Those whose mental and emotional wellness is being compromised by depression will do whatever it takes to help restore their wellbeing.
The number one thing that you must do if you are suffering from depression, or even suspect that you may be, is to make an appointment and go and see your GP. Your doctor will be able to talk to you about how you are feeling and discuss potential treatments that you could try to help you feel better.
It can also be useful to try to put some coping mechanisms into place. There are many different things that you could try.
First of all – be active. The temptation with depression is to withdraw from life and to stop talking to family and friends. In fact, you should do quite the opposite. Socialising with others can help to improve your mood, and keeping the lines of communication open between your family and friends can be useful when you find yourself in need of someone to talk to in the future.
Taking up exercise is also really important. There is a lot of evidence around which proves that taking exercise can help to lift your mood. Even if you haven’t exercised for a while, you can still start out gently, such as by going for a 20 minute walk every day for 20 minutes. Exercise relaxes you and releases ‘happy hormones’ in your body.
Facing your fears is also really important. Those with anxiety or depression often find themselves shying away from situations that make them feel uncomfortable. For example, some people lose their confidence about doing things such as driving or socialising with friends. Running away from these situations does not make them better, however, it actually makes them worse. The only way to make things easier for yourself is to face up to the things that you find difficult and keep doing them.