Taking Care of Yourself When You Have Depression

Depression is an awful illness. It can rob you of your self-esteem, your motivation, your ability to do even the simplest of tasks, and perhaps most devastatingly of all, your happiness, but the good news is, for most people at least, it doesn’t last forever. It won’t be easy, but if you can just take good care of yourself and fight through your depression, you will eventually come out the other side and life will start to feel better again.

Here are some tips to help you take good care of yourself when you’re dealing with depression:

Go to Therapy

Therapy is probably the best thing you can do for your depression, but it isn’t always easy to get out of bed in the morning. Let alone travel to a psychiatrist’s office and voice your deepest darkest fears. It’s important you make every effort to do so though because a thorough course of therapy will give you your best shot of getting healthy again.

Take Your Medication

I know that lots of people are scared of taking psychiatric medications due to the stigma or the possible side effects, but if your doctor has prescribed them to you, please do make an effort to take them daily. If you can’t face going out to have your prescription filled, use a Prescription Home Delivery Service and have them delivered right to your door, and if you are experiencing side effects, instead of simply throwing your pills in the bin and moving on, make an appointment with your doctor to try something new – most people have to try a few depression medications before they hit upon one that works for them, but when they do it makes a huge difference to their quality of life.

Lighten Your Load

We all lead busy lives, but when you’re depressed, and you can barely come up with enough energy to brush your teeth un the morning, having a hectic schedule just isn’t a good idea. Having too many commitments will add to your stress and anxiety levels and make you sicker. So, lighten your load in any way you can and concentrate on relaxing and getting well again. After all, there is nothing more important than your health, and despite what some people might say, depression is a serious illness that requires careful care and attention.

Get Plenty of Sleep

Sleep has a huge impact on depression and other mood disorders. If you get too little or too much sleep, you could start to feel worse, which means you should aim for 7-9 hours per night.

Diet and Exercise

I know that eating regular healthy meals and exercising is a tall order when you’re depressed, but it really will make a huge difference. Exercise releases mood-boosting endorphins that will help to decrease your depression and eating good food will counteract some of the symptoms of depression like fatigue and impaired cognitive function.

Avoid Isolation

Isolating oneself during depression is common, but it really doesn’t help. Even if you think you won’t be much fun or you won’t enjoy it, try to schedule a dinner date or movie night with friends at least twice a week to maintain a connection with the outside world and to continue living as normally as possible.

Have you suffered from depression? What did you do to take care of yourself during your illness?