There are many effective ways to combat depression.
You have probably tried the obvious solutions yourself. For example, therapy and medication are two obvious solutions.
The thing about depression, though, is that it sneaks up on you. It can be cyclical and recurring.Sometimes, it takes unusual methods of depression treatment to manage the condition. It’s almost as if you have to catch depression by surprise, just like it can catch you by surprise.
Try these eight unique ways to combat depression.
1. Be Grateful for your Depression
Do you hate your depression? Do you fight it and want to get rid of it as quickly as possible? What if you tried instead to find the gifts in depression? For example,
- Depression reminds you that you need to rest.
- Depression highlights things you might want to change.
- Emotional art, music, or writing often comes out of depression.
- You can deeply explore new facets of yourself.
- As you heal, you feel more empathy for others who struggle too..
Of course, this doesn’t mean that you fail to seek treatment. Instead, you build a routine of finding silver linings while you try to get help.
2. Get Curious about your Depression
Another new twist is to look at your depression with curiosity. What does it want to teach you? How does your behavior change in depression? What are the things that help as compared to those that make depression worse?
Instead of chasing depression away, get to know it. Ironically, the more curious about it you are, the less it tends to stick around.
3. Find Ways to Laugh
If you are in a depressive period, then you may find it challenging to laugh. However, do your best to engage the world still happening around you. Seek out as much humor as you can find.
- Go to a comedy club.
- Watch a funny movie or YouTube videos.
- Have dinner with that friend who always makes you laugh.
- Read a book of jokes or funny anecdotes
- Try laughter yoga.
Be gentle with yourself. It’s okay if it doesn’t work at first. Eventually, something will be funny again.
4. Be Gentle with Yourself
Yes, that is worth saying again. In fact, it should be its own daily practice. When you are depressed, you tend to be very hard on yourself. You think about all of the things that you “should” do. You beat yourself up for little things like you said, wore, or ate. Instead, practice great compassion with yourself.
If you can’t yet do this on your own, regular therapy sessions can help you develop a clearer view of yourself.
5. Do Something for Others
Depression causes you to spend a lot of time thinking about yourself. Snap out of it by paying attention to others. Find ways to give to people. Volunteer somewhere, participate in a community event, or simply send a thank you card to someone deserving.
6. Quit the News
Many people watch or listen to the news daily. Unfortunately, the news is often filled with negativity. This can deepen feelings of hopelessness. Take a break from the news during depression. You may also want to quit:
- Crime TV or movie dramas
- Violent video games
- Jarring music
- Gossiping/complaining with others
- Any media that makes you feel negative
7. Try Color Therapy or Sound Therapy
In other words, attend to your senses. Color therapy uses the science of chromotherapy to indulge the sense of sight. Sound therapy uses music or noises from nature to heal through the sense of sound. Attend to each of the five senses in combination with mindful breathing to reduce depression in the present moment.
8. Go to Group Therapy
Many people try individual therapy for depression. However, group therapy can be a great tool, too. Isolation and loneliness contribute greatly to depression. It can be hard to join a social group when you feel depressed. However, you might find it easier to be around people who are struggling with the same feelings as you.
Depression treatment includes many different therapy options. Contact me today to learn more.