Depression, to some extent, is a normal feeling. It’s useful & required because one can’t continuously feel happy & elated. The low feelings provide a much needed contrast & motivate us to keep working towards happiness.
The problem arises when depression becomes severe, incapacitating & an obstruction to pursuit & enjoyment of normal life. That’s when expert help is required. For milder degrees of depression friends & some simple self-help measures work very well. But for severe depression it’s best to seek professional help from a psychiatrist AND a psychologist.
Self-help Tips to beat the blues (read mild depression):
1. Sleep: A regular timed & adequate sleep of about 8 hours goes a long way. Neither less NOR more.
2. Meals: Regular timed meals with healthy balanced diet & good hydration will keep your body functioning well & provide good milieu for your mind.
3. Exercise: The most effective anti-depressant for any severity of depression. One can completely cure mild to moderate depression with regular moderate to intense exercise routine and can reduce the required medication in severe forms. However, in severe forms it’s difficult for the person to find motivation to start exercising.
And the most important requirement for exercise is “motivation” - it’s not important what form of exercise you do & what equipment you use. A good gym, a good group or a good friend can help in being a source of motivation.
For the exercise to be effective it should be at least moderately intense, regular & sustained for at least a month to “feel” the benefit. Thereafter, there’s no looking back.
Many a fitness freaks you see around you are addicted to exercising because knowingly or unknowingly they are beating their blues.
4. Sun Exposure: Sunlight is extremely important for a healthy mental state. Although we get good sun in India but our indoor life style & our phobia of dark complexion prevents us from benefiting from the sun. Do incorporate 30-60 mins of direct sun exposure in your daily routine. You will be surprised to feel the benefits in 2-4 weeks. Start with times when sun is soft & for a duration that’s tolerable. Slowly increase. Your skin may get darkened but your mood & mind will become bright.
5. Fun / Hobby / Passion: Pursue some passion or hobby on a regular basis. Something that you really enjoy & something that’s different from your profession. It can be anything - music, singing, painting, reading, photography - the options are endless. Don’t get serious about it. Just have fun & enjoy. You may keep switching to different things if you get bored.
6. Don’t work too hard ! Yes, we humans are not designed to work hard long hours. We should not be working longer than 4-8 hours daily for 4-6 days a week. The lesser you can afford to work the better. And never sit in a chair for too long. Adopt standing work station or keep moving often.
7. Friends ! It’s important to interact with people - friends or family or strangers. Connect & interact with as many people as you want to.
And have at least a few close friends who you can confide in - just in case your depression overwhelms you, your friends should be able to (get you) help - some call them 4 am friends, I would say 24x7.
8. Read (Learn) - Books are the best teachers, guides & friends. Reading really helps in clearing one’s mind & uplifting the spirit. Be it self help books, fiction, non-fiction or any genre or subject that you enjoy reading, every book enriches your mind. If reading books is difficult then evening listening to the audio books helps deal with your blues. Alternatively you may just learn something new by attending courses or following video lessons. Try it.
9. Hiking / Travel - Travelling or hiking in beautiful nature can have a transformative effect on the state of our mind. A moderately difficult trek on the mountains & camping can leave you happy & at peace with yourself. Of all the tips mentioned here if you were to do just one thing, then this is it !
10. CBT (Cognitive Behaviour Therapy) - Although it’s best to take help of an experienced psychologist yet it is possible learn it to help yourself. There are books & online courses available to help (check out The Great Courses online).
In addition to above it may also help to reduce noise in our daily life - noise can be in the form of sound, light, electrical & electronic appliances all around is, digital noise in the form of computers, phones, internet, etc; the screens we view, the mechanical vibrations of motor vehicles & machinery, and the information & data noise. Once you experience the quiet & peace of nature for long enough time would you realise how much of a din we are exposed to & how much it helps to eliminate that.
You may notice that most of these tips (except perhaps reading & CBT) are nothing but a natural way of living our life - the way nature designed us to live - the way animals live in the wild. Yes you can learn a lot from animals. Be as close to nature & live as natural a life as possible.
Life will become better !
The results may not appear instantly and you may have to tell yourself to patiently go through the process of recovery & self-healing. Typical the process may take 1-3 months. At the end when you come out of it you will also have a celebratory satisfaction of doing it all by yourself !
I will be happy to clarify any points or doubts & answer any questions. Above is a conclusion from life observations, vast reading of various subjects & my medical background.
Regards
Dr Sanjay Dhawan
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