Depression and anxiety can impact the most unsuspecting individuals. They are highly complex, stemming from chemical imbalances, major life events, abuse, loss, grief, personal problems, or serious illnesses. Although people experience depression and anxiety in differing severities, it’s always important to take care of yourself and stay in tune with your mind and body no matter what. The following tips will help you manage your symptoms and improve the way you approach your day-to-day life.
Practise mindfulness
Mindfulness is a concept that has been talked about over the past few years; a word that likely seems like jargon. When it comes to the connection between mindfulness and depression and anxiety, you can think of mindfulness as a cognitive-based therapy. This tactic helps you notice negative thought loops, redirect your thoughts, and prevent certain emotions and thoughts from taking over. Search for apps on your phone like Headspace that can guide you into the world of mindfulness if you’re not sure where to start.
Take care of your body
Taking care of your body encompasses what you eat, how much you hydrate, and how much you move every day. Ensuring you drink enough water, eat healthy foods, exercise in some way, shape, or form, and listen to your body, are crucial to keeping your depression and/or anxiety in check. Depression and anxiety can consume a lot of your energy, so forgetting to take care of your physical health will certainly take an even bigger toll on your mental health. Exercise is also known to boost endorphins, serotonin, and other good brain chemicals.
Create tiny goals to achieve every day
Depression can be debilitating and can make even the most trivial daily tasks seem like a huge mountain to climb. Making a small list on paper or a notes app on your phone, can help you create little wins for yourself. Goals might include making your bed, taking 10 minutes out of your lunch break to simply have fun, or spending a certain amount of time to disconnect. Checking off just one thing you’ve planned to do will bring about feelings of accomplishment.
Surround yourself with people who uplift you
It’s important to spend social time with people that are supportive, understanding, and encouraging. This will help you maintain a positive frame of mind, reduce stress, and feel confident that you have people to confide in. Depression and anxiety can often isolate an individual and lead to alienation of the people around you, but making sure that you stay connected with people who bring out the best in you can help.
Consider therapy
Therapy with a qualified and trustworthy therapist can benefit anyone, especially those suffering from depression and/or anxiety. A professional therapist provides a safe and confidential place for an individual to pinpoint the issues that are contributing to their depression, identify distorted thinking patterns that lead to those feelings of hopelessness, and help them to regain control in their lives. When it comes to affordability, therapy is luckily offered at a variety of price points, whether it be through a therapy app or with a psychotherapist.
Purchase and try out a tDCS device
tDCS devices have been surfacing and becoming more popular in the market over the past few years. tDCS stands for Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation, and it is a safe, non-invasive treatment involving electrical currents to stimulate specific areas of the brain. Nowadays, they are offered in the form of a small battery-powered device with traditional electrodes and sponges or a sleek and modern headset/headband form, perfect for personal use at home and to take with you when needed. This innovative technology has been scientifically-backed by many studies and reviewed and tested by individuals around the world. For more information on the best tDCS devices on the market today and tDCS in general, visit tdcsdevices.com.
Final thoughts
Depression and anxiety don’t have to control every aspect of your life, and there are certainly more than six ways to improve the symptoms you experience. Don’t hesitate to experiment with what works for you, as each individual’s situation is unique. Whether it be physical activity, moments of calm, or treating yourself to a fun outing with friends, making the right lifestyle changes and being meticulously aware of your mental health is key to living a more mindful and intentional life.
Dennis Relojo-Howell is the managing director of Psychreg.
