Facts and advice on depression
Sometimes feeling depressed or anxious is part of life. Most people have days when they worry, feel anxious, ruminate or feel listless. It usually passes with time.
Depressed
Everyone feels depressed at times in their lives. You don't have to be afraid of negative thoughts and feelings, they are natural to us humans. If you try to avoid these thoughts and feelings when they come, you may end up feeling more anxious. It is also common for us to get stuck in negative thinking and lose interest in our surroundings. Whether you tend to avoid or dwell, the important thing is not to get stuck in the mindset and let it control your life. Difficult things happen in life, sometimes it takes some time before everything feels okay again.
Prolonged depression
If you feel depressed every day for several weeks, have difficulty sleeping and concentrating, lose your appetite and lose interest in regular activities, you may have depression that should be treated.
Depression is different from being temporarily down and sad. It can be depression if you have been feeling low for several weeks, and at the same time:
- lose interest in things you used to enjoy.
- sleep too little or too much
- have difficulty concentrating
- lose your appetite
- eating more than usual
- have low energy levels and low moods
- become easily irritated or angry with those you know
- have low self-confidence and become self-critical
- withdraw from people
- spend a lot of time thinking about things
- have a sense of meaninglessness
- find it difficult to function at school or at work
- have suicidal thoughts
Tips for dealing with depression
Get active
Do things that you normally enjoy doing, such as listening to music or meeting friends. Keep being active, even if it doesn't feel quite as fun as it used to.
Avoid being controlled by emotional avoidance (anxiety)
It can be important to confront these feelings and continue to do things that are normally meaningful. For example, keeping in touch with family and friends, continuing with your studies, etc. in order to avoid the depression becoming too controlling in your life.
Stick to routines
You can help yourself by sticking to everyday routines such as attending lectures/studying, eating and sleeping regularly.
Diet
Healthy and nutritious food strengthens your body and makes it more resilient. There are also foods that increase dopamine and seratonin levels in the brain, such as bananas, nuts, eggs and tomatoes. Eat regularly to keep your blood sugar levels steady, as this prevents slumps such as headaches, fatigue and difficulty concentrating. If you experience a lack of appetite, try to eat small amounts and often.
Sleep
Sleep is important for the body and brain to rest, recover and process impressions. When you sleep well at night, you can cope more easily with stress and other pressures during the day.
Get moving
Take a walk, exercise, dance to music you like or move your body in some other way. Exercise and physical activity may feel tiring, but will help you feel better afterwards.
Daylight
Try to be outside when it is light. Daylight and fresh air make you more alert and are important for mental well-being. In winter, extra vitamin D can sometimes help.
Engage with others/socially
Try to engage with other people and don't get stuck thinking that you are too boring or unwell to go out or be social.
Talk to someone
Confide in someone you trust, such as a friend or family member.
Write down how you feel
If it is difficult to talk about how you feel, it can be helpful to write down your thoughts. You can also find other ways to express yourself, such as painting, writing poems and lyrics, or playing music.
Alcohol and other drugs
Alcohol and other drugs can be tempting to use when you feel bad. They may make you feel better in the moment, but only make your depression worse in the long run. If you find that you are using alcohol to manage your thoughts and feelings, you may want to consider other options that work better in the long term.
Conscious presence
Direct your attention outwards as a way to train yourself to be more present and open to what is going on right now. Notice how you feel when you shift your focus from your thoughts to things going on around you. Feel free to focus on everyday events and explore them using your five senses, e.g. when showering, doing the dishes or going for a walk.
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