Although depression can be managed by medications and therapies, there are actually a lot of simple ways to turn it the other way around. You’ll be surprised by how these strategies can lift your mood instantly.
Find a creative outlet.
You don’t need to be artistic to do this nor you have to be a pro at a certain activity. You can discover and even learn new activities. The point here is to find something that will make your mind and hands work together. Whether it’s writing, painting, sketching, pottery, photography, cooking, etc… whatever that floats your boat. For me, I tried Adult Coloring books when I got depressed a few months ago – it really helped a lot.
Start a journal.
At the end of your day, it’s a good thing to reflect and process everything that happened during the past 24 hours. Start a journal where you can write the highs and lows of each day – this way, you get to see the “good” things and also see the problem areas and how you can deal with it or make it better. It’s helpful to record your “joys” because it’ll open your eyes to the brighter side of life and appreciate it more. If you feel like a blank journal won’t work for you, there are some fun journals that you can try like the Q&A a Day 5-Year Journal and One Line a Day Memory Book.
Stay active.
Studies have proven how exercise lifts up the mood. However, there are a lot of depressed people who still workout and still don’t get emotional benefits from it. Try something new to break out from the routine. Now if you live a sedentary lifestyle, it’s time for you to leave that couch and start moving.
Reconnect with people.
When you are feeling depressed, you don’t even want to deal with people even your own friends or family. But isolating yourself is the worst thing that you can do during depression. You want to help yourself, right? Remember the times when you had a good laugh with your friends. Be around them again because maybe, just maybe, you’ll find that happiness again.
Avoid alcohol.
Now if you are planning to reconnect with your friends, go for an alcohol-free get together. I’m sure you know that alcohol is a depressant. So if you don’t want to feel worse than what you are already feeling, give those beer, wine and cocktails a time out.
Find a good entertainment.
Don’t feed your depression even more by watching sad movies and crying over sad love songs. You are not helping! Switch your playlist to some fun and upbeat songs to lift your mood. Watch some fun movies and tv shows for a good laugh.
Remember, not every day is a good day. To earn the best days of your life, you need to fight through those bad days.
