Small life style changes that won’t cure depression, but will make you better at fighting it.
Drink more water. I know this sounds uwu, but seriously. Being dehydrated causes muscle weakness and fatigue. Depression is already good at doing that to you by itself, don’t make it easier. Plus, being properly hydrated helps your organs, like your liver and kidneys, function better and helps flush out toxins. Having a buildup of toxins can make you feel icky and gross, which will negatively effect your mood. If you’re like me and drink pretty much nothing but caffeinated beverages, or you hate the taste of water, then do what I do and when you finish a drink, get a third of a glass of water and force yourself to chug it before getting another drink you actually like. I started doing this two months ago, and it has DRASTICALLY improved my life. Stay hydrated. Drink water.
Start taking a daily multivitamin. When you survive on mostly depression meals (half a bag of stale Cheetos and a slice of bologna straight from the package) you tend to miss out on a lot of your basic nutritional needs, which, of course, will make you feel tired and weak. Taking just a regular multivitamin is a great place to start making sure you’re meeting all your nutritional needs. You may also look into other daily vitamins and supplements that will help with your own personal needs. For example, I’m slightly anemic, which can cause muscle fatigue and lack of energy, so I take a B12 daily, and an iron supplement once a week. I also have a poor immune system from years of suffering with an eating disorder, so I take a vitamin C. And I have really bad anxiety, which causes my heart rate and blood pressure to spike a lot, so I take a fish oil pill everyday because that helps regulate both of those. If you’re like me, and your memory is terrible, get one of those day by day pill deals and keep it somewhere you will see it every day, like right next to your toothbrush. Also, DON’T GIVE UP TAKING VITAMINS COMPLETELY JUST BECAUSE YOU MISSED A COUPLE DAYS! It’s okay if you notice on Thursday that you forgot to take Tuesday’s and Wednesday’s vitamins. You’re not a failure, and taking your vitamins 5 out of 7 days of the week is better than taking them 2 or even 0 days of the week. Don’t think about it like “oh no, I forgot to take my pills those days,” but more like “sweet, that’s two days next week I don’t have to fill up!”
If you take a medication, make sure you take it at or around the same time every day. This will help your body get used to having that medication in your system, and it will help you remember to take it. You can always keep it in the same pill thingy you keep your vitamins. Of course, it’s important to always take medication as directed (ie. with meals, at night, etc.), and if it’s a new medication, take note of any and all side effects. Write them down and discuss them with your prescribing doctor. Don’t fall into believing you’re one of those people who doesn’t need to be medicated, like I did. Less than three months on an anti-anxiety medication, and I went from “couldn’t leave the house most days” to “I’m auditioning for the Voice in ten days.” If you’re doing everything you can to maintain and control your disorders without medication, and you’re still struggling, then that medication could very well be the thing that takes you from feeling like you’re barely on top of things to feeling almost like you don’t have a disorder at all. Obviously, not everyone is the same, and what meds work for one person could make things worse for another, which is why it’s always important to discuss any side effects, symptoms, and other noticeable chances with your doctor.
Eat real food. Junk food and fast food contain a lot of fats and preservatives which can make you feel down, tired, and sluggish. Again, depression is already pretty good at making you feel these things, DON’T help it. You know how in the Sims game, when you tell a sim to cook food, you can choose a single serving or a family meal? And even when you have just one sim, you still cook the family meal so you can put it in the fridge for leftovers so they don’t have to cook the next three days. IT’S POSSIBLE TO DO THAT IN REAL LIFE. Get a family sized box of hamburger helper or something, and make it just for yourself on a day you have the energy to cook. That way, you won’t have to cook for a few days, but you’re still eating better than if you were buying fast food. This will also help you save money in the long run.
Stretch. Ideally, you should stretch for 15 minutes a day, every day, as soon as you wake up. This will help you feel more awake as well as limber you up for the day. I have never done this. However, I still take time two or three days a week to stretch. I literally do it whenever I have the time, like, when I’m waiting for my food to cook, or I find myself bored with nothing to do for 20 minutes. Stretching regularly has a lot of benefits. For one thing, it’s almost a form of meditation, and if you choose to do yoga, it IS meditation. Taking 15 minutes to clear your mind a few times a week can drastically reduce stress. Stretching also works your muscles, helping to build muscle mass and make you physically stronger, leaner, and more toned. It will help you improve your range of motion, increase longevity, and can even alleviate joint pain and arthritis, which of course will improve your mood because not being in pain is always a mood booster. Stretching also releases endorphins, those feel good happy chemicals that people with depression always have such a hard time producing. It’s also a great gateway drug to actual exercise, like strength training and cardio, so if you hope to someday be one of those people who goes jogging every morning, stretching regularly is a good place to start.
Go for walks. A vitamin D deficiency can contribute to increased depression. Sunlight is good for your brain. Fresh air is also good for your brain. Exercise, which releases endorphins, is good for your brain. Take time to go outside and be in the fresh air and sunlight. Try to make yourself really enjoy the act of walking for the sake of walking. Spend the time thinking about what you see around you, and not what’s stressing you out or whatever problems you’re currently having. One walk around the block a week could have a much more positive effect than you currently think.
Talk to people. Message that friend you haven’t seen in six months. Reply to that person you left on seen three weeks ago. It’s more than likely that they know you have depression, and that answering people is hard when you have depression. They won’t be mad at you, they’ll bee happy they’re finally hearing from you. And if they do get mad at you, especially if they know you have depression, then that’s not a person you need to have as a friend, and you don’t need to feel guilty about never responding to them again. And when I say talk to people, I mean really, just talk. You don’t have to open up and soil everything you’re feeling about your depression onto that one friend you haven’t spoken to in forever. You don’t have to talk about your depression at all. I know I don’t really like to. Just talk. Ask them how they’re doing, what they’ve been up to, tell them about what’s going on in your life. Catch up. We are a social species of animal. Normal social interaction is essential for maintaining good mental health. Talk to people.
Don’t beat yourself up for making mistakes, and don’t give up doing any of these things just because you forgot to for a while. Only doing something once a month is better than never doing it at all.
Don’t take on everything at once. You will overwhelm yourself and it will be harder for you to make any of these changes. Start with one thing, and just keep doing that one thing until it becomes a habit, then start doing the next thing. Eventually, all of these will be part of your everyday routine, and you won’t even notice it happening.
Take this advice from someone who cannot remember a life without depression. Take this advice from someone who never expected to live past the age of 18 (I’m 26). Take this advice from someone who has tried to kill himself 5 times, and was nearly successful enough to need hospitalization twice. I know all this sounds like the same old generic advice neurotypical people spout off at anyone who has depression, but HONESTLY. Take care of your physical health, and your mental health will improve, I promise. It’s possible to get better, but you have to make the effort yourself. No one is going to do these things for you.
pixelskylines
tangentwithtanner
jimmyeatworldofficial
germansingergirl
areudirty
