5 steps to help yourself if you feel depressed

Feeling depressed is very unpleasant and painful. You feel unmotivated, without energy, without desire to be with other people. This is combined with despair, guilt, distrust, lack of hope and physical and mental exhaustion.

In these circumstances the way of thinking and seeing the world also changes., which is presented as an inhospitable and hostile place. Fear doesn’t let you think clearly.

You can take back control

Many people believe that depression can only be solved with pills and specialized treatment. However, to reach a clinical depression that requires this, a lot has been gone through.. If you are able to combat your depressive states in time, you will be able to regain control and overcome a bad moment.

Because we all have bad moments. The problem is that in many circles it is not well seen to say that you are having a bad time, that you feel depressed and sad. But sadness is not bad, even if it is frowned upon. In any case, overcoming it or not is in your hands, and you cannot leave it in the hands of others or wait for it to just pass, as it would depend on having luck or not.

Depression as something learned

The attitude towards life is something we learn, something cultural or socially learned. Stereotypes, the education received from our parents, the observation of our environment or the beliefs we assimilate play a fundamental role in our way of acting.

If we add to this the stigma that depression represents for many, we find ourselves with a bomb that is difficult to manipulate and defuse. To regain control we have to re-learn and be critical, learn ways to behave and react to circumstances and learn to love ourselves more.

How you can help yourself if you are depressed

When you feel like the world is falling apart it is very easy to let yourself go, even resort to medication. But medications are not going to solve your problems. When its effect wears off, the problems will still be there, they may even have gotten worse. In any case, drug treatment must be prescribed by a specialist and accompanied by appropriate therapy.

You may not be able to control events, but you can decide what to do about them. Below we see some strategies to overcome the depressive state so that you can feel better.

1 – Admit it

Don’t be ashamed and admit that you feel bad, that you are sad, that you feel that your world is falling apart. You don’t have to say it from the rooftops, just admit it. It is something natural, and there is nothing wrong with it.

There will be those who tell you things like “don’t cry”, “it’s okay”, or fall into other clichés and clichés. But you have the right to feel that way because you feel that way. You don’t have to be ashamed. Besides, Just because you’re going through a bad patch doesn’t mean you have depression.

It is up to you to put measures in place so that this does not happen and your situation does not get worse.. In any case, the first step to take is to recognize how you feel.

2 – Don’t focus on the negative

Once you recognize that you feel depressed is when you can begin to free yourself.. In depressive states, we tend to focus on the negative as something permanent and consider the good that we can recognize as something temporary and ephemeral. Now that you know, change the chip.

If you feel bad, it will be the negative that weighs the most in your mind. Don’t focus on it, just let it happen, and try to discover positive details around you, no matter how subtle and ephemeral they may seem. Show gratitude for those little things, no matter how small they are. This will help you not focus on the negative..

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3 – Move

In depressive states a heaviness invades us that makes it difficult for us to move and be active.. We want to hide. But this only fuels negativity and worsens our mood.

However, If we fight against that reaction and get moving, the depressive state begins to fade. In fact, intense exercise has been shown to be much more effective against depression than medications, especially if the exercise is done outdoors and in sunlight.

Exercise not only helps us oxygenate the brain, but it helps the production of hormones that make us feel good. and that help us fight against the effects of negativity and sadness, and charges us with energy.

4 – Put stress management techniques into practice

The accumulation of stress exhausts us to such an extent that it makes us feel depressed. We could say that a depressed brain is a stressed brain. In this sense, the depressive state would not be the result of negative thinking, but rather the prolonged accumulation of negative and stressful thoughts.

That’s why, applying stress management techniques can be very beneficial in overcoming depression and feel better in a short time.

5 – Take action without thinking about why

Don’t fall into the trap of trying to rationalize your feelings or how the above tips are going to help you. It doesn’t matter the reasons that led you to that state. That’s water under the bridge. Now you have to try to get out of there. Also, don’t try to understand how exercise or gratitude, or any other advice we’ve given, can help you. Simply put it into practice. It won’t do you harm.

In any case, it is normal for you to feel this way. The depressive state closes our minds and makes us distrustful. But If you search deep in your heart you will find a little light that tells you “try it, you have nothing to lose.”

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