Can you overcome depression on your own

However, if you can learn to recognize it, you can learn to replace it. Use logic as a weapon. Address each thought individually as it occurs. Instead of compiling a long list of tasks, consider setting one or two smaller goals. This way, you have a list of tangible achievements and not an untouched to-do list. All goals are worthy of recognition, and all successes are worthy of celebration. When you achieve a goal, do your best to recognize it.

The memory of a job well-done may be especially powerful against negative talk and overgeneralization. If depressive symptoms disrupt your daily routine, setting a gentle schedule may help you feel in control.

Your schedule could focus on the time before work or right before bed. Focus on creating a loose, but structured, routine that can help you keep your daily pace going. Depression can push you to give into your fatigue. It may feel more powerful than happy emotions. It could be playing an instrument, painting, hiking, or biking. These activities can provide subtle lifts in your mood and energy, which may help you overcome your symptoms. Research shows music can be a great way to boost your mood and improve symptoms of depression.

It may also help you strengthen your reception of positive emotions. Music may be especially beneficial when performed in group settings, such as a musical ensemble or band. Mother Nature can have a powerful influence on depression. Research suggests people who spend time in nature have improved mental health. Exposure to sunlight may offer some of the same benefits. It can increase your serotonin levels, which can provide a temporary mood boost.

Consider taking a walk at lunch among the trees or spending some time in your local park. Or plan a weekend hike. These activities can help you reconnect with nature and soak in some rays at the same time. Depression can tempt you to isolate yourself and withdraw from your friends and family, but face-to-face time can help wash away those tendencies. Try to remind yourself these people care about you. You need the interaction — and they likely do, too. When you do the same thing day after day, you use the same parts of your brain.

You can challenge your neurons and alter your brain chemistry by doing something entirely different. Research also shows doing new things can improve your overall well-being and strengthen your social relationships. To reap these benefits, consider trying a new sport, taking a creative class, or learning a new cooking technique. Symptoms of Depression A major depressive episode is defined as experiencing five or more of the following symptoms every day or most days for two weeks or more: Depressed or irritable mood Sleep problems i.

Practice These Coping Skills Every Day I recommend doing many — if not all — of the following coping skills and techniques once a day when experiencing depression.

Meaning: Find small ways to be of service to others. Your goals: Find workable goals that give you a sense of accomplishment. Pleasant Events: Schedule pleasant activities or events. E ngagement: Stay in the present. E xercise: And, eat right too. Relationships: Focus on people who lift you up.

S leep Regularly: Try to keep a regular sleep schedule. Facebook Twitter. Get help with a billing issue. Need help with financial assistance. This can help your mood become more positive. Express yourself. With depression, your creativity and sense of fun may seem blocked. But it can help to do things that get your creative juices flowing. Paint, draw, or doodle.

Sew, cook, or bake. Write, dance, or compose music. Chat with a friend or play with a pet. Find something to laugh about. Watch a funny movie. Do things you can enjoy. Even a little. Take a dog for a walk. What you eat has a direct impact on the way you feel.

Reduce your intake of foods that can adversely affect your brain and mood, such as caffeine, alcohol , trans fats, and foods with high levels of chemical preservatives or hormones such as certain meats. Going too long between meals can make you feel irritable and tired, so aim to eat something at least every three to four hours. Minimize sugar and refined carbs. Aim to cut out as much of these foods as possible.

Boost your B vitamins. Deficiencies in B vitamins such as folic acid and B can trigger depression. To get more, take a B-complex vitamin supplement or eat more citrus fruit, leafy greens, beans, chicken, and eggs. Boost your mood with foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3 fatty acids play an essential role in stabilizing mood.

The best sources are fatty fish such as salmon, herring, mackerel, anchovies, sardines, tuna, and some cold-water fish oil supplements. Sunlight can help boost serotonin levels and improve your mood.

Whenever possible, get outside during daylight hours and expose yourself to the sun for at least 15 minutes a day. Remove sunglasses but never stare directly at the sun and use sunscreen as needed. For some people, the reduced daylight hours of winter lead to a form of depression known as seasonal affective disorder SAD. SAD can make you feel like a completely different person to who you are in the summer: hopeless, sad, tense, or stressed, with no interest in friends or activities you normally love.

No matter how hopeless you feel, though, there are plenty of things you can do to keep your mood stable throughout the year. That your situation is hopeless? Depression puts a negative spin on everything, including the way you see yourself and your expectations for the future. But even so, they can be tough to give up. Rather, the trick is to identify the type of negative thoughts that are fueling your depression, and replace them with a more balanced way of thinking.

All-or-nothing thinking. The mental filter — Ignoring positive events and focusing on the negative. Noticing the one thing that went wrong, rather than all the things that went right.

Diminishing the positive. Jumping to conclusions. Making negative interpretations without actual evidence. Emotional reasoning. Everyone must be laughing at me! Once you identify the destructive thoughts patterns that contribute to your depression, you can start to challenge them with questions such as:.

As you cross-examine your negative thoughts, you may be surprised at how quickly they crumble.