I’m depressed. What can I do?
Depression is a state of mind that has both physiological and psychological consequences. Physiologically, it increases a person’s chance for a heart attack, cold, cancer, diabetes, and many other diseases. It can also cause impotence. It damages parts of the brain that is associated with memory. It impairs a person’s immune system, digestive system, cardiovascular system, and central nervous system. Psychologically, it makes a person unmotivated, drains a person’s energy level, affects a person’s interest in doing the things that he or she used to enjoy doing. It slows a person’s thinking or behavior, decreases a person’s ability to concentrate, and increases a person’s thoughts about death and self-destruction. Depression is a symptom that we all have experienced and it is manifested thru the many signs and symptoms that happen to us.
No matter what is the cause or source of depression, we can always do a few things that will help us to be less depressed.
One, we want to find ways to reduce our stress level. To do so, we can exercise, call a friend up, reward ourselves with a massage or a yogurt, take a long walk, journal, listen to music, do yoga, meditate, or cook something if that helps us with our stress level. The less stress we feel or perceive, the less symptoms of depression we will experience.
Two, focus on living in the present instead of living in the past or the future. If our mind is fixated on the things of the past that affect us negatively, then we can tell our mind to stop, change gear, and focus on the here and now. If our mind is looking to the future and is unable to stop obsessing about what’s going to happen, then we again can tell our mind to stop, change gear, and focus on what’s in front of us, around us, inside us, at this very moment. The art of living in the present is a skill to be mastered, but the more we practice it, the easier it will be.
Three, be conscious of our thought processes at any given moment and correct the negative thoughts that we have about ourselves, others, our past, our future, or the world. Substitute the negative thought with a positive or counter thought. For example, if I think that I’m worthless, then I would say to myself, “No, I’m not worthless. I’m treasured by my parents, valued by my friends, and loved by God.” If I cannot get rid of the thought that I don’t have financial stability, then I can tell myself, “I will not die from financial instability. There is always a solution. People with less means or less financial security are everywhere around me and they are able to cope and live, so can I.” The more that one neutralizes one’s negative thoughts, the less depressed one will be.
Four, take the long view. Ask yourself, “How would I feel about this thing that’s bothering me so much now in a year, ten years, or twenty years from now? Would it have the same significance when a long time has passed? If it still has a lot of significance, then stretch the time to a hundred years from now when you’re long gone. Would this thing still matter? If it still is a drain on your psyche, then stretch the time even longer, to eternity, and then ask, “In light of eternity, does this thing really matter?” Nothing really matters in light of eternity.
Five, accept whatever is unbearable. Open your arms and your heart, and say to yourself, “I cannot change what’s at hand. I can however accept what’s happening at this point in my life. This doesn’t mean that I condone what’s happened if it’s a bad thing. It simply means that I am putting my pain and suffering in front of me and be OK with my pain and suffering. When I’m able to accept it and be at peace with it, then the weight and stress of whatever is bothering me will be lifted from me.
If you’re in a melancholy mood and you don’t know what to do, then do these five things. They will help you to feel better.