My Top 10 Helpful Hints for Battling Depression and Anxiety
17 Years of research and personal experience have helped me discover some of the things that work well for me in combating the effects of depression and OCD/anxiety. Hopefully some will work for you as well!
1. If you're mood and emotions are effecting the quality of your day to day life, visit a qualified doctor. You're family physician can help you find a good psychiatrist and/or psychologist.
2. Ask for help: It won't be forever, but for a while, let your loved ones know that you need extra help. During a very hard time with depression and anxiety my aunt came to my home daily to do dishes, fold laundry, and care for my children. It wasn't forever, but it allowed those daily stresses to be removed so that I could get better.
3. Practice Mindfulness--This is a practice similar to yoga and meditation that helps you focus on what is happening right now, in this moment. A great resource for this is the book "The Mindful Way Through Depression"
4. Separate yourself from the disease. You are not the disease, and the disease is not you. It is a chemical imbalance. Your brain is (unfortunately!) subject to disease as much as any other part of your body.
5. Practice Yoga and Meditation. A couple of resources I have liked are: Yoga For Stress Relief and AM PM Yoga
6. Simplify. Reduce or eliminate any chores that do not have to be done. Ditch the home cooked meals for semi-homecooked meals (Hamburger Helper, Mac and Cheese, etc. Throw in some pre-sliced apples from Costco and dinner is served.)
7. Pleasant Events: Although you may not get pleasure from anything right now, it is still helpful to do things that you used to find pleasurable. PE's could be going for a walk; getting a pedicure; spending time with a friend; reading a book; meditating; gardening; etc.
8. Exercise 3 times a week (or more) for at least 30 minutes at a time. Curious about the link between exercise and mood disorders? Checkout the book Spark
9. Create a daily routine to follow. It does not need to be intense, in fact it should not be. Contrary to popular belief, cramming more in your day does not actually help you accomplish more.
10. Fill your bucket! Continue to do those things that are helpful to you. Each time you do you add a drop of water to your bucket. One drop alone will not help you feel better, but over time those collected drops will fill your bucket once more, and allow you to regain hope and excitement in life again.
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