5 Ways to Manage Depression

ben37333
May 10
3 min read

Updated: May 21

Depression is a common mental health concern that affects how you think, feel, act, and perceive the world. By the end of this article, you will have 5 strategies for managing depression.

What is Depression?

Distinct from sadness, which is a natural emotion that comes and goes in response to life events, depression lasts for a period of at least 2 weeks and involves a variety of symptoms which may include:

· Depressed mood

· Decreased interest or pleasure

· Decrease or increase in appetite

· Sleeping too little or too much

· Speeding up or slowing down of thought processes and physical movements

· Feeling tired and having low energy

· Decreased ability to think, concentrate, or make decisions

· Recurrent thoughts of death

Depression can seriously impair your ability to function at work, home, and in relationships and can significantly impact your quality of life.

5 Strategies for Managing Depression

1. Move your body

Exercise is one of the most effective natural ways to reduce depression. If you’re not engaging in regular physical exercise, start small. Taking a short walk can make a significant impact on how you feel.

It’s also important to find the kinds of activities that you enjoy (or at least tolerate). There are so many ways to move your body, so find the ways that work for you. Some ideas to get you started: go for a walk, hike, or jog, play a sport, attend a yoga, Pilates, barre, etc. class, practice tai chi, qigong, or another form of moving meditation. If you don’t enjoy in-person classes, a wealth of free content is available online for you to use in the comfort of your own home.

2. Spend time with others

Depression often involves a feeling of isolation and disconnection. Spending time with supportive family and friends can decrease isolation and help you feel more connected. This also includes pets.

3. Be with nature

Spending time in nature has been linked to improvements in mood, wellbeing, mental functioning. Utilize the natural spaces around you, whether that be a city park, yard, patio with container garden, forest, ocean or other bodies of water. Even a house plant can make a difference.

4. Practice mindfulness

Mindfulness is awareness of the present moment. There are many ways to practice mindfulness, including focusing on the breath, focusing on the body, guided or unguided meditation, imagery, reciting mantras. Mindfulness can be practiced standing, sitting, walking, lying down, or while engaged in a task. To my mind, the key aspects of practicing mindfulness are to strive to focus on one thing at a time with a nonjudgmental attitude. There are a wealth of articles, videos, and audios available online to support you in your mindful journey.

5. Consider counseling

Counseling can help with depression by providing emotional support, assisting with skill development, providing a structure for the process of self-discovery, developing/building on existing coping strategies, and supporting with goal setting.

In addition to counseling, you may want to consider medication if your depression feels particularly intense or disruptive to your life. Your counselor can help you consider your options so you can decide whether anti-depressant medications may be right for you.

In Closing

It is important to start from where you are. If you have not been physically active lately, it’s not helpful to expect that you’ll run a marathon tomorrow. Instead, start with a short walk. Focus on doing one thing to improve your mood daily and build up from there. Depression is a common mental health concern, and many people find ways to navigate and overcome it. If you think counseling may be of help to you, feel free to visit the rest of my website to determine whether you and I may be a good fit. And take a look at some of the links below if you’re interested in more information on the topics discussed in this article.