Tools for Depression
Overview
Dealing with the symptoms of depression can be a heavy burden to carry every day. Below is a list of suggested tools that you can incorporate into your daily routine to improve your quality of life. Each of these tools targets a specific disruption that depression brings to your life in order to increase your well-being. They are science-based tools that have been shown to have a positive effect on mood. You can click on the ¨Learn more¨ button to learn about the reasons why these tools are effective in dealing with depression, and how to put them into practice. You can also scroll down to the bottom of these pages and click on the studies and videos references that explain the science behind them.
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Note: None of these tools are a replacement for the treatment you have in place with your healthcare professional, but they are great tools to consider adding to your daily routine.
Stable and Regular Schedule
Maintaining a regular schedule can help establish healthy habits and routines, such as getting enough sleep, eating a balanced diet, and engaging in regular physical activity. Going to bed, waking up, and eating at about the same time provides great structure and feedback to our bodies to help our circadian clocks regulate themselves. These habits and routines can support overall physical and mental health and can help prevent or reduce the severity of mood swings.
Light Exposure
This is a very underrated and overlooked habit that you should incorporate into your daily routine to reap an immense amount of benefits. Within the first hour after waking up, expose yourself to sunlight for 5 to 30 minutes, depending on the brightness of the sunlight. Exposure to light through windows requires much longer exposure to get some benefits. Light is one of the most important ways our body gets feedback from our environment to regulate our biological clock. For the same reason, it is important to dim the lights and avoid bright light exposure in the evening to help you fall asleep. If you cannot expose yourself to natural sunlight on a daily basis, there are some artificial lights that you can buy online at a reasonable price to simulate this daily cycle.
Cold Exposure
Taking a cold shower or cold bath can have a very significant effect on mood and alertness, and can last throughout the day. Tolerance to cold exposure can vary greatly from person to person, so you should be safe and gradual about it. A good rule of thumb is that it should be cold enough that you want to get out, but safe enough that you can stay in. Ten minutes a week is enough for you to get all the benefits you could want from it. But trying it for just a few seconds is sure to give you a jolt of energy. Talk to your doctor about cold exposure if you have a cardiovascular condition to make sure it is safe for you.
Sleep & Nap
​Sleep is a very important part of a healthy routine as it is the way our body recharges itself to provide us with sufficient energy for the next day. The amount of sleep you should get each day is between 7 and 9 hours. Everyone is different, but 7 hours is a minimum that everyone should get to avoid having to deal with the negative effects that lack of sleep can bring. Putting yourself in the best position to get a good night's sleep is also important. If possible, try to make your bedroom colder than the other room to help you fall asleep and stay asleep. Another way to get a good night's sleep is to avoid napping during the day. If you feel too sleepy and want to sleep during the day, make sure you get sunlight and try to be active to avoid napping. If you do decide to take a nap, it should be less than 90 minutes. Sleeping too much or too little can greatly affect your mood and energy levels, so it is important to stay in the optimal range of 7 to 9 hours.
Breathing technique
There are many kinds of breathing techniques designed to achieve different goals depending on your needs. You should explore them and find the one that suits you best. If you are feeling low, Wim Hof's breathing technique is a wonderful way to increase energy, relieve stress, lower blood pressure, boost immunity, improve sleep and focus. It is very easy to do with great tutorial online free and available to everyone. It consists of about 30 deep inhalations and exhalations followed by a breath hold repeated 3 or more times. Wim Hof's breathing technique is a powerful way to start your day and will provide great benefits that you can enjoy throughout the day.
Meditation
Meditation is a powerful tool for managing stress and anxiety. There are many types of meditation, and you should explore them to find the one that works best for you. It is a great way to recenter yourself and live in the present moment. This practice can take as little as a few minutes and can help calm your mind. For someone with depression, finding a relaxing activity to do in the evening is key to getting a good night's sleep. Meditation could be that evening activity that helps you sleep better.
Exercise
Exercise is essential for good mental and physical health. Exercise greatly contributes to better sleep, increased self-confidence, improved mood, decreased anxiety and can take care of many other symptoms of depression. You don't have to start a triathlon to experience the benefits of exercise, which is good news for everyone. One step at a time, just walking around the block is a great way to start. Although it can be difficult to get going, you will be greatly rewarded for doing so. Finding exercise and physical activity that you enjoy first will make the process much more enjoyable and contribute to your well-being.
Eating Well
While everyone enjoys the occasional treat, it's important not to go overboard. Eating well doesn't have to be this rigid diet that you wish never happened. It simply means trying to make the right choices when it comes to your daily eating habits. Everyone is different when it comes to optimal nutrition, but we can all agree that some choices are objectively worse than others. Avoiding fast food is one of those choices we can all agree is best. Not eating too much and not eating too little based on your personal needs will also be important. Our diet has an enormous impact on our energy levels and mood, so it is important to make careful food choices.
Good Hygiene
Maintaining good personal hygiene during times of depression can be difficult and feel like an overwhelming task. Making the daily effort to be clean by showering or bathing, whichever is more comfortable for you, is an investment in yourself. Having clean clothes available, even if you don't plan to go out, can make a difference in how you feel about yourself. In addition, keeping your living space clean and tidy, without being a perfectionist, can help you shift your perspective. It's also a great reason to put on some music you like, whether it's in the shower or while you're cleaning your space, so go ahead and enjoy yourself. Your mood can only benefit from good personal hygiene and a clean environment.
Do things you like
Listen to that good music album you like, watch that movie or TV show that makes you smile. Whatever it is that has a history of bringing you joy, provided it doesn't involve ingesting excessive amounts of drugs or alcohol or have the potential to cause harm to yourself or others, go ahead and do it. It can be the simplest things in life that will bring you a personal sense of well-being. Look at these old pictures, indulge in some positive nostalgia of a time that was great, smell that perfume that brings back memories, play that instrument you haven't picked up in a while, create some art, draw, sing, play a board game, video game or whatever it is that you enjoy. Even if it's just a few minutes, it can make a difference and be something to look forward to throughout the day.
Turn off social media
​This one is very simple: disable your social media apps only temporarily. If you're in the habit of endlessly browsing your social media and looking at everyone's curated feed because you think they have such a good life, think again. People portray a cartoon version of themselves online, showing only the best parts of themselves to give us the impression that they have an amazing life. Even if you're not looking at other people's lives, the endless feed of bad news and irrelevant, annoying clickbait will certainly contribute to a decrease in well-being. Do yourself a favor, temporarily delete the application and give it a try.
Educate yourself
Learn about topics that interest you. A great way to change your thought process and avoid rumination is to delve deeper into a subject that you are very interested in. It can be anything that you have some curiosity about, even learning about bipolar disorder or depression to improve your condition as you are doing right now. Learning is always a good idea and there are plenty of free resources online regardless of the area that catches your attention. Knowledge is a very powerful tool in everyday life and can enrich the quality of a conversation.
Do something new
Finding new hobbies or activities to do contributes to the well-being of the brain. Picking up a new instrument, playing a new game, or finding a new subject that fascinates you to learn about is not only a fun way to spend your time, but can also open the door to new and positive relationships in your life. You can even learn a new language or find a new and creative way to express yourself through art of any kind.
Relationship maintenance
Regardless of the number of relationships you have with friends, family, co-workers, or acquaintances of all kinds, it is important to try to maintain and nurture these connections even when times are difficult. It is important to let those close to you know about your emotional state and condition to avoid misunderstandings. Some people in depression feel like reducing their social interactions, and it's important that this moment does not add any guilt and good communication is the solution for this.