Knowing the facts helps you overcome depression. Depression is a mental health issue even if so many people refuse to admit it and describe it as laziness or a temporary response to negative situations and emotions.
Depression makes you experience a series of symptoms. You can be diagnosed as suffering from depression if you have five or more of them.
- You have an irritable or depressed mood
- You sleep too much, sleep mainly during the day, experience insomnia or other sleep problems
- You experienced a change in interests (your hobbies interest you no more), or you have a low motivation to pursue the daily activities
- You have an unrealistically low self-image and feel excessive guilt
- You have low energy and no longer feel interested in caring for yourself (getting a haircut, showering)
- You have a significantly worse concentration
- You experience changes in appetite (eat too little or too much)
- You have panic attacks, suffer from agitation or severe anxiety
- You have suicidal behaviors, plans or thoughts
- You harm yourself
Ok, You’re Depressed, So What Should You Do Next?
If you determined that you have more than five of the above symptoms or your therapist diagnosed you with depression, you can develop some coping mechanisms to alleviate your condition. Here is a list of techniques research proves to be effective for patients dealing with this medical issue.
Outdoor Activities That Can Help You Fight Depression
Getting outside the house and soaking in the sun is a great way to improve your mood. Even a walk in the park or shopping for cookies from the local sweets shop can boost your mood. A number of fun activities can alleviate your depression symptoms and make you feel better.
1. Walk Outdoors – whether you take your dog for a walk in the park, have a tour around the neighborhood, or hike in the local wood, getting out of the house and being active improves your mood because it increases the endorphins level.
2. Ride A Bike – pedaling a bike allows you to refocus your mind and raise the endorphins from working out. If you don’t like riding a bike, you try a skateboard, electric scooter or rollerblading. You don’t have to buy one because most cities have centers that rent these pieces of equipment, and you can drop them off in designed areas around the town.
3. Swimming – the beach is an underrated place during the cold seasons. So, when you don’t head to the beach to swim, pack a blanket and your favorite book and spend a couple of hours listening to the sound of the water and relaxing in the fresh air. During the months when the beach is inaccessible, go to the local community swimming pool.
4. Reading – sometimes diving into a book’s plot can make you feel less isolated and lonely because it allows you to refocus your mind. Sitting with a book in the garden or local park is one of the simplest ways to alleviate depression symptoms.
5. Gardening – planting flowers and caring for your garden lessens the severity of depression and allows you to stay active for hours. Gardening requires attention and keeps your mind from drifting to the unhelpful thoughts that overwhelm you daily. Plus, seeing the final result of a blooming garden provides you with a sense of contempt. You can start by planting a few flowers in the front garden, and as you grow it into a hobby, you can expand it.
Indoor Activities That Fight Depression
Sometimes your symptoms make it difficult to leave the house or even the bedroom. As you know, getting outdoors has many benefits because it allows you to breathe fresh air, soak in the sun, and interact with other people.
But if you don’t muster the energy for leaving the house, you can engage in some activities that boost your mood at home. Your house is your safe nest and the place where you feel the most comfortable, so you can explore some new hobbies.
1. Cooking – preparing a meal for your family is a great way to keep you busy, do something new, and have something healthy to eat for lunch or dinner. Search for new recipes and experiment with the ingredients you have around the house. Or maybe you find baking more entertaining than cooking.
2. Reading – we already mentioned that reading is helpful, but we list this activity again because a book can easily distract you from unhappy thoughts and stimulate your body. When you don’t feel in the mood to go outside, read a magazine, graphic novel, newspaper, novel, or whatever reading material that raises your interest.
3. Arts and crafts – allow your creativity to give shape to your thoughts and ideas. Pottery, writing, drawing, and painting are only some of the many activities that help you alleviate depression symptoms.
Therapy
Science has proven that therapy is the best treatment for mental health conditions because it allows your mind to identify the factors that triggered the issue and deal with it. Modern medicine provides you with access to therapy at home, with the latest tele health advancements that allow you to contact an expert without visiting their office.
There’s nothing more difficult than trying to navigate a mental health problem by yourself, so it’s best to consult a specialist who can diagnose the condition and prescribe a treatment that improves your symptoms. At first, they’ll recommend engaging in therapeutic activities like yoga and meditation, and only if your symptoms worsen they may also prescribe medication.
Yoga’s benefits go beyond physical because it includes mindfulness practices that improve your mental health and enhance therapy’s effects. Meditation also allows your mind to relax and focus on positive thoughts, instead of staying blocked in a pattern of negative behaviors.
The Bottom Line
Depression is a diagnosable and treatable condition, and instead of suffering in silence and struggling with your emotions and thoughts daily, you can choose to fight the condition. Contact your primary care physician to direct you to a professional therapist who can address your symptoms and guide your steps towards rehabilitation.
