Do you know that 80 – 90 percent of depressed individuals respond to treatment? It is also important to know that depression and anxiety can occur simultaneously.
Although depression might make you feel sad or helpless you definitely have to fight back. By adhering to some important tips, it is possible to break free from depression and anxiety. Before checking these tips out, it is also important to understand what depression and anxiety are all about.
- Depression: This is a common disorder characterized by loss of interest, low self-esteem, loss of appetite, insomnia, intense sadness. It affects how an individual feels, acts and thinks.
It’s symptoms include
- Fatigue
- Restlessness
- Suicidal thoughts
- Guilt
- Anxiety: This is a sense of restlessness, distress, fearful worry along with a host of autonomic and somatic manifestations. It may be as a result of stress. It is a normal emotion felt.
However, it becomes a medical disorder when the symptoms are continued, illogical or severe. They are termed as an anxiety disorder.
It’s symptoms include
- Restlessness
- Sleep difficulties
- Difficulty in concentration
Ten Tips and Tools to tackle Anxiety and Depression
The following are tips that can help to conquer depression and anxiety
- Exercise
This is considered important for maintaining mental fitness. It also helps to reduce stress. Studies have shown that it is very effective at reducing fatigue, improving alertness and concentration.
Exercise also helps to boost the feel-good chemicals called Endorphins. It has long term benefits for people with depression. Studies have shown that exercise can work quickly to elevate mood in a lot of people. Although the effects might be temporary, it encourages the brain to restructure itself in positive ways.
It has been discovered that those who engage in regular exercise were 25% less likely to develop depression or anxiety disorder in the next 5 years.
It has been noticed by neuroscientists that the hippocampus in the brain is smaller. Exercise support nerve cell growth in the hippocampus, improving nerve cell connections, this relieving depression.
2. Eat Healthy Food
It has been said that eating the right foods and avoiding unhealthy ones is the key to a healthy life. Dietary supplements have been seen to successfully treat mild anxiety disorders in recent years. Food substances which contain serotonin (such as tomato, banana, pineapple, kiwi) melatonin (such as fenugreek seed, white and black mustard) and tryptophan have been helpful in relieving depression.
Nick Pargaz, the founder of Nano BioPulse and serial entrepreneur, said “Having to take most of your consumption in liquid solubles acts faster due to the ease of digestion it gives to your body, taking too much of solids might weigh the body down and probably increase fatigue.
Also, John Mackey also said: “A healthy diet is a solution to many of our health-care problems. It’s the most important solution”
Also, citrus is famous for its mood-enhancing properties. Nutrients like Zinc, folic acid, vitamin C and B12 have been found to improve symptoms of depression. These Nutrients due to their ability to partake in the synthesis of neurotransmitters, depression, and anxiety has been seen to reduce.
3. Get Enough Sleep
Sleep is known to recharge the brain, improve focus and concentration and elevate mood. Sleep is directly related to depression hence, the key to successful treatment of depression may be treating the sleeping difficulties that accompany it.
To make sure that you get enough sleep, it is necessary to ensure that
- Your bedroom should only be for sleeping.
- Too much noise or light should be avoided as these only makes sleeping more difficult
- You should ensure that your mattress is comfortable enough to let you sleep. A baggy or old mattress will only hinder your rest.
- Avoid working in the bedroom. This may be a form of distraction and will only cause you stress rather than relaxation.
- Keep a regular bedtime. This Will enable you to sleep and wake up at almost the same time every day.
4. Go outside Everyday
This may be tough but it is necessary to note that always staying indoors won’t be of much help. When you go out, the body traps Vitamin D from sunlight which is a great mood enhancer.
Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is a mood disorder that occurs during the dark times of the year when there is little sunshine. This coincides with a sudden drop in the level of Vitamin D in the body. Thus, SAD may be due to the low level of Vitamin D in the body, affecting the serotonin level of the brain.
Vitamin D is a small but important part of the treatment of depression. It also may help to improve mood. Thus, Vitamin D deficiency has been seen to slow down recovery from depression.
In cases when going out seems very difficult, you can at least open the curtains to let the rays of sunlight come in.
5. Challenge Negative thoughts
Negative thoughts prevent you from seeing the good part of any given situation. It can affect the physical and mental health of an individual. Negative thoughts trigger suicidal thoughts, hence it is important to prevent these thoughts whenever they pop up. Shifting focus from negative to positive thoughts may also be of help.
It is also necessary to let go of your worries. This will ensure that you do have some of the burdens lifted off your mind. Persistent worries will only increase the rate at which negative thoughts flow through your mind.
6. Try Having Fun
If something you once enjoyed no longer interests you, that may just be a major symptom of depression. Why not try having fun then?
Activities that allow you to meet with other people elevates mood. When you are depressed, you might just prefer being alone. This will not help your depression, it will only be augmented.
Studies have shown that leisure activities distract you from your problem. It gives you a sense of competence.
Hanging out, Swimming, Golfing might be the perfect means of having your mood elevated. They promote the overall well-being of your body.
Also, you can try visiting a massage parlor. Massages can help to relieve muscle tension and also stimulate the body natural pain killers thus elevating your mood.
7. Avoid Caffeine and Alcohol
Intake of caffeinated food substances worsens depression. This is because Caffeine makes it difficult to fall asleep or stay asleep for the required number of hours.
Since caffeine is a stimulant that stimulates the Central Nervous System, it only increases the anxiety of an individual.
It is important that you should not suddenly stop the consumption of caffeinated food substances if you have been taking them before because this can worsen depression. The gradual withdrawal will lessen the withdrawal effect.
Alcohol can also worsen depression and anxiety. This is because alcohol can lessen the presence of Serotonin(a neurotransmitter which is responsible for some of the body functions which include sleep and mood) in the brain. Low level of Serotonin will lead to sleep inhibition, thus triggering depression and anxiety.
8. Take deep breaths
Since anxiety is characterized by shallow breaths, deep breathing might be of help. When people are anxious, they tend to take rapid and shallow breaths. This type of breathing affects the activities going on in the body. This might lead to an increase in heart rate, dizziness, and some other physical sensations.
In contrast, during deep breathing, the brain is signaled to calm down and.
9. Keep Yourself Hydrated
When the body is dehydrated, the body reacts by sourcing for water from some major organs of the body such as the brain. Since the brain is made up of about 85% water, water obtained from the brain might affect mood, leading to depression.
One of such that has proven very effective is Cannabidal (CBD). You guessed right, it is naturally extracted oil from cannabis and has been proven to have a lot of health benefits. In relation to depression, CBD impacts the brain’s serotonin receptors to boost mood. Being natural, it can be taken with water (not replacing it) to help people with mood disorders. Some companies have found a way to reduce CBD to nano-sized molecules using advanced technology for easier consumption.
10. Seek Medical Help
It is highly necessary for a medical practitioner to conduct a diagnostic evaluation before depression or anxiety is diagnosed. The medical evaluation will help to determine what type of treatment will be suitable for a particular type of depression. Since depression is often treated along with anxiety, both health conditions might be taken care of at the same time. Depression can be treated through the use of medicines, talk therapies or a combination.
- Medication: The medicine most often used to treat anxiety are a class of drugs known as benzodiazepine.
Also, antidepressants may be used to conquer depression and anxiety. Antidepressants are medicines that improve the way the brain uses certain chemicals to control mood and stress.
- Talk therapy: These are attempted remediation of health problems followed by a diagnostic evaluation which involves talking about your condition and related issues with a mental health professional. This is also known as Psychotherapy. This may help to adjust and solve a problem that a patient may be undergoing. It also helps to gain control over the health of an individual.
Conclusion
Depression and Anxiety are definitely treatable health conditions. Although they can both strike an individual at the same time, overcoming them might be an easy task. As technology is advancing, certain CBD solid products which help heal anxiety can now be consumed in liquid form.
Living with depression and anxiety can be difficult but by making the helpful tips a part of your everyday life might just be a stepping stone into a healthy life.