World Mental Health Day has just passed, but that doesn’t mean the topic should be forgotten. An estimated 5% of adults worldwide suffer from depression, and this is likely higher as many individuals go undiagnosed1. Physicians will often prescribe anti-depressants, but many patients refuse to go on them for personal or other reasons.
However, medication isn’t the only answer. Here are eight ways to help overcome depression without medication.
Contents
Get Enough Sleep
Sleep has a significant effect on both physical and mental well-being. When you’re sleep-deprived, you have low energy and consequently feel down and unmotivated, which makes symptoms of depression worse. On the other hand, depression can also cause sleep problems, such as insomnia2. Try to create a nighttime routine that relaxes you and helps quiet your mind. Avoid screens and social media and replace that time with reading a book or journaling.
Have a Strong Support System
Depression can be a lonely feeling. You don’t feel like doing anything, and socializing is sometimes the last thing you have the energy to do. However, loneliness is a risk factor for depression, so this avoidance may be making your symptoms worse. Try to schedule some time for socializing within your week, even if it’s a phone call with friends or breakfast with your family. Make sure to spend this time with people that support you and make you feel better, and not drain your energy further.
Focus on the Present Moment
There isn’t always a clear trigger or reason for entering depressive episodes, but sometimes it can be as simple as feeling anxious about future events or remembering the past (i.e., negative memories). Focusing on the present can help ease these feelings of anxiety, regret, and sadness and prevent the spiral into depression. One way to practice this is through meditation. Breathwork encourages you to focus on one thing only – your breathing.
Take Care of Your Physical Health
It is well-established that physical and mental health are intertwined. When your physical health isn’t great, your mental health suffers, and bad mental health can lead to physical manifestations. A healthy diet and regular physical exercise can significantly help improve the symptoms of depression. A review published by Murri et al. (2019) explains that physical exercise helps reduce symptoms of depression and reduces the risk of future depressive episodes. Exercise also helps improve sleep – which we know is another important lifestyle factor– and promotes further healthy habits, such as eating well3. Exercise also releases endorphins, which we sometimes refer to as our “happy hormones.”
Reducing your intake of sugar, processed foods, and saturated fats can also help improve symptoms of depression. An unhealthy diet correlates to lower mood and energy levels. The SMILES trial published by Jacka et al. (2017) studied the effects of dietary intervention for patients with depression. The diet focused on fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, and lean proteins. There was a significant reduction in depressive symptoms by the end of the trial4.
Make Plans
Whether it’s with friends and family or by yourself, make plans to get out of bed and do something fun or productive. Research some delicious healthy recipes to make for the week and go grocery shopping for ingredients. Go to the park and read a book, drive around with your favorite music playing, start a painting, or visit your favorite coffee shop. You don’t need to leave your house, but get dressed, ready for the day, and out of bed. Prioritize your mental well-being the same as your work or school commitments. Schedule time in your planner for “me-time” and do something that lifts your mood.
Get Outside
We know exercise helps with depressive symptoms, but bringing that exercise outdoors can have a synergistic positive effect on mental health. Nature seems to have a calming effect on people6. It also encourages physical activity (even if it’s just walking), social interactions (such as saying hello to passersby), getting out of the house, and making plans. Research suggests that nature is a “restorative” environment, creating a sense of escape from daily stressors and the constant stimulation that leads to mental fatigue. You don’t need to travel far to find these restorative environments – a nearby pond, park, or green space can still have the same effects7.
Meditate and Journal
Many studies show that gratefulness is a much stronger emotion than happiness, and often leads to the latter. Meditation helps us focus on the present, which we know helps with symptoms of depression. Many studies on meditation show that it’s significantly effective at changing how your mind responds to stress and copes with negative events5. The focus is shifted away from the negativity and gives you more control over your thoughts. Similarly, journaling and writing down things that you are grateful for in the present moment can help shift the focus to the positive things in life, however small they may be. Some people find it easier to focus on the present when writing it down instead of only thinking about it.
Set Goals
Lack of self-confidence and self-efficacy is a major component of depression. Making and accomplishing realistic, manageable goals can help improve your self-confidence and sense of self-efficacy. Do you have any tasks on your to-do list that will take less than 30 minutes? Slowly start ticking them off, and don’t overwhelm yourself by trying to finish everything in one day. Clean the dishes or do one load of laundry. Making your bed is a very simple and quick task that you can do first thing in the morning, immediately starting your day with a feeling of accomplishment. The goals must be realistic and manageable, ideally with a way to measure your progress.
Depression is one of the most common mental disorders, affecting millions worldwide. However, you don’t need to be stuck in that state forever, and you don’t need to rely on anti-depressant medications as your only hope. With lifestyle changes and routines, such as sleeping better, meditating, eating healthy, exercising regularly, setting goals, and socializing, you can slowly overcome those symptoms of depression. Remember, these changes won’t happen overnight, and you may not see any improvements in your mental well-being for weeks. However, if you stick with it, you’ll slowly start to feel better.
Featured Image Credit: Photo by Antonino Visalli on Unsplash
References
1. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/depression
2. https://www.sleepfoundation.org/mental-health/depression-and-sleep
3. Murri MB, Ekkekakis P, Magagnoli M, Zampogna D, Cattedra S, Capobianco L, Serafini G, Calcagno P, Zanetidou S and Amore M (2019) Physical Exercise in Major Depression: Reducing the Mortality Gap While Improving Clinical Outcomes. Front. Psychiatry 9:762.
4. Jacka FN, O’Neil A, Opie R et al. (2017) A randomised controlled trial of dietary improvement for adults with major depression (the ‘SMILES’ trial). BMC Med 15:23.
5. https://www.health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/how-meditation-helps-with-depression
7. Pearson DG, Craig T (2014) The great outdoors? Exploring the mental health benefits of natural environments. Front Psychol. 5:1178.
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