If you’ve ever experienced depression, then this article is for you.
I’ve experienced depression and the struggles I had to overcome to get better. I’ve spent several thousand dollars in the last six months on individual therapy sessions and medication. I’ve cut-off friends I cared about because a little voice in my head was telling me they didn’t like me. I’ve even spent weeks away from my family because I felt my depression was their fault.
This is my story for the last few months, but there are many people out there who have similar experiences or even far worse. PsychiatristPleasantonSanRamonCA.com says that a person can experience not only mental conditions such as irritability and fatigue but also physical problems such as actual pain. No one wants to suffer from depression, but some people’s circumstances lead them to develop it and suffer from its symptoms.
I personally don’t believe in some people on the internet saying exercise, eating healthy, or thinking positive thoughts can easily cure depression. However, they can make the treatment process feel better when you perform self-care on yourself and learn to enjoy life once more. These self-care tips won’t cure your condition, but they can help you cope through the process of therapy and medication.
Surround Yourself with Support
Depression is physically and mentally taxing on you, so you need to surround yourself with people who will support you and want to see you get better. You don’t have to tell everyone about your condition if you don’t want to, but if you don’t want to be alone in your battle against depression (and you certainly shouldn’t want to be alone), don’t be afraid to confide your condition to supportive friends and family.
Don’t be afraid or embarrassed about being diagnosed with depression. Depression can happen to anyone, but it is treatable. Having people to support you will ensure that there are plenty of people always looking out for you and willing to lend an ear or a hand when you need it.
Keep a List of Daily Tasks
Some symptoms of depression include fatigue, lack of concentration, and forgetfulness. You may find that some simple tasks such as brushing your teeth or eating breakfast require more effort from you than usual or it takes you longer to get your daily tasks done.
Before going to bed, write down everything you need to get done. You can do this on a paper or your notes app on your phone. There’s no shame in admitting you’ve been forgetting to complete simple tasks, and having a guide to help you remember what you have to do to get through the day can help improve the way you perform.
Avoid Triggers and Toxic People
Stay away from what triggers you. If you’re a student and are depressed because your grades are much lower, don’t aim to get the highest grades in your class; instead, try to aim for a passing grade and catch up with your studies. If you’re an employee, avoid being too competitive with your colleagues and instead focus on trying to just get the job done and go home.
Some triggers, unfortunately, are unavoidable in some cases. You can’t avoid them, but you can change the way you deal with them. For example, let’s say seeing an ex-boyfriend or girlfriend is unavoidable because you run in the same small circles and are likely to bump into each other in certain social events. You can spend the whole night being so conscious that your former partner is there, making you enjoy the party a lot less, or you can be mature and focus on having fun with the other guests instead.
With that being said, though, there are also some people who trigger your depression because of something they’ve done to you or the way they treat you. Before you can get better, you have to recognize the patterns they do that hurt you. If they can’t change for your sake, you may need to cut them out of your life completely.
Don’t Skip on Your Daily Routine
The best self-care you can do is to try to continue your normal routine (minus whatever triggers your depression) and live your life for yourself. Getting better starts with the little things, and remembering to do the different parts of your daily routine (bathing, eating right, exercise) can make you feel better somewhat to help you get through the day.
It’s not a sure way to get better, but it can make you feel more refreshed and proud that you managed to overcome your depression and do what you know is good for you.
Aside from proper psychiatric treatment, you need to take care of yourself while you get better. These may seem like simple ways to take care of yourself, but when you’re at your lowest point, you may need a lot of reminders to complete even the simplest daily tasks.
