classes on making awesome paella. These successes help erode that depression so that you end up feeling much better about yourself.
Every day, you need to find a new way to laugh. If you can do this, the ghosts of depression will fly far away from you. It's been said over and over again that laughter is the best medicine, and it's true: laughter relaxes your entire body, lowers blood pressure and gives you the sense that everything is going to be all right.
Not only is the sun a good source of a key nutrient, being outside on a sunny day is just an automatic invitation for optimism to come into your life. If you are strolling through a city park on a sunny day, there is very little that can knock you off your optimistic pillar. Being outside and active gives you a healthier color and makes you more likely to enjoy energetic activities with your family and friends.
If you are depressed about ways that your life is not turning out so great, think about your goal setting schemes. What kind of goals do you have? Are they realistic? If not, why are you setting them? If you are not sure about whether your goals are realistic or not, sit down with a friend and tell that friend what all of your goals are. Choose a friend who knows you well, so that at the end of the conversation, he can give you some insight about what he thinks that you really can accomplish. Having this check on your ideas can be very helpful; just make sure that you don't take your friend's advice as criticism.
There are few things as depressing as looking in the mirror and seeing that you've added some pounds or lost some muscle tone. The only way to combat this is to get more exercise. Plan some time each day to either work on cardiovascular exercise or strength training. You'll look better, and you'll have a lot more energy. This is a key element of overall wellness.
If you feel like things are overwhelming you, do not be afraid to seek out help and counsel. Other people have been where you are now, so use their advice to move on.
It's hard to deal with depression. Use these tips to start making a change.