How To Manage Depression

According to the National Institute of Mental Health, an estimate of 21.0 million adults in the United States have experienced a depressive episode. Depression is when a person experiences constant sadness and loses interest in activities they once enjoyed. Symptoms of depression include constant sadness, change in moods, low energy levels, appetite, behavior, concentration, self-esteem, weight gain/loss and many more. The biggest problems that depression causes in individuals, is the effect on the livelihood from the listed symptoms. Ten small habits that can help manage depression: build a routine, create goals, be active, eat healthy, balance responsibilities, practice positive affirmations, visit doctors, try new activities, make time for activities you enjoy and reduce alcohol and drugs. The first step is creating a routine based on your personal life goals. I will provide a sample for an individual with a work schedule of 8:30am – 5 pm, from Monday through Friday.

By creating a routine to help manage depression, a person can have control of how they want their day to go. They can begin to add or remove activities they enjoy or do not and create a life according to how they are feeling. Living with depression can cause a person to have different moods every day. When creating a routine, do not expect to follow it thoroughly. The routine is to help create structure and balance.

After building a routine, an individual can begin to implement other habits. Some habits to include could be; healthy eating, prayer/meditation, trying new hobbies, positive self-talk, etc. It is important to not feel pressure to start new things right away. Focusing on one new habit every three months can allow for better long-term results.

Remember the key is to find joy in the activities you participate in. Always seek helps from your personal religious belief community or specialists.

SUFFERING FROM DEPRESSION AND NEED SOMEONE TO TALK TO CLICK THE LINKS BELOW

Recovery village , Crisis text line , Mental health services administration

The information on this page represents that of Rosa Orantes and not that of California State University, Sacramento