How To Cope With Depression

 Hello everyone!

Welcome to your weekly dose of good vibes!

Depression is something that I experienced and so many of us also experience and the whole point of the journey towards success and inner happiness is being able to face all of your emotions even the dark feelings and confront them so that you can work on yourself to become better and stronger. 

Practicing self acceptance is one of the ways that you can relieve the feelings and symptoms of depression. When I was depressed, you don't find joy in anything you used to love, you feel as if life has no meaning to you so what is the point? I felt like I had no purpose or idea of what I wanted my life to be and I continued to compare myself to everyone else instead of focusing on healing myself first and focusing on my own journey. 

Now with social media, it can be extremely hard to not compare ourselves because we are constantly consumed by what everyone else is doing and that can take you to a very dark place mentally. 

Depression is a common and serious illness, it affects how you feel, the way you act and the way you think. It causes feelings of sadness and you lose interest in the things in your life that brought you joy and happiness. The positive though is that it is treatable and it won't last forever. 

No matter how hard you fight depression, it can feel like a losing battle and it holds you back. Sometimes doing what will help you, feels like the hardest thing to do. Depression is so much more than an emotion or feeling. Try and educate yourself on it so you can also educate others. Spreading more awareness around the issue will help others to not feel that alone and you are able to help yourself and others from a place of compassion. Living with a mental illness is definitely a full time job and just remember that you are much stronger than you think. 

Here are 5 ways to help you to cope with depression.

1. Start to prioritize yourself first. Start by eating healthier and of course no food can eliminate the feelings of depression however eating healthy is beneficial to your overall well being. For example adding Omega 3 Fatty Acids can play a major role in stabilizing your overall mood. When you are feeling overwhelmed or stressed, remind yourself to breathe and bring yourself to the present moment. Be kind to yourself and do things at your own pace. Exercise, even if it is just taking a walk for 20 minutes, that not only improves your mood but helps you to slowly take the steps to prioritizing your mental health. Lastly make sure you have at least 8 hours of sleep because having sufficient amount of sleep improves your overall mood, productivity and all of these habits add up in the end to create a positive change. Go for a massage, watch your favorite movie in bed, spend time in nature- take the much needed time to begin focusing on your own happiness and what brings you true joy. 

2. Stop negative thoughts and negative self talk. Do you ever overthink or worry way too much? Well this is a symptom of depression. Remind yourself of that. Evaluate what is making you feel this way and work on that. Things may feel completely hopeless in the moment but it will pass. We often try and take the easy way out by suppressing how we feel and turning to unhealthy ways to deal with our emotions, but running away has never helped. Trust me. If you really want to get out of feeling really low and depressed, you need to make the effort to get yourself out of it. You need to tackle your issues, emotions and dark thoughts head on, so that you can begin to see the positive growth that comes from that experience. 

3. Lean on friends and family. If you are constantly surrounded by negative energy and people who are negative then that will be what you begin to become. The people you surround yourself with really are the people who impact your life so make smart choices in who you choose to have around you. Ensure you are in the company of people who uplift you and make you feel good and who support you. Try and slowly begin social and making the effort to spend time with your close friends or family. It is important to not lose the connection you have with others because you are not alone. Your story will help someone else going through the same experience so look at any situation in your life as an opportunity to grow. 

4. If you do feel like your depression really is not going away and you find yourself slipping into a darker period in your life. Don't be afraid to ask for help. It is healthy to speak to someone professional who can provide you with a neutral understanding of your situation and who can help guide you on the path to feeling like yourself again. Sometimes you do need someone to guide you through the process of overcoming this mental illness. All I can say is never lose hope, there is always a light at the end of the tunnel. 

5. Reduce the stress in your life. When you are stressed your body produces a hormone called 'cortisol' which helps you to cope with stress in your life however in the long run it can cause many problems for you which leads to depression. The more you use techniques to cope with stress, the more you can relieve symptoms of depression from the beginning.  

Everything can feel like a struggle when you are depressed for example going to work, spending time with friends or even getting up in the morning. One of the simple tools you can use is practicing more self care and self compassion. Focus on spending time on what makes you happy. When you take some time for yourself where you reflect on your life, look for the lessons life has taught you and use it to propel you towards becoming stronger, that is when true change happens. You need to really visualize what you define happiness as and what really brings you joy. Block out the noise, stop comparing yourself to others and focus on living your life where you fully accept yourself and forgive yourself from past mistakes because that does not define you. What defines you is getting back up again every time. 

I believe in you so believe more in yourself. 

I am giving away a FREE guidebook on 10 Habits Happy People Do. It basically highlights simple tools you can use every day to tap into your inner happiness. 

I love you all.