How Depression Works
Depression derives from the Latin word “depressio” – that means suppression. Worthless, sad, guilty, hurt and worried are just a few feelings that might fall into that category.
We often feel as if there is no way out, but there is always a way out.
When Do We Feel Depressed?
We often have this sense of disappointment that leads to depression if:
1. We negatively think and see ourselves
2. We have blurry or negative perceptions of the things revolving around our lives
3. We expect nothing but trouble in the future
4. We criticize ourselves without any hint of self-compliment
5. We don’t have festive events going on in our lives
6. We feel helpless facing negative events in our lives and that we have no control over them
How To Kick Depression Out?
When we are depressed, and we want to break free from that state, that’s when the realizations kick in: we must take action! We should be decisive and merciless when it comes to facing depression and all sorts of terrible feelings.
Let’s face it; it’s challenging to take action while being depressed. In fact, just a simple idea of the steps and tools you should use to kick out depression might look both painful and exhausting.
The most helpful are the things that we find most challenging to do. Regardless of how exhausting and challenging it might be, there is a huge difference between difficult and something we might perceive as impossible.
1. Reaching Out Building Trustworthy Connections
We cannot survive without each other. People were always interconnected. What affects you causes a ripple effect on others which revolve around you. It might seem unnoticeable, at first, but that ripple effect is anything but fantasy.
I know, if you feel blah right now, the last thing you probably want is to connect with someone. All you probably wish for is for everyone to leave you alone. Period.
Although it’s good to stop and reflect sometimes, it’s not that great when being alone turns into the fortress of solitude. When a person becomes an island, no one can reach out to you even if they care about you.
Get me right. Being mindful of your thoughts is great. It’s not so great when you over-think and keep rewinding scenes from your past that you wish you could change.
Our mind becomes restless when we give it an impossible task to change the past. Shake it off.
We are in this together.
Turn to you friends. You sure do have a number to call. Talk to them, share. You will see that once you share, at least half of the massive rocks you’ve been bearing will fall from your shoulders. Communicate more with positive-minded people.
2. Cut Loose Negative Thinking
Depression contains negativity and sourness in everything: situations you find yourself in, the way you perceive yourself and others and big grim expectations of the future.
The truth here is simple. You need to learn how to tackle negative thoughts so they can’t affect you in the way they did before. We have to replace the “bed of negativity” with a new mattress of balanced, joyful thoughts.
Negative thoughts that make matters worse:
1) Stickers – It’s when you deliberately pick and stick a label on yourself like: “I’m a total disaster,” “I’m a loser,” “I am a sloppy son of a gun.”
2) Coulda Woulda Shoulda – it’s all on the list of things you could have done, but didn’t. And you kick yourself for not living up to the goals that you set for yourself or for doing something that you think you shouldn’t have done.
3) The wrong reflection – it’s a negative belief that goes like this: the way I currently feel is an accurate reflection of the reality revolving around me. “I feel like such a stupid fool,” “Why am I always in trouble”?
4) Rushing to Conclusions – it’s exactly when we act like fortune tellers and mind-readers. “They must think I’m stupid and worthless,” “I will be lost in this situation forever.”
5) Declining the Positives – it’s when you come up with excuses why positive things you experience “don’t count.” “He said he likes me when we went out, but I think he was just polite.”
6) Negative Filter – it’s when people focus on the negative overlooking the positive.
7) Over-conclusion – it’s when we jump from one negative experience to a belief that it will stay like that forever. “I’m not capable of doing anything the way I am supposed to.”
8) Either Victory or nothing – when we build up our hopes high saying “Either I win this game, or I am a loser for life.”
3. Do More What You Like
I’m sure it is a challenging task to force yourself plunging into positive experiences. Therefore, think about the things you used to get your kick from. What is it that you liked to do the most? You might want to pick up where you paused with your hobbies and interests.
Try to express yourself through the unlimited source of creativity within you. It can be anything: music, poetry, writing, all kinds of arts that involve your imagination.
Go for a walk. Take that moment for yourself. Fresh air is known for performing its wonders on creativity.
Read a book. Watch a good old movie. Get inspired!
4. Take Care of Yourself
It includes healthy eating habits and regular activities. The more you are active, the higher your energy levels are.
Take care of yourself. You are you. No one will make sure your well-being is in a great state better than you. It starts from your love towards yourself. Appreciate everything you are going or went through. Appreciate how robust and brave you are. Find the things you admire about yourself and always keep that in mind. The world is a better place with you in it. You are here for a good reason. You will get better. You just need to take your time and make an effort to climb out of that state again.
* If you find that your depression is getting more serious, seek professional help.
Take care of your thoughts. Take care of your mind.
No matter how hopeless or helpless you might feel right now, we have all been there, and we have all lived through it to see better times. We can all climb out of that state. You have that enormous capacity of the power within you. And I want you to use it, so you get better.