4 Game Changing Habits for When You are Depressed

4 Game Changing Habits for When You are Depressed

If you suffer from depression like me, likely you have experienced the drop in quality of life that often comes with it. When I am going through an episode my mind goes into survival mode and begins to shut down any non-critical operations. All my energy (what little I have), is diverted to all the things I absolutely have to do - i.e. getting out of bed, working, taking care of my child, etc. While this may be effective at keeping my outside world from falling apart, it doesn't do much for enriching my life internally.  

In my research over the years for natural relief from depression and anxiety, I have come across the term "self-care" quite often. What is self-care? Self-care is nurturing yourself. What a person finds nurturing may differ from person to person, depending on your likes and dislikes. For example, I find listening to plainchant to be very nurturing. But,...a lot of people would listen for 30 seconds and tell me I'm nuts. Some people find massages to be nurturing; I do not like be touched, so it's not in my self-care lineup.  

Why should we practice self-care? When I was in therapy in college, my therapist would often stop me, when I said something bad about myself  and ask, "would you talk to your best friend like that?" She had a good point. I often do treat my friends, family, and even strangers better than I treat myself. How about you? Do you have a relaxing nighttime routine for your child; but your routine is to drink a glass of wine, binge watch some late-night tv, and nod off on the couch? If your friend called you in the middle of the night, would you put everything on hold for her; but then convince yourself that you do not have 10 minutes to make yourself a decent breakfast? Consider what the therapist said, "would you say that to your best friend?" When it comes down to it, you are your own best friend, and if you are not – that is something you should be working on. 

That being said, I have picked out my four favorite self-care habits for better mental health. There are definitely plenty more, but these are four that I've noticed made a huge difference in my life. Do not feel the need to implement them all at once. Try out one or two for the next two weeks and notice the difference: 

1. Go for regular walks in nature 

This one action has probably make the biggest difference in my stress level. When I was in counseling in college, my therapist told me I should try to get 15 minutes of sun daily. As I recall, I didn't take much heed to it back then; however, a few weeks ago, I decided to give it a try. I started taking daily walks on my 15 minute break at work. I walk across the street and down part of a trail and then walk back. It seems like such a little thing, but since then my mood has been more upbeat and stable (even on cloudy days).

Give it a try! Make a decision to walk for just a short 10-15 minutes outside (not on a treadmill!), this week. No special equipment is needed! Just walk out the door in whatever you are in and soak in some sun. 

 2. Meditate 

Okay, so I haven't exactly been on top of this one lately. But when I tell you it makes all the difference, you can believe it! Before I started my walks, my meditation time was often the only time all day I felt at absolute peace. Now if you are imaging me in a white robe; seated in a lotus position; hovering slightly about my meditation cushion; all while chanting "Ommm Ommm," please don't. Nine times out of ten, I am either laying on my "mediation mat," or I am laying on my bed. I use guided meditation videos on YouTube. And, I spend at least half the time trying to bring my awareness back to meditating. I am a complete beginner! But the good news is you don't have to be an expert to start reaping the benefits. Try the YouTube channel Empowered Within . I use several of their videos depending on what I'm needing at the moment. 

3. Go to sleep! 

I know you know this one. We all do. We know that we are supposed to get 7-8 hours of sleep each night; we may even plan to do it. But let's be honest, it's freakin hard to carry out! Earlier in the year I realized one of my biggest obstacles to going to bed on time is a belief that I have to stay up past my daughter's bedtime. Truth be told, I am usually ready to go to bed before her. However, since I have this idea that, "I'm an adult and I should be able to stay up!", I end up staying up too long and catching a second wind. I decided to make a change. I decided that I would start going to be when I'm tired, whether that is 10:00 pm or 8:00 pm.

Spend some time thinking about what your personal going to bed hang-ups are, and then spend some time thinking about how you can solve them. Do you need to put your phone in another room? Do you need to speak to your doctor about ongoing insomnia? Write down your plan to get to bed on time and follow through. 

4. Journal 

I've always had an on-again off-again relationship with journaling. I mainly journal when I am super depressed and overwhelmed; It's a great way for me to dump all those negative emotions. Recently though, I've move away from free-style journaling and into prompt journaling. I journal about specific things or to answer specific questions such as, why do I react to criticism that way? It has made a lot of difference because I'm not just rattling on about how much life sucks; I am actually working towards understanding and even healing issues in my life. 
Try journaling about specific things in your life that bring you down or cause you anxiety. If you need some help, Pinterest is a great place to search for journal prompts. If you follow my mental health board, I am always pinning things like journal prompts and other self-help tools.

I hope these tips are helpful to you and bring you some much needed relief. I'd love to hear from you about what habit(s) you are going to try first. Write me a comment and let me know! Don't forget to sign-up up for alerts so you do not miss my upcoming posts!