Jack Jone

Depression and anxiety are not personality traits and you just can't ‘get over it’. We all have our own acts of survival and ways of fighting depression, anxiety and stress. Coping with mental issues and healing is not linear so one has to be patient and take their time. Just like physical health, you have to maintain it by taking care of your body with exercise and eating the right food and going to the doctor when you are injured or ill. With mental health too you have to take daily actions to be healthy.  Life takes effort and work. Let's take reign of what is in our control and take positive affirmative steps to fight depression, anxiety and stress.  Big changes need small steps  You can take a number of actions to navigate and manage depression, anxiety and stress. Small adjustments to your daily schedule, nutrition, and way of life can all have a good impact.  Don't get overwhelmed by the following tips. Start with one step and take the next step when you can. So let's begin. Tip#1  - Understand Depression and mental health  You will be more encouraged to find a treatment that is effective for you when they get more knowledge about depression (internal linking to the understanding depression blog). Talking to a therapist about what you're going through could also be useful. Your family doctor or a simple search might be able to recommend you to a therapist or other expert. They can evaluate your symptoms and assist in creating an individualized clinical treatment plan for you. This could involve a range of choices, like medication and treatment. It could take some time to find the best course of treatment for you, so be honest with your therapist or other healthcare provider about what is and isn't working. They'll collaborate with you to identify the finest choice. Tip #2 -   Seek Therapy Don't neglect the signs of depression. Two people could have the same signs of depression, but the issue is internal, and thus which depression therapy and treatments will work best, could be completely different.  Early symptom recognition and individualized treatment are the cornerstones of treatment of depression and mental health issues at Lifebulb.  Tip #3- Make a routine Your life may become unstructured due to depression and stress. The days blend into one another. There are days when it hurts to talk, to love and to be. An easy daily routine can assist you in getting back on track. According to psychiatrists, if you are struggling mentally, make a routine and follow it. It will give you some control, a task to look forward to. Don't be hard on yourself if you can't follow it the first time, try again and again.  Tip #4- Exercise and do physical activities Get moving, exercise or do some physical activities to get your heart pumping. Believe me I know, some days it is difficult to even move a finger, but claim those endorphins, the feel-good chemicals. You will potentially benefit from it. Studies claim that regular exercise appears to assist the brain to positively remodel itself. What level of workout is required? To receive a benefit, you don't have to run marathons or follow a high intensity workout. Even just a few weekly walks can be beneficial. Dancing and some zumba can help too, just get in the groove and don't forget to go at your pace.  Tip #5 - Get, Set, Goal Set goals for yourself, daily or weekly. When you're depressed or struggling with anxiety and stress, you might think there's nothing you can do. You start to feel worse about yourself as a result. Make daily goals for yourself in order to fight back. Starting off modestly; it is advised to set a realistic goal for yourself, like doing the dishes every other day or doing your laundry. You can water that plant sitting on your window sill or do your skin care everyday before going to bed.  You can set alarms to see sunrise everyday or complete your backlogs at work or school.  You can increase the difficulty of your daily goals as you begin to feel better. Tip#6 - Confront your negative feelings Your brain is your friend and your foe. Changing your thought process is a big part of the battle against depression. When you're depressed, you automatically draw the worst conclusions. Use logic as a natural depression cure the next time you're having a bad self-esteem moment. You can eventually stop those negative thoughts before they spiral out of control with practice. Sit with your depression therapist and trace back your feelings and embrace them.  Tip#7 Improve your sleeping habits and diet  There isn't a magic diet that will make you happy again. But you should keep an eye on your diet. Gaining control over your eating will improve your mood if depression causes you to overeat. Lack of sleep can make it difficult to obtain enough rest, and inadequate sleep can worsen depression. How can you help? Make some lifestyle adjustments to start. Every day, go to bed and rise at the same hour. Avoid taking a nap. Remove any sources of distraction from your bedroom, including the computer and TV. Your sleep may get better over time. Conclusion  If your mental health issues are crippling, the most important step before anything would be to seek a therapist who can cater to your needs. Therapy helps and is the first step to fight depression, anxiety and stress, heads on. Small small changes and efforts can help you in fighting depression, anxiety and stress. You can connect with our licensed depression therapists at Lifebulb. We help you with counselors/therapists available for in-person and virtual depression therapy sessions.