Self Help Tips for Depression

When your depressed. Everything is very difficult to do. Brushing teeth, taking a shower, getting out of bed, it all feels like climbing a mountain. The less you do, the more it piles up in your mind and the larger the mountain becomes.

To tackle the depression and anxiety mix you need to have a schedule. You need to fill your schedule with all of the recommended activities on this page. Don't schedule down time, except for winding down before sleeping. Your worst enemy will be down time. When your depressed, down time results in your mind thinking of all the negatives in your life. Once you have your schedule, force yourself to follow it and don't deviate. This will be extremely hard. Get an accountability partner. Someone you can text or email, daily, and remain accountable to. Overcoming depression is like jumping a car. Stay on the schedule and get your engine running, then after two weeks, you'll start to feel renewed energy and increased ability to manage your thoughts.

Exercise is essential in overcoming depression. It’s extremely difficult to make yourself exercise, when depressed, but it still needs to happen. You need to exercise for at least 20 min straight. The most helpful way to exercise is to exercise until your exhausted. Then, when you feel like you can’t go anymore, keep going. As you push yourself forward you will break through a wall and gain a burst of new energy. This will occur because endorphins will pump into your body. As this occurs, you will feel as if anxiety is being flushed out of your body. When you’re done, you will have clearer thinking.

It is essential that you eat healthy. Stay away from sugar, caffeine, and junk food. Don't skip meals. Also eat lots of green leafy vegetables. The Vitamin B found in green vegetables is helpful in fighting off depression and anxiety. A lot of foods also contain Omega 3 which a building block of serotonin and melatonin. Two natural chemicals that help your body with depression.

Get at least eight hours of sleep. This will be difficult if you have been depressed for a while and your sleep schedule is all mixed up. Make yourself wake up at the same time every day, no matter how tired you get. Getting back into a sleep schedule is like overcoming jet lag, you just have to go through the motions of waking up at a good time until your body readjusts.

Focusing on others instead of yourself is also key. The more you focus on yourself the more problems you will find. The more you focus on others the more your problems will come into their proper perspective.