When depression grabs hold of your life it’s easy to think the best solution is to simply take an antidepressant.
That is almost never true.
Although for some people medication can be one piece of the answer, very seldom is it sufficient by itself.
And even though I strongly encourage some of my patients to try medications, it is not something we normally start with at the beginning of therapy.
Finding the likely source of depression makes it easier to solve.
The precipitants of depression are numerous. It might be that an important relationship went sideways, a serious illness was diagnosed, job pressures reached a boiling point, an important goal in life was not met, a financial calamity arose from which there appears to be no solution, a close friend committed a deep betrayal, and so on.
All of these problems give rise to a variety of thoughts, self-recriminations, doubts, jealousies, fears, and more. And each of these, in turn, can lead to depression.
Finding the source of the initial pain, and the jumble of attendant mental/emotional demons that arise from that ‘crash site’, provides a starting point for rebuilding a healthier, happier, and more realistic way to move forward in life.
Knowing the reason for the depression can often lead to a solution.
But sometimes not.
Some depressions are brought on by problems that do not have solutions.
Or the solutions may require an extraordinarily long time to complete.
What then?
Is the depressed individual left with the choice of simply taking medication versus ‘white knuckling’ it through his or her distress until life turns around on its own?
Not at all. It turns out that simple changes in daily life can profoundly impact depression. Research shows that altering a handful of lifestyle factors can dramatically improve someone’s mood and outlook in a relatively short amount of time.
In the following we will look at ten of the most powerful lifestyle changes you can make in order to decrease (and possibly eliminate) depression.
ONE Stop ruminating. Depressed individuals tend to focus on negative memories and mentally turn them over in an endless cycle. Learning to stop this obsessive sort of thinking is an extremely helpful way to break free from a depressive state.
Continuing to ruminate, however, feeds the depressive state and blocks out positive thinking and practical problem solving.
TWO Socialize on a regular basis. When someone becomes depressed he or she very often withdraws from others. A strong preference to be left alone takes hold. This deepens the depression.
Forcing yourself to socialize with others improves your mood over time.
But keep in mind, socializing does not mean going out and becoming a party animal. Simply having coffee with a friend, a lunch date, or going to a gathering for a co-worker are sufficient to gain the benefits of socializing.
Will you want to? Probably not. But do it anyway. It’s good for you.
THREE Decrease social media. By now you’ve read that high consumption of social media is related to diminished mental health. It’s no surprise then that taking a break from social media will help you recover from depression.
Not up to a clean break from social media for a couple of weeks? In that case limit yourself to two half hour blocks of time for social media each day. In addition, stay clear from any social media channel, or influencer, that consistently brings your mood down.
FOUR Improve Your Sleep. Depression frequently impairs sleep quality. This, in turn, worsens depression inasmuch as poor sleep leads to fatigue, diminished concentration, impaired decision making and more.
Solving the sleep impairments that often arise with depression may include changing your routines, the temporary use of medications or both. The best approach, normally, is to start by dialing in good ‘sleep hygiene.’
FIVE Get moving. There is a wealth of research evidence showing that exercise improves mood.
This need not involve hernia inducing workouts. Walking 15 to 20 minutes a day will frequently be sufficient to bring about good results. But many other options also exist: bicycling, weight lifting, roller skating, dance class, judo (three cheers for judo), etc.
Anything that gets you moving at least somewhat strenuously should be helpful. Obviously if you have a medical condition it will be important to consult with your doctor before engaging in an exercise regime. Even so, it is one of the most powerful natural antidotes to depression.
SIX Pursue past interests. Depression causes many to “feel dead inside” and lose interest in activities that in the past had been a source of happiness. This is referred to as anhedonia.
We know little about the neurological substrate of anhedonia. As such, there isn’t much to discuss in that regard.
But that doesn’t keep us from having some good ideas about how to push back against this opponent. One of the simplest ways to rekindle the passions that have been sealed over by anhedonia is ‘Behavioral Activation.’
I know, behavioral activation sounds like one of those psychological terms that’s made up in order to sound scientific. You’re thinking it’s like the curl on a pig’s tail… it looks good but it doesn’t do much for the pig.
OK, you’re probably right that this is a fancy term for a simple concept. But even so, it often works.
In fact, it often works really well for people who stick to the program.
In this instance behavioral activation would mean you need to engage in the thing that use to interest you even though you currently have no interest in doing so.
The idea is that your ability to find pleasure from some activity that had been rewarding in the past still exists. By engaging in it now, even though you are not very motivated to do so, is a way to reignite that passion.
It’s a little bit like starting your car after the battery is low from having left the headlights on overnight. Once you jump start the car and get it running for a while, the battery is recharged.
SEVEN Help others. Turning your attention toward being useful to others requires that you stop focusing on your own depression. More importantly, people are wired to experience pleasure from helping others. Consequently, you will get an emotional boost from acting altruistically.
If those you are helping express appreciation, it drives home the difference you are making in someone else’s life. This also enhances the depression busting impact of acting altruistically.
EIGHT Focus on gratitude. Similar to helping others, an eye toward gratitude shifts the depressive focus away from the dark parts of life and places your mental gaze on positive aspects of life instead.
Sound a bit weak? A nice thought but not very helpful in any real sense?
Numerous studies show that gratitude has the ability to improve mood and outlook, even when used with someone who struggles with a serious depression.
How one goes about developing an attitude of gratitude varies depending upon the person’s preference. It may involve keeping a ‘gratitude journal’, regularly sending out thank you notes, making a conscious effort to be mindful of your blessings, and more.
NINE Soak up some light. Exposure to sunlight is beneficial for fighting depression for a variety of reasons. It helps set the body’s circadian rhythms which in turn help regulate sleep. In addition, sunlight stimulates the production of serotonin, a neurotransmitter that is associated with reductions in depression.
If you cannot get out in the sun (especially in the morning before 9:00 AM) you should consider a specially made light that (providing 10,000 lux) and use it on a daily basis with the guidance of your health care provider.
TEN Pay attention to your nutrition. A great deal of research has been conducted on the intersection of depression and vitamins/supplements.
Perhaps the best-known supplement for depression is omega-3 (aka fish oil capsules). Significant amounts of research support the conclusion that this supplement helps reduce the symptoms of depression.
Despite this support, some studies have failed to show any benefit from omega-3 supplementation. Because studies vary with regard to what dosage is used, the severity of depression studied, and other variables, the debate is unlikely to end soon.
What to do?
Taking a step back to look at the bigger picture it is clear that even though the jury is out with regard to the effectiveness of specific supplements, there is considerable agreement that nutrition more generally impacts mental states, including mood.
This makes perfect sense: the appropriate fuel is required for your brain to operate at full capacity. This includes not just what you put into your body, but what you leave out (e.g., a high carb, high sugar and high alcohol diet is ill advised).
Going on a Mediterranean diet plan is considered a good choice for most people. As noted above, supplementing with Omega-3 may also be helpful.
Conclusion
There you have it. Ten science-based lifestyle changes that often help reduce depression. Use a selection of these, or all ten, in order to help regain your zest for life.
