3 Ways to Combat Depression (Naturally!)

Depression is a word with varied meanings. While for some it’s the ‘I don’t feel like doing anything’ phase, for others, it’s the ‘I don’t feel like talking to people’ phase.

So, what is depression?

Well, here’s the thing: the phases may differ from person to person but the core remains the same, you feel unhappy, discomfort, and a sudden loss of interest in the activities you used to love- it affects you both mentally and physically.

Thankfully, we live in times when conversations around mental health are more relevant than ever. So, why not make the most of it? It’s time we start taking care of our headspaces and focus on combating depression (naturally!).

In this article, we shall dive into three steps that can give you a headstart in your pathway towards combating depression, naturally!

So, let’s jump right into it!

1. Talk it out, my friend!

‘I’m fine’ may be our immediate reflex but we need to ask ourselves, ‘Is it a healthy reflex action?’

More often than not, as humans, when we suppress our feelings and let our emotions pile up, it does more harm than good and it may not be the smartest strategy ever to deal with the state of depression.

There are good days and bad days but our lookout makes all the difference. Allow yourself to express your feelings instead of piling them all up. Now, the way you wish to express yourself may differ. Be it talking to your closest friend or resorting to journaling to jot down all your feelings and thoughts, it all helps a great deal!

Begin writing from the time you start feeling the waves of sadness and continue writing till these waves of sadness subside. This will help you observe and learn about your methods of self-healing.

2. Your efforts matter, reward them!

This is the ‘I don’t feel like doing anything’ phase we discussed at the beginning of this article.

When you are diagnosed with depression, you tend to feel that you can’t achieve anything or meet any of your goals- be it personal or professional. But the question is, ‘How do you tackle such a situation?’

The answer is simpler than you might think. Start by setting daily goals for yourself. These goals can be something as simple as doing your laundry or something as time-consuming as meeting that urgent work deadline. But as you tick off these goals from your to-do list, you begin to feel better about yourself. When you start feeling so, reward yourself. Go for that evening walk or have your favourite chocolate, do what makes you feel happy.

Slowly and steadily, increase the difficulty level of your daily goals while continuing to reward yourself. After all, all of your efforts are worthy of praise. So, pat yourself on the back and acknowledge them. This way, you will combat the negative energy that surrounds you when you are suffering from depression and helps you overcome it.

3. Be grateful and express it

Every day, we have something to be grateful for! It could be a meal savoured well or a project done right but as long as it makes you happy and puts you at ease, it improves your mental health manifold!

To further enhance your headspace, it becomes all the more important to take some time out from your day and write down all these moments of gratitude. Why, you ask?

According to research, expressing and acknowledging moments of gratitude has a positive long-term impact on your mental health and combats depression by overpowering the moments of sorrow and grief.

Now that you know the science behind expressing gratitude, head out, buy yourself a gratitude journal and start jotting down all the moments of gratitude to positively impact your mental health.

In Conclusion

Depression puts a halt to your moments of genuine happiness but you can take a step ahead and combat depression by adapting to the right strategies.

Follow the three steps discussed in this article to give you a kick start in your journey to overcome depression naturally. But there are times when it gets overwhelming for us, in such moments, it’s recommended to seek help and speak with a professional about your mental headspace. It’s perfectly alright to consult a therapist and talk about what’s bothering you- it’s okay to talk about it!

A professional analyses your symptoms and helps you in curating a treatment plan personalised to suit your requirements.

Depression doesn’t have to keep you from being happy indefinitely if you learn how to recognise its symptoms, understand its causes, and then choose the right therapy for you. There’s a ray of hope, always!