Life Hacks for Depression
Depression is something else! It's something that many people have wrestled with at some point. Either past or present. There are some who are unaware that they are or have been depressed. There are others who are in denial. I’ve heard some argue that they don’t get Depressed. My interpretation of such is that they may not necessarily know what they've experienced; however, I believe everyone encounters Depression at some point in their life. Depression tends to have a negative connotation within some cultures. Thus, some people are reluctant to share their experiences.
There are several signs of Depression. It can be an isolated incident or a recurrent one. It can be for a short period of time or over an extended period. It ranges in severity. Some of the symptoms include: feelings of loss/emptiness/sadness/worthlessness/excessive guilt, loss of interest/motivation, a change in sleep pattern-either excessive sleeping or the lack thereof, a change in appetite-either overeating or no desire to, fatigue or loss of energy, difficulty concentrating or making decisions, continued thoughts of death of feeling that one would be “better off” dead. The symptoms can be experienced in a combination of ways.
The good news is Depression doesn’t have to be long-term or recurring. It’s a matter of thinking and will power. A person has to be willing to get past Depression and not be victim to it. They also have to change their way of thinking. Negative thinking is a sure way of landing in the cesspool of Depression which, by the way, sometimes does not just stop at a "feeling."
Take a look at a few life hacks for Depression:
Positive thinking-thought life is E V E R Y T H I N G! Thinking on the good things in life improves your mood and overall outlook
Positive expression-finding a way to communicate thoughts and feelings in a healthy manner; releasing feelings opposed to suppressing them (my favorite is art-written, visual, and audio)
A solid confidant- “one good person” you can talk to with confidence in their ability to keep secrecy (and possibly provide sound insight)
Guard your heart! Be leery of negativity and do not allow yourself to be around it.
These are just a few hacks. There are countless others. Find one (two, or three) that work(s) for you and start your process with kicking Depression!