Sleep

Sleep

A common complication of depression is lack of sleep. Lying awake in bed at night with a brain that won’t calm down or waking in the middle of the night and not being able to get back to sleep are common symptoms. Fatigue from lack of sleep can add to symptoms of depression so proper sleep is an important part of a depression treatment plan. Develop a calming bedtime routine that can help you wind down at the end of the day and follow a consistent sleep schedule to improve the amount and quality of sleep you get.
Read more: Healthy Sleep Habits and Depression »

Weight loss

Losing weight improves your self-esteem and overall health and you don’t have to starve yourself or hop on a fad diet. Eating right and exercising regularly is the tried-and-true method for losing weight and keeping it off. The more you do these two things the easier it’ll be to stick with them.
Read more: Maintaining a Healthy Weight »

Exercise

Exercise increases your body’s production of natural antidepressants. According to the Mayo Clinic exercising for 30 minutes a day three to five days a week can help alleviate depression without the use of medication. It can help:
reduce stressimprove moodboost self-esteemprovide restful sleep
Read more: Exercise Depression and the Brain »

Outlook

Depression is a serious disorder. Its symptoms of sadness and isolation can be debilitating. There are many things you can do on your own to treat depression and alleviate its symptoms. Stay healthy by eating right exercising and getting plenty of sleep to combat depression. Talk to your doctor if you are experiencing symptoms of depression and if you want to make any changes to your lifestyle.

Stress management

Stress is a part of life but chronic long-term stress can be debilitating especially for someone with depression. Stress builds upon itself so it’s essential to combat stress with calming soothing experiences. Stress management is different for everyone so you are the best person to decide which healthy activities help you. Some ideas to consider are:
watching your favorite moviereading a good bookpracticing a hobbylistening to musicwriting in a journalexercising
Read more: Depression and Stress Management »

Relationships

Depression can be alienating and the right network of friends and loved ones can help you overcome your issues. Spend time with positive supportive and loving people to help you through rocky times.

Healthy eating

Eating healthy is good for your body and will help your mood overall. The easiest way to improve your diet is to cut out junk food. Avoid foods high in refined sugar and foods packed with saturated fats. Incorporate healthy foods into your diet including:
Fatty acids
Omega-3s and omega-6s are two types of healthy fatty acids. These can be found in:
fishnutsfresh fruits and vegetablesolive oil
Amino acids
Neurotransmitters the messengers in the brain are made of amino acids. Neurotransmitters play a role in mental health so include amino-acid-rich foods such as the following in your diet:
meatdairy productscertain fruits and vegetables
Complex carbohydrates
Carbohydrates can help stimulate production of the feel-good neurotransmitter serotonin. Carbohydrates also help your body absorb amino acids more effectively which helps you synthesize proteins. Your brain runs on glucose which is also derived from carbohydrates. Complex carbohydrates can be found in:
whole grainslegumesvegetables such as spinach and broccolifruits such as oranges and pears
Read more: Healthy Eating for Depression »

Meditation

Meditation is the practice of engaging in a mental exercise such as deep breathing or repeating a phrase or mantra to achieve some kind of benefit. In the Buddhist tradition the goal of meditation is spiritual enlightenment. Many modern practices focus on stress relief and relaxation. Meditation can help relieve anxiety that sometimes accompanies depression. If depression is disrupting your sleep habits deep-breathing techniques can help calm your mind to help you sleep better.
Read more: Meditation and Depression »