It is a condition that afflicts more people than you might imagine. Those who are fortunate enough to never know the strength of its grasp may not quite understand why some people cannot simply choose to “just be happy”. While there are numerous over and under-the-counter medications out there, some people would prefer to exhaust all the possible “all-natural” methods, with little to no side effects, before considering swallowing a pill. This article is by no means aimed against the pharmaceutical industry, decades of research suggesting that there is a chemical imbalance in some people, or disregarding the advice of thousands of psychiatrists. On the contrary, this article’s purpose is to propose some very simple, yet sometimes overlooked, methods for diminishing or eliminating depression, before moving on to consider more expensive or potentially risky alternatives. The methods described below will not only work against depression, but will have numerous byproduct benefits that will improve anyone’s quality of life in a meaningful way. 1. Daily Exercise & Eating Healthy. There are many resources that suggest we should exercise and get our heart rate up for at least 20 minutes each day, but most people get a little down if they do not start seeing results in their physical appearance within a few weeks of doing this. This is the reason we chose to lump “eating healthy” into this one as well. The combination of the two will work hand-in-hand in releasing endorphins that make you just “feel happy”, provide more energy and improve your physical appearance. This will stabilize your life with consistency, give you a sense of accomplishment and improve your self-image all at the same time. 2. More Consistent & Better Quality Sleep. It is no myth folks, more consistent and better quality sleep will lead to a happier and healthier life. We have all heard that eight hours of sleep is the perfect amount. While this may be true, we sleep in cycles of light and deep sleep every 1 hour and 30 minutes, and need to complete between 4 and 6 sleep cycles each night to recharge. This means that we should set our alarm to be woken up at 6 hours, 7.5 hours or 9 hours after falling asleep. You can try using an app like Sleep Cycle to take the guesswork out of it. If falling asleep at a decent hour is difficult, try not looking at any screens at least two hours before bedtime. What can you do for those two hours if you are not surfing the web or watching television? You can try reading, journaling or meditating. Which just so happens to be the next point! 3. Meditating & Journaling. Often meditation has been avoided by many in the Western culture because of the mysticism and Eastern religious connotations associated with it. This does not have to be the case however. Meditation can be as simple as taking 3 minutes to sit down, breath deeply and focus on what matters most in your life. Zen Habits has a very helpful blog post for those just starting out and want a simple guide on how to meditate for the very first time. Included in this point is journaling because of the similar benefits associated with it. Journaling can be a way for you to get rid of all of those overwhelming thoughts and feelings you have been holding in all day by writing them down on paper. One method is to write as fast as you can everything you feel, rip the paper into many tiny pieces, and then simply throw it away (thus throwing away all your negative thoughts and feelings). 4. Weighted Blankets. You may be thinking, shouldn’t this be with the sleeping point? While blankets are traditionally associated with staying warm and comfortable at night, weighted blankets can access this same sense of security to reduce or eliminate depression during the waking hours as well. These special blankets have been purposed and manufactured with just the right amount of polly pellets (the stuff found in Beanie Babies) to induce enough pressure to trigger the parts of your brain associated with safety, security and comfort. A weighted blanket is not just for sleeping or napping, but having one handy can help tremendously in the fight against depression. 5. Helping Others. This may sound a bit insensitive at first, but sometimes all we need to do is take the focus off of ourselves for a little bit by helping others. It is incredibly powerful to see people that have gone through a traumatic experience and their method for coping is to make the world a better place by helping as many people as they can. Many find this sense of community in helping others through organized religion and churches, some volunteer with groups like Habitat for Humanity, and yet others go as far as seeing a need not being met and then deciding to do it themselves, or organize a group to support that cause. Whichever method you prefer, focusing on others will help anyone feel a bit better and provide a sense of purpose. 6. Learn Something New & Master It. This method can range into a variety of different parts of your life. You can decide to take piece of your work that you do not yet know a lot about and become one of the best at your company at this, or even the world. It may sound far fetched, but the pursuit of becoming the “best in the world” at something brings enthusiasm, positivity and happiness; which all three emotions combat depression. You do not have to choose something as serious as work though. You can choose to learn to play an instrument, write a book or play a sport. There are endless options in this world to explore, learn and master. The point is to pick one that interests you and then set out on the journey of mastery. This will provide a sense of fulfillment, help you find a community with similar interests, and boost your overall self-esteem.
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