POSSIBLE WAYS TO COPE WITH OR MANAGE DEPRESSION DAILY

A lot of people have been and may still be depressed and sometimes antidepressants given to depressed patients to cope with it may not always be as effective as reports as shown.

Hence the natural way is always better. Nature has shown us that this always works better as there is no fear of reactions or allergies that may happen in the case of some drugs . (please note:- You must always speak to your doctor before you make any change to your schedule or treatment).

1). Exercise:- Exercise is a good way to get your endorphins in your brain moving and make you feel good about yourself after. Some people think exercises are overrated ,but really the benefits of exercise on your mental and physical health cannot be overemphasised and totally worth it. It increases your energy (Get more tasks done after), increases focus and boosts memory retention and so many other things that make you live a healthier and better life. Walking as much as 15-30 mins a day can help. Go for walks,the air outside does you good.

2). Eat a balanced Diet:- Some recent studies have shown that a diet rich in whole foods lowers the risks of depression while a diet containing processed foods may increase the risk of becoming depressed. The loss of vital nutrients i will be listing below soon may be one of the causes of depression.

       Nutrients such as Magnesium,essential fatty acids,Vit B6 & B12 help create neurotransmitters and we are also learning that a deficiency in these nutrients can lead to a chemical imbalance in the brain  - Dr Dean( you can read more on his research online).

      Neurotransmitters are chemicals in the brain that transmit signals between name cells ...and when these transmitters get too low, depression may set in. These recent published studies are contributing to our knowledge of how nutrition might influence depression. Also, a diet high in processed foods,sugar and fat increased the risk of Obesity. A study published in the “ Archives of General psychiatry” found that people who were overweight increased their risk of becopming depressed.

• Few diet tips for nutrition include eating a balanced diet (plenty of fruit, veggies and whole grains, get your omega-3s and enough B-vitamins (these are important for maintaining brain health),
• Maintain a healthy weight (check your BMI)
• Do not skip meals:- When you skip meals, you lower your blood sugar and the brain uses more blood sugar than any other part of the body (this is why some  peeps find it hard to concentrate on a test /exam without eating first).

Eat balanced diet to prevent low blood sugar. This way, you can protect yourself against depression, anxiety and mood disorder.

3) Find a way to reduce stress or stress less :-

Stress is the number one killer of the human mind and body. It sets off chains of chemical reactions in the body that leads to all kinds of illnesses.

Therefore you have to find a way to let off steam. For some people,it's talking a lot or going out with friends, going to the spa, working out etc

A relaxation technique like yoga stretches and pre-planned meditation also helps. It is a must that you learn what works for you. Meditation has been known to be very effective if you learn how to focus and take deep breaths while doing that.

Doing this at least once a day means you do not have to go to bed with worries at the back of your mind and can get a sound sleep.
For example a stressed person has been known to get angry easily, be absent-minded and forgetful. This messes with your everyday activity. Take control /charge of your life so that it does not take charge of you!

4) Get enough sleep daily :- make sure you get enough sleep every night. Inadequate sleep can lead to decreased metabolism. This occurs as your hormones become imbalanced, ghrelin the hormone that signals hunger increases, which causes you to actually feel hungrier.

         However the increased apetite most often does not cause people who sleep less to eat more fruits and veggies. Sleep-deprived individuals tend to eat more carbohydrate-dense, sweet and salty foods.

      As a result of decreased metabolism,those sleeping less at night will also notice a decrease in energy. This occurs as the body shuts down the production of growth hormone. Which is the body’s natural source of anti-aging, fat-burning and phsyical recovery. The less you sleep,the harder it is to perform physical activities. Sleep deprivation has been shown to lower leptin (an apetite suppressing hormone produced in abundance at night) and increase ghrelin (a hormone released by the stomach that stimulates hunger, which is also secreted at night but normally in lesser amounts.

Inadequate sleep can affect body weight and even puts you at the risk of Cardiovascular diseases...makes you forgetful, kills sex drive and can make you depressed. Due to our fast paced lives now, it gets harder to get enough sleep. Less sleep coupled with potential sleep disorders can create health problems such as heart diseases, high blood pressure, depression and memory loss.

The good news is that priortizing sleep, modifying your schedule and getting professional help or a certified sleep specialist. You can start feeling better almost immediately.

Hobbies:- There is a saying that an idle hand is the devil’s workshop. Get busy!

     When you take on new projects or something as simple as a new hobby or interest. It could be the swimming or dance class you always wanted to take or even yoga. Whatever your interest is.. Do it now. That way you get to spend less time with your thoughts. There is a reason why loners get depressed easily. Do not keep to yourself. You going to work or just even paying your loved ones a visit has proven to reduce blood pressures because we tend to gist, share burdens and discuss when we are around others as opposed to keeping it all bottled in. For a while...you forget your own worries and may even get a fresh idea on what has you worried and get a new perspective on the issue in a way that you never saw before.

5) Listen to soulful /inspirational music :-

The type of music we listen to can help improve or dampen your mood. Most times we feel sad and cannot explain why sometimes. Not knowing that the music you just listened to affected your mood subconsciously.

   Music has been known to lift or dampen moods. Good inspirational music has the ability to lift your mood and make you feel better and vice versa. For example someone suicidal listening to rap music can make the feeling worse while or after listening to such songs. As this kinds of music have suggestive meanings towards violence and deaths.

6) Find Your worth in God :- This to me is the most important. Life is temporary and so is everything that you own and think you own.

I don’t know if you have noticed this but  life and all that is in it was never made to last forever. We are just passing through. Simply put, God made life in such a way that no feeling or emotion lasts forever as well as the feeling of  achievements or sucess.

That euphoria( high feeling) or happiness you feel when you finally get that great job, a new car, get married etc..will all fade after a while and then you will want more. You keep chasing more and you wil still feel unfulfilled unless you spend your time giving back or doing worthwhile things like helping the needy and the homeless. Things that really matter!

When you truly understand and  accept nothing was meant to bring you everlasting joy and fulfillment forever in this life, the less anxious,sad, or worried you will be about your highs, life sorrows, as well as  pitfalls because you know that it is all coming to an end someday. You will not be anxious, sad or worried when things do not work out as you think/thought they should. You have been running around trying to find yourself.. maybe all you need is God to restore balance in your life !

Depression occurs when particular symptoms (see previous post) persist in the human body after two weeks as a result of a chemical imbalance in the brain.

    Depression is mental before it affects physical movements but sometimes depression is as a result of phsyical attributes like weight, size, looks  etc and so not being okay with those may likely trigger it especially if you have an history of it (could be genetic or as a child growing up)

In this case ,it is physical before being a mental disorder. There is a reason why Obese people tend to be depressed more…

I strongly believe that when you do more for yourself and others, eat nutritious meals full of the right amount of veggies, B-vitamins, magnesium and at least seven hours of sleep with the right amount of exercise. Your mental and phsyical state of mind will be in unison and not only will it be sound but you will be able to live a much better life.

Thanks for reading my blog...
Please feel free to comment or share any other remedies or ways to deal with depression so as to help others.