Depression isn’t a switch that you can quickly turn on and off. It won’t go away by trying to toughen up or distract yourself with TV or video games.
Living with depression1 can feel like an eternity, which is why getting help is the best thing you can do. Some helpful daily practices can help make lasting changes to fight depression and get you back on your feet.
Consider Adopting an Emotional Support Animal
Animals, especially cats and dogs, help generate dopamine, neurotransmitters that make you happy. The effect of these neurotransmitters is what we often associate with feelings of pleasure, bonding, and love—feelings that are the opposite of depression.
An emotional support animal can comfort owners with mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety disorders, specific phobias, and post-traumatic stress disorders2. These animals can provide unconditional love to people who struggle with an illness like depression. Feeling loved can significantly improve a person’s outlook and overall mental well-being.
Getting an emotional support animal is simple. Ask a licensed mental health professional to write an ESA letter and register your pet through ESA registration.
Get Enough Sleep
Sleep has many physical and mental health benefits. Often, a lack of sleep can be detrimental to your mood. However, sleeping longer doesn’t mean you’ll get better rest.
You’ll want to create a dark and cool environment to optimize sleep and use sound-damping tools like white noise machines and plugs. Wearing blue-light-blocking glasses will help to minimize the harmful screen effects, which help you to fall asleep faster.
Additionally, avoid stimulants such as caffeine before bed and consider removing alcohol, which hurts your sleep quality.
Find Fulfilling Activities
Depression can quickly demoralize and immobilize a person. However, finding fulfilling activities can build up self-esteem and combat feelings of self-criticism and apathy.
Fulfillment doesn’t always have to be physical exercise. You can indulge in your artistic talents by drawing or writing, enjoy a bike ride, go hiking, or travel to places you’ve always wanted to go.
Ultimately, it’s essential to focus on activities that feel meaningful to you, which can be unique for everyone.
Have a Healthy Diet
Depression can easily steal your appetite away, which can allow you to convince yourself that it’s worth skipping meals. Your body still needs the nutrients and energy to go about the day for your studies, work, physical activities, and other daily tasks.
One study found that a healthy diet can profoundly affect depression prevention and treatment. If you’re struggling to stomach solid foods, there are plenty of alternatives, such as meal replacement shakes. These incorporate carbohydrates, protein, probiotics, and superfoods so that you remain healthy.
Wrapping It Up
Dealing with depression3 can feel like a heavy burden with no end in sight. Fighting and beating depression can be a steep mountain to climb. However, focusing on self-care like exercising regularly, finding joy in simple activities, eating healthy, and getting an emotional support animal can go a long way to feeling better and enjoying life again.
- Karp, David A. “Living with depression: Illness and identity turning points.” Qualitative health research 4.1 (1994): 6-30. ↩︎
- Horowitz, Mardi J. “Post traumatic stress disorders.” Behavioral Sciences & the Law 1.3 (1983): 9-23. ↩︎
- Manosso, Luana M., Morgana Moretti, and Ana Lúcia S. Rodrigues. “Nutritional strategies for dealing with depression.” Food & function 4.12 (2013): 1776-1793. ↩︎
Last Updated on by Namrata
