Depression - Self Help Tips

Self-Help Tip #1: Engage in Relationships that are Supportive – Reach out to close friends and/or family members. You can choose whether or not you want to tell them about your struggles with Depression and Anxiety, but either way you will benefit from the company of another person. When we are left to our own thoughts, our minds can wander and this can quickly turn into experiencing unpleasant or anxiety-ridden thoughts and emotions. Having another person around may prevent this from happening, since your mind will be distracted and preoccupied with whatever you and your companion are doing. If you have Depression, it can be difficult to even think about reaching out to someone or making time to get together with them. However, if you force yourself to do so, you will find that your Depression symptoms will lift, even just a little bit, while you are engaging in an activity with another person. It is all too easy to stay at home alone and hide from the outside world. Push yourself! And if it helps, schedule a weekly get together with this person so that you can 1) have something to look forward to, and 2) be held accountable for the allotted date and time you set aside to socialize with this person. For people with Anxiety Disorders, this weekly “scheduling” may also help alleviate some of your anxiety symptoms, particularly if your anxiety is worsened by unpredictable events. By having something planned in advance, you know what’s to come in the near future and can prepare for it, which reduces your anxiety overall.  And remember, getting together with someone can be as simple as it sounds. You do not have to go out for dinner or do anything that requires a great deal of time or money every time you meet this person. For example, you could visit your friend at his/her place, have your friend over to your place, go out for a coffee, go to a movie, or take a walk around the block together. As long as you’re getting out of bed and doing something with another person, it does not matter which activity you choose to engage in.

Self-Help Tip #2: Get a Pet – The next best thing to bonding with another human being is bonding with an animal. It really doesn’t matter which type of animal you choose to purchase or adopt, as long as you are focusing some of your attention toward your new companion. Animals have been shown to have “healing powers”, and are often used in hospital settings for terminally ill patients. Dogs especially tend to make people feel better about themselves by making them feel less isolated. Having a pet can also help you to feel needed, since pets are a big responsibility and require quite a lot of care. This means that the time and attention you would normally focus inward onto yourself will now be shared outwardly toward your pet. Please note: you should not get a pet if you are not ready for one. And by this I mean you should not bring an animal into your home if you cannot afford to take care of it – either physically or financially – and meet its many needs. Doing so would be unfair to the animal and would only end up in you having to give up the pet. Pets can be wonderful companions that help to naturally reduce your Depression and Anxiety symptoms, but only consider getting one if you are capable of meeting its needs and devoting a great deal of time and attention toward it.

Self-Help Tip #3: Keep a Journal – You may think this sounds cheesy, but keeping a diary or a journal has been shown to drastically reduce both Depression and Anxiety symptoms. For both disorders, keeping a journal or even a “Thought Record”, as it is called in Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT), allows you to pinpoint your negative thought patterns as they happen. Since Depression and Anxiety Disorders often include cognitive distortions and pessimistic thinking, keeping a Thought Record every time you have a negative thought will help you to identify and examine your problematic thinking patterns, and eventually change them into more balanced or realistic thoughts. If you don’t want to go through the trouble of making an actual Thought Record, try just keeping a regular journal. Writing down what you’re feeling as you’re experiencing it is therapeutic, and can serve as an emotional outlet. It’s true that people often feel better after they’ve vented to someone about whatever is troubling them, and a journal can be that “soundboard” or “imaginary person” for you if you don’t want to speak to an actual person about your problems.

Self-Help Tip #4: Find a Hobby or Re-start One That You Used to Engage In – This is some of the best advice I can give you that is both fun and easy to practice in between counseling sessions. If you don’t already have a hobby or a pastime that you enjoy, think of things that interest you and go from there. Have you ever looked at something and thought to yourself “I’ve always wanted to try that”? Why not go back to that place and learn more about whatever hobby it was that caught your eye? Take a trip to a local hobby or craft store – you may be surprised at the variety of fun and engaging activities you find there! If you used to participate in a hobby or sport, try to force yourself to re-start it! It may be difficult initially, but once you get back into the swing of things you will start feeling better about yourself and your mood and anxiety will naturally lift. As you become more passionate about your hobby, you may also notice that your energy levels are increasing and your mind is more occupied with the task at hand rather than the negative thought patterns. Some examples of hobbies you could engage in are: painting, scrapbooking, sewing, cross-stitching, woodworking, playing a musical instrument, playing a sport, exercising, or hiking.

Self-Help Tip #5: Create a “Mental Health Kit” – While this may sound silly at first, it has actually proven to be helpful to persons struggling with Depression and Anxiety Disorders. First, make a list of healthy activities you can engage in that typically enhance your mood. To help with constructing this list, try to think of activities you’ve engaged in before that have noticeably improved your mood. The items from this list will then become components of your “Mental Health Kit”. These “tools” in your kit serve as things to do when you become extremely depressed or anxious. For instance, your kit could include items like your favorite book, your journal, a few favorite movies, some favorite photos, crossword puzzles, word searches, bubble bath supplies, favorite CDs, old letters or cards from special people, etc. The point of the “Mental Health Kit” is to get your mind off your negative thoughts and get you into a better mood by doing something that makes you feel good about yourself.