As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to sweep across the world, many of us are dealing with social distancing, isolation, and lockdowns that make it even harder to cope with symptoms of depression.
Depression can drain your energy, leaving you feeling empty and fatigued. This can make it difficult to muster the strength or desire to seek treatment.
When you have depression, you can find ways to take control of your life and manage your treatment even beyond medications. Making some lifestyle changes can boost your mood and help alleviate many of your symptoms.
Talk To Therapist
Working with a therapist is often an important part of successfully managing depression. Talking to a therapist about depression is like seeing a physical therapist after a serious leg injury. If you want to get the best advice possible, you need to talk to an expert.
Express Yourself in writing
Writing in a journal is great therapy and can help you manage depression. You can relieve stress by being open about your thoughts, feelings, and concerns in your writing, and stress management is an important part of living well with depression.
Stay Involved
If you’re experiencing depression, you may feel like you want to withdraw socially and keep to yourself, either because of low self-esteem or a lack of interest. Social life is important
Reach Out Friends and Family
Some friends and family members can help you feel better about yourself when depression brings you down. Talking about what’s causing you stress or bringing you down can help lessen the intensity of these thoughts
Stick to a schedule
Maintaining a healthy and regular routine is very helpful for people with depression. Many times with depression, people’s motivation drops making them feel unproductive and fueling feelings of low self-esteem.
Shift your attention
If your mood is weighing you down to the point where it feels impossible to challenge your thoughts, then try taking a step back to concentrate on something else. This can be especially helpful when trying to deal with and overcome suicidal thoughts
Symptoms You Shouldn’t Ignore
Trouble Sleeping
Although depression can sap energy and motivation during the day, a person may often lie awake at night, unable to sleep.
Loss of interest in favorite activities
Some people turn to hobbies they enjoy when they feel blue, but those with major depression tend to avoid them
Increase in energy
Ironically, when depressed people have made a decision to do something drastic, such as killing themselves, they may go from slowed down to far more energetic. That’s because they feel a sense of relief in having come to a resolution.
Change in appetite
Some people overeat when they’re depressed or anxious, but in people with severe depression, the opposite is usually true. A depressed person may stop eating because he or she is no longer concerned with physical well-being.
Expressions of guilt
Feeling excessive guilt or worthlessness can also be a hallmark of depression. People might feel guilty because they are depressed or are not doing enough at home or even at work.
Unexplained physical symptoms
Since the body and mind are connected, depression can also start to manifest in physical ways that are resistant to treatment, such as persistent headaches, digestive issues, or unexplained pain