Anxiety and depression exist on a spectrum! But how to deal with the persistent traits that don’t go away? It is a pervasive feeling and can be debilitating. Unfortunately, the things you used to find enjoyable become a chore, and eventually, hope disappears. It’s almost as if you are in a dark tunnel with no light at the end.
One of the most useful options people resort is prescription medications but are accompanied by potential side effects. Besides, there are many ways and strategies to improve your mental health without consuming medications. Here, we discuss seven astonishing ways to fight anxiety and depression. All you need is to be consistent, kind, and patient with yourself along the way.
- Eat Right and Hydrate More
It’s a fact that our appetite changes with mounting mental health problems. Often people struggling with anxiety and depression lack a fatty acid known as EPA. It is one of the primary omega-3 fatty acids that can reduce depression symptoms. So, make sure to eat foods rich in Omega-3 fatty acids such as fish oil, salmon, tuna, flaxseed, walnuts, etc. Besides, avoid eating processed and sugary foods that increase symptoms of anxiety.
Apart from eating right, you should also hydrate your body. Dehydration can cause anxiety. If we are dehydrated, our body is strained, and we can become overly stressed. Drink at least eight glasses of water a day to achieve the rebalance of fluids. Water has calming effects. It may not cure mental health problems but can reduce the symptoms to a great extent.
- Get Enough Sleep
Sleep plays an essential role in maintaining good physical and mental well-being. Inconsistent sleep can lead to serious health problems, including stress, anxiety, and depression. While struggling with these conditions, your brain has to deal with a lot. It has to get enough rest to start fresh each day.
Sleep and mood are closely connected. Especially when feeling anxious, try to schedule a full seven to nine hours of snooze time. Get away from that computer and smartphone. You can also opt for natural sleep aids to help the body deal with the unnecessary chaos that keeps us awake at night, like stress and anxiety.
- Exercise
A healthy life habit like exercising is a powerful weapon one can use to fight against anxiety and depression. Sadly, it is hard to find motivation for exercise when feeling depressed or anxious. But, if you push yourself a bit, exercise can make a huge difference. Having THC gummies in low doses can be incredibly helpful and give you a push and stamina to exercise.
Regular exercise releases endorphins, which improve mood and natural immunity. It helps to ease the symptoms of depression. Experts advise moderate exercise for half an hour to an hour, like you can go for brisk walking in nature or opt for yoga.
- Practice Mindfulness
Anxiety is triggered by worrying about the future, while depression tends to induce a negative thought cycle that mulls over all that is wrong. Ongoing thought processes like this can reinforce misery and make it difficult to cope with these mental health conditions.
Fortunately, mindfulness can provide relief from anxiety and depression symptoms by training the brain to stay in the present moment. Sit comfortably and focus on engaging your senses at the moment. Start with 10 minutes a day.
- Avoid Negative Self Talk
People fighting depression tend to judge themselves by negatively perceiving views of the world. They often blame themselves for things going wrong in their lives. Depression tends to reinforce feelings of worthlessness and self-doubt.
Make sure to give yourself some encouragement when having deep self-talk. Monitor your inner negative talk and stop blaming yourself for being depressed. When you are feeling low or anxious, don’t take your thoughts seriously. Instead, acknowledge them and let them pass.
- Journaling
Writing in a journal can offer two benefits. Firstly, you can use it to write down your worries and fears. Having an outlet for those unnecessary thoughts can ease your anxiety. Putting every single thought on paper can help your thinking become more transparent and erase all the chaos.
Secondly, you can opt for writing a gratitude journal. Every day pen down at least five things that you are grateful for or that made you feel appreciative. This practice will help you think more positively and remove mental blocks.
- Explore Psychotherapy
It may be time to consider psychotherapy if anxiety and depression are hampering your quality of life. With professional care, the majority of people get themselves treated with the help of prescription medications. Everyone is different, and treatment must be tailored based on individual needs.
Explore different possibilities that psychotherapy has to offer. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is extremely useful in counteracting depression. The therapy allows the patient to learn new skills to control and actively get involved in their recovery process.
Conclusion
You can manage anxiety and depression by adopting and experimenting with the different ways mentioned above. We understand that mental health problems are tough to cope with. And, you’re going to be okay. Just know that you are not alone and take the support of your loved ones. You got this!
References:
- David Nutt, DM, FRCP, FRCPsych, FMedSci, Sue Wilson, PhD, et al. Sleep disorders as core symptoms of depression, 2008 Sep; 10(3): 329–336.
doi: 10.31887/DCNS.2008.10.3/dnutt
- Elizabeth Anderson and Geetha Shivakumar. Effects of Exercise and Physical Activity on Anxiety, 2013 Apr 23. doi: 3389/fpsyt.2013.00027
- Ellen Driessen, M.Sc. and Steven D. Hollon, Ph.D. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Mood Disorders: Efficacy, Moderators and Mediators, 2010 Sep; 33(3): 537–555.doi: 1016/j.psc.2010.04.005
Author: Mandy Kloppers
Mandy is a qualified therapist who treats depression, anxiety, OCD, PTSD, trauma, and many other types of mental health issues. She provides online therapy around the world for those needing support and also provides relationship counselling.
