Depression is a serious medical condition and can require medical attention. Being depressed can make you feel helpless. You’re not. Along with therapy and sometimes medication, there is a lot you can do on your own to tackle back. Changing your behavior like physical activity, lifestyle and even your way of thinking are all natural treatments for depression.
Exercise: It temporarily boosts feel-good chemicals called endorphins. It may also have long-term benefits for people with depression. Regular exercise seems to encourage the brain to rewire itself in positive ways, Cook says.
Healthy diet: There is no magic diet that fixes depression. It’s a good idea to watch what you eat, though. If depression tends to make you overeat, getting in control of your eating will help you feel better.
Have enough sleep: Depression can make it hard to get enough sleep, and too little sleep can turn the bad situation worse.
Start by making some changes to your lifestyle. Go to bed and get up at the same time every day. Try not to nap. Take all the distractions out of your bedroom.
Follow a routine: If you are depressed, you need a routine, says Ian Cook, MD. He’s a psychiatrist and director of the Depression Research and Clinic Program at UCLA.
Set targets albeit small: When you are depressed, you may feel like you cannot achieve anything. That makes you feel worse about yourself. To push back, set daily goals for yourself.
Try taking responsibilities: When you are depressed, you may want to pull back from life and give up your responsibilities at home and at work. Don’t. Staying involved and having daily responsibilities can help you maintain a lifestyle that can help counter depression.
Check with your doctor before using supplements: “There is promising evidence for certain supplements for depression,” Cook says. Those include fish oil and folic acid. But more research needs to be done before we’ll know for sure. Always check with your doctor before starting any supplement, especially if you’re already undergoing medications.
Try something out of the box: When you are depressed, you are almost in a pothole. Push yourself to do something different.
Try to have fun: If you are depressed, make time for things you enjoy. What if nothing seems fun anymore? “That’s just a symptom of depression,” Cook says. You have to keep trying anyway.
Challenge the negative thoughts within you: In your fight against depression, a lot of the work is mental. When you are depressed, you leap to the worst possible conclusions.
The next time you’re feeling terrible about yourself, use logic as a natural depression treatment. You might feel like no one likes you, but is there real evidence for that? You might feel like the most worthless person on the planet, but is that really likely? It takes practice, but in time you can beat back those negative thoughts before they get out of control.