How To Deal With Your Depression (And Slowly Find Happiness)
# Student Sector # Lifestyle # Life Hack # Job Tips

How To Deal With Your Depression (And Slowly Find Happiness)

post by David Blog

by David Blog

Oct 23, 2019
at 11:40 AM

Depression is one of the leading mental illnesses. In our previous article, we found some research that states more than 40% of Malaysians suffer from depression. If you are that 4 out of 10 people, we sympathize with you and are providing 8 steps on how to help yourself slowly break out of it.

 

Have A Support System

This can mean things like making stronger connections with friends and family. Knowing that you can count on others to help can take your healing journey a long way.

  • You can also find a depression support group, like an offline or online community who know what you are going through and will support you.

     

    When you are suffering from a lot of stress, your body will produce something called cortisol. This thing is good because it helps you prepare yourself to face whatever is causing this stress. It is “good stress.”

  • But if you are constantly producing cortisol, it can cause many problems for you, including depression. The more you use techniques to reduce stress, the better because it will reduce your risk of being more depressed.

     

    Improve Your Sleep

    Sleep and mood go hand in hand. Did you know a 2014 study shoes that 80% of people with major depression will experience sleeping problems.

  • You might just feel like you cannot sleep, or you struggle to get out of bed and feel tired all the time.

  • Good sleep pattern is one of the keys to improving the quality and quantity of your sleep. Try to sleep early and wake up fresh. It doesn’t have to be instantly, do it in baby steps.

  • Only use your bed for sleep and sexual activity. Doing work in bed, or even in your bedroom, can cause you to associate your bed with stress, rather than relaxation. 

     

    Improve Your Eating

    Research has shown that there are links between diet and mental health. It has been shown that good nutrition can prevent and treat mental illness.

  • The saying of you are what you eat really does matter. If your diet is junk food, you will naturally feel like it. Some nutrient deficiency can actually lead to depression, such as zinc deficiency.

  • However, remember before you make any changes to your diet, talk to your doctor.

     

    Learn To Stop Negative Thoughts

    Depression doesn't just make you feel bad, it can also cause you to think more negatively. Changing those negative thoughts, however, can improve your mood. 

  • Try to turn negative thoughts into positive ones, work on your outlook on life. This is easier said than done, but once you have learnt how to do this, you will find yourself to be a happier and better person.

     

    Don’t Procrastinate

    Some symptoms of depression include things like fatigue or tiredness, and difficulty concentrating which makes it easy to procrastinate.

  • Putting things off fuels depression. It can lead to increased guilt, worry, and stress.

  • Try to set deadlines for yourself and manage your time properly.

  • Have short-term goals and work hard to get the most important tasks done first. Each time you complete this, you will feel better and slightly break through the habit of procrastination.

     

    Do Your Chores

    Depression can make doing anything difficult, including bare essentials like cleaning.

  • The less you clean however, the dirtier your surroundings become. As the saying goes, the environment shapes you, and with a dirty environment, you are only fueling your depression.

  • Do your daily chores. Start small and work on one thing at a time, and slowly learn to take control of your life again. Getting up and moving can help you start to feel better in itself. Seeing your progress at home can be key to helping you feel better.

     

    Have A Wellness Toolbox

    A Wellness Toolbox is a set of things you can use to help yourself feel better.

  • The things you find most helpful might not work for someone else, so it is important to consider what makes you feel your best and alive, for example, my wellness toolbox consists of my guitar and my pen and paper.

  • Think of things you like to do when you are happy, then when you are feeling down, try one of those activities.

  • Create a list of the activities you might try when you're feeling bad. Then, choose an activity to try when you're having a particularly rough time. 

     

    With these tips, I hope it helps you even if it is a little bit. Don’t worry, we are all in the same boat and are here for you. Stay safe, and stay brave in that journey to find happiness.