Are you waking up of late with the same dark thoughts in
mind, feeling listless, and believing that you will never step out of it? Take
hold of yourself and the situation. The longer you leave depression untreated
the worse it becomes. With depression you have to be active and work fast. It
is not something to sweep under the rug. It needs to be understood and treated
and you need to be made aware of the symptoms, causes, and other factors.
Lifting your mood
Lifting your spirit is literally mind over matter. You have
to decide to do something that might be uncomfortable to do at first to change
your mood, and then do it. You can’t put it off. You have to think outside the
box and force yourself to be present. The
first few times will be literally to force yourself into an activity you don’t
want to do to change your way of thinking and not give up. Staying active will
keep you from having negative thoughts as you will be distracted. Keeping
yourself occupied with things around the house like pulling weeds or watering
the garden will help change your thoughts.
Self-help strategies
·
With depression act sooner rather than later;
recovery will be faster.
·
Keep in mind that treating depression is not a
once-off or a quick-fix; improvement can take time. Progress is slow and you
might feel better before your cloud lifts and you are able to see things the
way they are.
·
Whether it is watching a movie or making dinner
for a friend, keep busy. Have the music on softly to create the atmosphere you
want.
·
Invite your friends over for coffee and cake or
go out with them. You do not want to be alone around big birthdays or events.
·
Spend time with your family during the holidays;
they are the most precious at times like these.
·
If your depression was caused from pressure and stress
at work, divide your workload and do it in smaller chunks.
·
Don’t bite off more than you can chew. Be
realistic with what you have to achieve and then do it.
·
Do not engage in negative thinking; change your
template immediately and go on to something else.
·
Do not make big decisions like changing your job
or ending a relationship while in the grip of depression.
·
Identify at least one solid reason to make it through
the day.
