What to do when you feel depressed (Ten Tips )
Disclaimer — If you have suicidal thoughts or feeling any sort of wellness in your head please and call this number immediately 13 11 14 (Suicide Helpline In Australia) .
1. Admitting your flaws
Step one towards recovery is admitting that you actually have a problem , most people have trouble identifying that they have an issue that is what’s harming them . Instead of thinking that “oh its just a thought ,It might go away” whenever you feel unsettled always develop the behavior of addressing them ,if you sit on them ,it is only going to get worse .
2. A Pocket Therapist
Keep a diary ,this is an old school method ,my therapist recommenced me to have a diary and write my thoughts of discomfort and comfort in it ,for example lets say I had a bad day at work ,and that incident made me anxious and depressed and that I had no one to vent it off to .What I would do is write how I felt in that diary (now you don’t have to be perfect at writing ,just write your feelings in raw form .Think of this diary as your pocket therapist . Trust me this might look childish and lame ,but it helps a great deal ,but then again it might not be for everyone but if you haven’t done it ,I suggest you give it a go.
2a. How/What do I write though ?
Easy , get your pen ,open up a blank page in your diary and write something like this “ Today Ben made me really upset ,and I couldn’t focus on for the rest of the day” . The primary objective is to let off steam. just write what you would say to your therapist .Moreover, using cuss words in your diary can be helpful too ,I usually swear a lot hence when I write in my diary I tend to include all the colorful words .
2c.” I don’t like writing ,Will this be an effective method for me ?”
Like I mentioned ,the purpose of this strategy is to vent off so you don’t hold the negative ,soul eating thoughts inside your head ,even though my initial go to medium was a diary ,you can also use a recorder (if you are not fond of writing) ,or even type it in your phone .Take a minute or two from browsing Facebook and actually process your feelings in your phones notepad .
3. Go seek PROFESSIONAL HELP
I cannot stress this enough but the best solution for getting out from an emotional ditch is to actually go seek therapy ,if you do go to therapy regularly ,KUDOS to you . You are doing great . But if you are not you must seriously consider going ,because your life might be at stake . Now that being said ,finding your therapist can be hard as finding a barber that fits you . Yes I said it ,we are talking about talking and opening up to a person and who is a stranger at first sight .if that person is not giving you a correct vibe ,no matter how qualified they are ,it is not gonna work .So if you are not comfortable with your therapist ,find a new one .
4. Keep your mind busy
Now, this does not mean go watch Netflix ,lets talk about one of those bad days where you just want to stay in your room and spend the whole day by yourself without talking to anyone . Being alone can be addictive and at the same time can be dangerous .When you are lone negative thoughts can take over your mind ,which can be fatal
“Duh ,So how do I keep my mind busy ?”
What I did was simple ,I used to play chess and do puzzles as a kid and when I was diagnosed with depression I started using those “Alone” time to actually rekindle my romance with chess and puzzles . The SATISFACTION I got from winning a chess game or finishing a thousand piece puzzle brought me immense joy and those little things helped me get away from the dark thoughts in my head.
5. Stay out of Alcohol or Drugs (weed or otherwise)
Let me start off by saying ,you do not need an addiction problem while having depression or . The marketing of big liquor companies and movies would tell you to drown your sorrows with alcohol or drugs but that is not the proper way to process your emotions. The key is to address your problems straight up rather than hiding behind alcohol .Now this does not mean having an occasional beer or a smoke after a busy week ,go ahead , you deserve a treat .but Do not make it a daily habit where you need to have a drink the minute you are feeling depressed or sad . Most of the time ,actually talking someone about your problems will help ease the pain than pouring a beer down your throat .
6. Staying away from things that might trigger your depression
No matter how hard we try to make ourselves feel better things that happen outside of our comfort can still have a negative affect on our mind . First thing you’ve got to do is actually adjust your social circle . If you are friends are negative ,and do not provide you any support emotional or otherwise you have got to get away from these kind of toxic people .
What about the workplace
Secondly, if what you do as a job makes your stressed to the point where it becomes really upsetting do work .Dont think about money, think about your mental health first .Because staying alive is important than not having to pay your bills .So you will miss your rent ,landlord wont kill you .
YOU COME FIRST .,because most of the time the financial burden does force people to stay at jobs or do things that makes them traumatized or depressed . I was a student so I had to find my course fee which was a large amount and here were times where I used to do cleaning jobs here in Australia where I had to clean things that gave me many health problems including loss of appetite and many other mental traumas ,all because I was afraid i might fall behind my dues .This made me depressed and I almost killed myself .but I realized that, this is not what I want to do with my life because I value my life than money .BECAUSE YOU CAN ALWAYS MAKE MONEY . SO please ask yourself are you really happy at that cafe or at that fancy firm .or are you just a RICH SLAVE ,WHO’S MISERABLE ALL THE TIME .Do a job( Thank god the job I do is amazing right now) that gives you zero headache and satisfaction,because a clear head can make more money than a depressed one .
7. Regularly having sex is vital
I love having sex and for me my sex life is one of those things that keeps me happy ,having sex regularly helps me battle depression . Did you know that having sex regularly can trigger your brains dopamine(the happy hormone) . Dopamine acts as a anti depression drug . Having sex also said to reduce stress and can have strong effects on your mood. So get it
8. Affirmations ,Affirmations and Affirmations
Did you know a guy named Ray Kroc ? Probably not ,but have you heard of a thing called the “Big Mac Burger” ,obviously yes ,Ray Kroc was the guy who made McDonalds what it is today ,he franchised it to the whole world . He became a billionaire after he was 50 years of age .The one thing that made him so special was that he always believed in himself . Now how many of us believe in ourselves ,how many of us believe that we have the power to battle the war thats going on in our head .One of Ray’s most common habits was to say positive affirmations everyday upon waking up .Now if you dont know what an affirmation is , “Affirmations are positive statements that can help you to challenge and overcome self-sabotaging and negative thoughts”.
I didin’t believe in this method at first but surprisingly I started saying affirmations everyday to myself and that makes me feel much better .
Here are some affirmations that you can use when you feel down. Print them up and hang them on a wall so you can see them
1. You are valued even when you’re not productive.
2. You are loved despite your sadness.
3. You are not sick because of a lack of effort or a failure at adjusting faulty thoughts.
4. You are appreciated even when you can’t contribute much.
click this link for more
9. Cooking Helps me alot
Now some people find cooking tad bit intimating ,they think they are terrible cooks, my ideas is that everyone can cook but most people are lazy . I love eating and cooking so I cook most of my meals ,because A)Im home sick and making Sri Lankan food remind me of my parents and my country which makes me happy .
B) When I cook ,the noise in my head usually disappears . So I find cooking to be a great THERAPEUTIC method for me ,but again I cannot say the same about others ,but give it a go start with simple and easy recipes . Speaking of recipes go check out my Youtube Channel , where I cook and travel .
10. Appreciate little things in life
Most of our problems occur because we don’t appreciate what we have ,instead we tend to fixate on things that we don’t have . Be grateful that you are alive today ,and you have a roof over your head ,you have food at your fridge. Appreciate the ones that are around you instead of worrying about people who left you . Yes you are damaged and have been through a lot , Japanese art of Kintsugi says in embracing flaws and imperfections, you can create an even stronger, more beautiful piece of art. Now apply this for your life ,you are broken ,you are damaged ,but you are still alive and as long as you are alive you can put yourself back together ,but it might not be what it was before ,you have scares but that’s what makes you unique . Your broken history is what makes you perfect .
