Four Strategies for Dealing with Depression

The last thing someone wants to hear when they are dealing with depression is that they need to be proactive. Depression can be so crippling that even getting out of bed and having something to eat can be very challenging. But in this article I want to suggest a few gentle nudges that you can give yourself when feeling depressed that can make a world of difference to your mood and to how your day unfolds.

Recognise that your frame of mind CAN change

Just because you wake up feeling depressed, doesn’t mean that your whole day will be clouded by depression. Even if you have struggled to get up by 10am, 11am, or even midday, there’s still a whole day left and there are plenty of ways your day might unfold in such a way as to lift your mood. So resist the urge to feel defeated if you are struggling at the beginning of the day. There is still hope.

Be mindful of your ambitions and your victories

Sometimes, when we’re depressed, we need something to cling to in order to feel at all motivated. I believe God gives everyone talents as well as visions of what they might be able to do in the future. It’s important, when struggling with depression, to remember that a single day is only a very small part of your life journey and that you will have better days when you make good progress towards realising your dreams and ambitions. Even if there’s not much you can do today, maybe next week you will have a breakthrough day when everything goes your way. Also, think about how far you’ve come and what you’ve achieved already.

Implement your coping strategies

If you’re able to pull yourself out of bed, a good way to begin the day is to look at a list you have made of things that help you to deal with your depression. Personally, I keep a list on my smartphone titled ‘encouragement’ and set it to recur daily so whenever I check my phone it’s easy to find. Some of the strategies that work well for me are journaling, listening to uplifting or relaxing music, taking medication, small mood boosters (for me it’s vaping, drinking Coke, messaging a friend, eating some chocolate, watching my favourite YouTube subscriptions, listening to a favourite podcast, reading some Pslams, drinking a cup of coffee, etc). Yes, not all of these things are particularly healthy, but sometimes with depression you’re struggling to survive, so you can cut yourself a little slack. I also have some quotations in my ‘encouragement’ list that help me to feel grounded and positive.

Do one thing that stretches you, just a little

In order to break out of a depressive frame of mind, it can really help just to do something productive, whatever it is. Some things that help me are writing a blog post, picking up my guitar and having a jam, doing some tidying or washing, having something healthy and substantial to eat, reading a book, or doing some exercise. Admittedly, exercise is one of the hardest things for me when I’m feeling depressed, but even a 5-10 minute workout can be enough to improve my thoughts and provoke a sense of accomplishment. But do what works for you.

I hope that at least something I’ve suggested in this article has been helpful to you. I have written a short book titled Finding Your Balance: The 10 Key Ingredients of a Happy Life which offers simple advice for increasing one’s happiness levels. The book is currently available for free as an eBook, and all the details can be found on my Books page. Feel free to comment below with your own coping strategies for depression. Thank you for reading!