Three Ways to Manage Depression

Depression can be hard. It can feel like you are drowning in a world that is continuing to move around you, as you just sink to the bottom of the sea. While getting help from a counselor or doctor is important, here are 3 tips to help you manage those symptoms until you are ready to take the next step.

Mindfulness

When we practice mindfulness, we are focusing on the present moment and intentionally paying attention to any and all thoughts, feelings and sensations that we are experiencing without judging them. Mindfulness allows us to bring acceptance toward the depressive thoughts and feelings we are experiencing so that we can move on from them and accept ourselves. Mindfulness can be practiced doing just about anything- from journaling, to meditating, to deep breathing. One of my favorite techniques to use with clients is 5-4-3-2-1. This technique requires us to use all 5 of our senses, bringing our attention to the present moment. The next time you find yourself in a swirl of negative thoughts, sit back and notice 5 things you can see, 4 things you can hear, 3 things you can feel, 2 things you can smell and 1 thing you can taste.

Journaling

Journaling is extremely helpful for depressive symptoms because it allows us to get out on paper all that we are feeling inside. It allows us to write, re-read and look at our situations from different perspectives and really start to process what we are experiencing inside. The experiences you can have through journaling are endless. You can set and keep track of goals that you are wanting to achieve, visualize where you want to be in the future, express emotions that you are currently experiencing through words, quotes, pictures, etc; follow prompts that get you critically thinking, sketch what you are thinking and feeling, and the list goes on and on. Journaling can also be helpful alongside the counseling process because it can help you to remember what you are feeling in between sessions and have specific and relevant topics to discuss with your counselor.

Stick to a Routine

Trying to stick to a routine can benefit your mood and depressive symptoms in many ways. When a person is depressed it can be common for them to lose motivation, feel lethargic and not want to keep up with daily tasks. However, when we stick to a routine that requires us to do things that make us feel better, it can be overall helpful with managing depressive symptoms and keeping us on track. Just getting showered and dressed in the morning can go a long way with helping us to feel better. Be sure to include eating a healthy meal and a few minutes of exercise to this routine if you can. When we exercise, our brain releases endorphins, or “happy hormones” that our body so deeply needs during these seasons of darkness. 

As always, if you or someone you know feels like you might be struggling with depression, please reach out to us at Sweet Maple Counseling. We are here to walk through it with you.