Depression disrupts your energy and thoughts, and it becomes very difficult to do something. No power even just want something, as there is the belief that your desire has any meaning. And what do you do? Is there a way to relieve depression? Methods for something to eat, but you must understand that to overcome the depression is not easy, and the time it must be quite a few times. But! Make it's not impossible! You can not beat depression with the help of force will, but you still have the ability to control it, even if your condition is serious, and depression - a stubborn and persistent. The main thing - to start, and even small first steps will take you on the road to healing.
The road to recovery from depression
Out of depression requires action. No one argues that it is necessary to do just that something significant - first it will be almost impossible. For you will be a great accomplishment, even if you just go for a walk or spend at least an hour with friends. You may need it will be hard to do, but it will be by the very first small steps toward healing. The main thing - to start at least something to do.
Start small. Set a small goal and start to move towards him. Use all the internal resources you have left. You probably need not have much energy to walk on the street around the house or to dial your loved one and talk to him at least five minutes? Perform scheduled and reward yourself for each achievement. Thus, the one small energy that you had to spend on some action, come back to you multiply several fold.
Develop supportive relationships
Getting support plays an important role in dispelling the fog of depression in your mind. Itself is very difficult to sustain the effort required to lift depression. But the very nature of depression is that you want to shut down in his shell of black-out curtains and the veil of all. Where here to ask for help? However, the isolation and loneliness only exacerbate depression, so maintaining relationships even with close friends and social activities are extremely important to you.
The idea that it is necessary to apply even to close family members or friends may seem unbearable. You may feel shame, depression, feelings of guilt; You may think that you are too tired from the pressures of your emotions to even talk about them. Do not give in to these feelings! Tell yourself that you do not think it is for you to say your depression. Your loved ones are happy to do everything possible to help you.
Try not to remove from public life. When you are depressed, you will certainly be more comfortable if you hide in your shell. But being around other people, you are surprised to see that start to feel less depressed. Communication will remove your degree of internal tension, and gradually you will learn to be distracted from his gloomy thoughts.
Maybe you should join the group receiving psychological support during the depression. Catching up next to people who also have to deal with a similar problem, you can support each other, to give and receive advice on how to survive depression, to share experiences.
A few tips for establishing and building relationships
Talk with at least one person about your feelings.
Ask your loved one that he tried to communicate regularly with you.
Call or email an old friend, do it at least once or twice a week.
Every week, go with your friends to the movies, a concert or a small get-together.
Invite your friend for coffee or lunch.
Meet new people, for example, in the psychological support group, or join a club.
After the lesson in a group or a meeting at the club go for a walk with a new pal.
Ask someone to help.
Get rid of negative thinking
Depression puts fat minus for all, including your thoughts, which become strongly negative connotation. But you can not escape from pessimism only force of your mind, "just start to think positively," you do not get. Happy joyful thoughts or perceptions of reality will not simply by force of will. Rather, the trick is to gradually replace the negative thoughts in the mind more "balanced" by the emotional coloring.
Several ways to resist negative thinking
Allow yourself to be less than perfect. Many depressed people - perfectionists, who built for themselves is simply impossible to high standards, and then began to engage in self-flagellation, when they could not comply with these standards. Deal with this "terry" source of stress that you have voluntarily nurtured for themselves; thus you challenge his negative thinking.
Connect with positive people. Notice how they react at least for some minor difficulties (for example, when they can not find a parking space), and compare it with the reaction that such an event could cause you. Try to learn from their optimism and their perseverance in the face of difficulties. If you do that, then you do not notice how these problems will be much less - because you learn to cope with them without unnecessary high costs of their psychic energy.
Keep a "journal negative thoughts." Whenever you will attack the negative thought, write it down, and what caused its appearance. View your records when you're in a good mood. Try to objectively analyze whether your film is really justified. Ask yourself whether it was possible somehow differently respond to the situation. Here is a small example: Let's say during the meeting was your guy some slack, he answered questions in monosyllables, without hunting. You conclude: your relationship distress! Or maybe he just was not in the mood that day? Or had something hurt, but he did not want to upset you? And whether it was necessary to make such a pessimistic conclusion, if you have not even asked him the reason for this behavior?
Types of negative thinking, aggravating depression
There is a category of thought, from which you want to get rid of, or struggle with depression will not be successful:
"All or Nothing" - a man looks at the world through the prism of black and white, the third is not given to him. ("If I'm not perfect, then my life would be meaningless")
Overgeneralization - generalized only negative experience. ("I never can not do anything right")
Mental filter - ignoring positive developments and focusing only on the negative. I notice one event that did not go as needed, instead of all the events that are going as planned.
Understatement of positive events - thought out reasons why it is not necessary to consider good. ("She said that I was an interesting person, but in fact she does not think so, and said so simply out of courtesy")
Hasty conclusions - the formation of a negative interpretation of words or events without actual proof of its correctness. You behave as if able to read other people's thoughts ("He must think I look just awful") or if you are a fortune teller ("I can not handle this job until the end of the week").
Emotional reasoning - when you are sure that the way you feel, reflect reality. ("I feel like a failure, and I really like that!")
"I have to" -list - a strict list of what you should be mandatory and should not be doing that, and self-blame, if you have done something "not according to the rules."
Take care of yourself
To overcome depression, you need to properly take care of themselves. Caring This includes adherence to a healthy lifestyle, the desire to learn how to manage stress, setting limits on what you are able to do, planning leisure and entertainment. What should you do?
Set goals always sleep at least eight hours. Depression is usually accompanied by sleep problems. If you sleep too little (but too much, too), then your mood will be unstable. Try to observe sleep.
Every day walk to give your body at least a little sunlight. Lack of sunlight can complicate depression. Not necessarily be in direct sunlight - enough and radiation that will affect you during the daily walks, even in cloudy weather.
Keep stress in check. Not only that stress worsens depression, it still can cause this condition and. Consider all the reasons that can cause you stress. It may be overloaded at work, poor family relationships, health problems. Once you determine the cause of stress, you can create a plan that will help avoid or minimize its harmful effects.
Practice relaxation techniques. Daily practice of relaxation can help relieve symptoms of depression, relieve stress, and enhance the sense of joy and well-being. Try yoga, deep breathing, muscle relaxation and immersion in meditation.
Take the trouble of taking care of pets. Although nothing can replace the human contact, the animals also can bring great joy and companionship in your life can help you feel less isolated. Taking care of your beloved pet - a very powerful antidote to depression.
Do what you like
Though you can not force yourself to feel the force of joy and experience the fun, you can still continue to do what you have always enjoyed. Return to renew the long-standing hobby or sport that you loved so much before. Express yourself in the works - through music, dance, poetry or painting. Take a day trip to the museum, the mountains or go to the gym.
Force yourself to do it all, even if you have lost the taste is a favorite occupation. You will be amazed when you see how much better you will become at the time of such employment. Even if your depression does not subside at once, you will gradually feel the optimism and energy of the more stuff you have, and eventually you will feel a noticeable relief.
Engage in physical activity
When you're depressed, you exercise - that's what you want to do the least. But the exercise - is a powerful tool to combat depression! Scientific studies show that regular exercise can be just as effective to increase energy and reduce fatigue as antidepressants.
To get the most benefit, do exercises for 30 minutes every day. But you can start small; Even a ten-minute activity can have a positive effect on your mood. Here are some simple ways to increase your physical activity:
Replace the elevator trip walking up the stairs.
Put the car in the farthest parking spot.
Go for a daily walk with the dog.
Get up from the chair and walk around the room while talking on the phone.
The next step could be to include light exercise into your daily routine. The key is that you do that you will like the most, then you will be easier to maintain daily physical activity.
Do not forget about our tips and you will find a means of getting rid of depression. Even if you had to seek professional help, these tips can be part of your treatment plan; they will help speed recovery and prevent the return of depression.
We strongly recommend to read: How to get rid of depression
