Coping with depression. There are many useful skills that can help
alleviate depression and become happier. Below are ten things you can
do to quickly lift your mood. When dealing with clinical depression
or long-term depression one has to address the problems beneath the
depression or mood disorder and work on abilities to address the
underlying problems and/or illness and feel better.
Ten Skills For Coping with Depression
1. Exercise. Something
every list on dealing with depression suggests is exercise.
Exercise, beyond being good for you, simply makes you feel better. It
can be as simple as getting up and doing ten jumping jacks, taking a
walk around the block or putting on a song and moving to the whole
song. Sometimes when I’m feeling down I put on my Ipod and do figure
eights with my hips through and entire song. It’s very easy and, in
truth, sometimes I feel very silly doing it. But then feeling silly
about it makes me laugh and the whole thing lifts my mood.
2. Smile. Smile
at yourself in the mirror. Or don’t. Just smile. Fake it. It’s ok if
it’s fake it still works. Smiling lowers your blood pressure, boosts
your immune system and releases endorphins, natural painkillers and
serotonin (whether or not it’s a real smile or a fake one).
3. Distract yourself. These are truly only short term answers for coping with depression, but if you aren’t clinically depressed,
Watch TV or a movie – preferably a comedy but truly anything that involves you works. Read a book – ideally one with a story. Play a game – video games, card games, rubicks cubes
You get the idea. Anything that distracts you from your depression
is something that can help you cope in the short term.
Side note:
While many people use alcohol, drugs, food, shopping or sex etc. to
distract themselves from depression or the things that bother them,
I’m absolutely not suggesting you do this. There are healthy
distractions and unhealthy distractions. I’m talking about healthy
distractions to be used briefly.
4. Talk to a friend. Speaking,
emailing, or chatting online can help lighten your mood. Make sure
you pick a person that will support you but talking with friends can
often help help us cope with depression. It's always good to hear a
supportive voice, get a different point of view and see things in a
different way.
5. Go to a social event. When we are
depressed it is sometimes the last thing that we want to do but when
you get into a social situation it helps you stop thinking about
whatever bothers you. When we focus on others instead of ourselves we
often forget about what is bothering us. Sometimes being with others
can help us feel needed and that often boosts our self-esteem.
6. Do Affirmations. People
have differing opinions about this one. I know from experience
coping with depression that affirmations can help you change the inner
negative voice that is saying, “my life sucks” or “no matter what I
do things never get any better”. If you say to yourself, over and
over the opposite of what your negative voice is saying it does help
even in the short term.
7. Play the "what if" game. Say
to yourself, “what if I had a million dollars, what would I have and
do with my life”. Let yourself really get into this. See and feel
what you would want and what you would do. This exercise gets you out
of thinking of your own life just as it is.
8. Use smell. Smell
is one of the strongest senses we have to cope with depression and
it keys directly into our emotional selves. The smell of grapefruit
is very uplifting. Try it. Or if grapefruit is not your style or you
don’t happen to have one or the essential oil laying around your
house. Put on some perfume or cologne that you like or yes, use scented
candles. Don’t underestimate the sense of smell – it can be very
helpful.
9. Do some cleaning. Try vacuuming the
living room, cleaning the kitchen or cleaning out a junk drawer. This
one works along the lines of part distraction, part exercise and if
using cleaning supplies, a kind of aromatherapy. Once done, you might
feel a sense of accomplishment and if you don’t feel any better at
least you’ll be depressed in a clean environment.
10. Engage your sense of touch.
Take a hot bath. Give yourself a foot massage or engage in any kind
of sensual pleasure that you enjoy. This can be very powerful when
coping with depression. The point is to do something that makes you
feel good. Focus on the physical and it can influence the emotion in
positive ways.
