8 Tips that Helped me Overcome Depression

(Disclaimer: This post is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional advice.)

Depression is a monstrous beast. It is something that I have battled with since high school. For years I would go through a cycle of utter joy and then be swallowed up whole by that darkness that is depression. Getting out of bed in the morning would be difficult. Activities that would usually hold joy to me, no longer did. Doing anything productive was difficult. I would feel empty inside. During the day I felt numb and in the night I would cry myself to sleep. I would hide my pain behind a mask of laughter. Every time I overcame the depression, it would rear it’s ugly head. It always came back, sometimes stronger. It has taken me years, but with the help of friends and family I finally found the secrets to overcoming it.

1. Reflection

This has always been an important step for me. I needed to understand why I was depressed. Sometimes, there was a reason and other times there was none at all.

When there was a reason, I could isolate it and figure out how to resolve the issue. I could create a plan to help my situation and my depression.

However, sometimes the situation didn’t call for a resolution. Instead, it called for a coping mechanism, such as in the case of losing a loved one.

With situations such as this, it is important to let ourselves feel. It is important to let ourselves grieve.

This is why reflection is incredibly important. It is the way to understand ourselves. Thus, I have always tried to understand why I feel the way I feel, and it has been a great tool!

2. Do Normal Things

Whenever I have had depression, the last thing I wanted to do was clean, go out with friends or enjoy the outdoors. That’s why I had to do it.

The depression was like an infection, the longer I delayed taking the medicine (living my life), the worse the infection would get.

Depression had a way of convincing me that I would never feel normal again and it would trick me into feeling fatigue and weak. When I would allow this, it would win.

However, when I did normal things such as doing the dishes and hanging out with my friends, I would win.

This is because my mind was focused on other areas instead of the depression. It was focused on the activity. And it helped me to feel better!

When the laundry was taken care of, I felt good. When the dishes were cleaned and put away, I felt good.

When I saw my friends, I felt good. When I enjoyed the outdoors, I felt good. I realized that the effects of doing these activities may not happen immediately, but it does happen with time and practice.

3. Don’t Isolate Yourself

Whenever I was depressed, my tendency was to isolate myself from my friends, family and my husband.

I did this because I didn’t want anyone to see me as a numb, empty-feeling, half-version of myself that was clearly losing the battle to depression.

I didn’t want them to ask me “are you okay?” I didn’t want anyone to see me as a wounded bird. Nor did I want them to feel bad for me.

"After all, why should they feel bad just because I feel bad?"But, it was this type of thinking that made the depression far worse!

Human connection is more than necessary, it is vital to our mental well-being and overall happiness.

I had to realize that I have friends for a reason and this (needing help with depression) was one of them. I needed to allow my friends to be there for me and to lift me up.

One summer when I was depressed, my friends made it a goal to make sure that I was never alone. They would ensure that someone was always there with me.

They would see to it that I got out of the apartment and enjoyed fun activities with them such as go to the movies, play games, go out to eat, go to fun events and have day trips planned.

Their efforts cured me very quickly and effectively.

4. Be Your Own Best Friend

Last year, my depression returned and it became increasingly difficult for me to help myself because of they way I saw myself.

I didn’t believe I was deserving of my wonderful and sweet husband nor my incredible family and friends. I felt as though I had failed them.

They had great expectations for me and I did too. I let everyone down, or so I had thought.

It was at this time that I needed to become my best friend. I had to realize that I was not a failure, rather I was going through a difficult circumstance that I had no fault in.

Even though this circumstance was difficult, I had to make the best of it. After I recognized this, I started little by little telling myself that “I can get through this” and that “I am a fighter.”

I needed to give myself words of affirmation. I needed to tell myself, what I know my best friends would tell me: “I can do this.” “I am doing the best I can.” “I am enough.” I needed to love myself as they have loved me.

5. Seeking Help

No one should ever go through depression alone. As I stated before, this is what friends, family, significant others are for. Last year, I finally understood that trying to battle depression alone was only going to make it worse. I wanted to get better for my family and for myself.

I sought help from friends and family, and it made a great difference! Having others there ready to listen, ready to be there for me and ready to aide me in any way they could…. it made me cry, not out of sadness but out of pure joy.

Knowing that so many wonderful people loved me and didn’t see me as a failure made me incredibly humble and grateful.

Along with this, seeking professional help has also made a world of difference. When I have talked to my therapist, she has helped me to understand myself better than I could have otherwise.

She helped me to understand that my high expectations for myself has been my greatest strength and weakness, for when I fall short of them, I tend to become discouraged to the point of depression.

Understanding that it is OKAY to fail has been a huge blessing in my life. It has freed me from the bonds of perfectionism. It has aided me in perseverance and given me much needed strength.

I very much recommend seeking professional help. It is a great resource!

6. Making a Positivity Playlist

After asking for help from great friends and family, I have received so much great advice, all used in this post. One of the pieces of advice that I received was to listen to uplifting podcasts, watch Disney movies, listen to happy music and watch comedy.

I am a big fan of The Vampire Diaries, but it is incredibly melancholy because of the amount of loss in the show. I am an empath, which means that I feel other people’s feelings.

Thus, it is difficult to watch sad movies, be in an anxious environment, or be around people who are angry, annoyed, or sad often. Therefore, my need for the positivity playlist is great.

Every day I made sure to listen to an uplifting podcast, watch a Disney movie, watch old Studio C videos on YouTube and listen to uplifting/fun songs. This has had a great impact on me!

Enjoying these little things gave me a different outlook on life; a joyful outlook on life. It boosted my mood and helped me to have hope for the future. It is amazing how the media we take in has an effect on how we see the world.

7. Passion Projects

During my depression last year, I created this blog and started working on my book again. Writing has been a wonderful therapeutic tool for me!

After I write out my thoughts and feelings, I feel a great wave of relief. These two passion projects have stirred me back to being interested in life again.

They have excited me and made me proud of the small accomplishments that I make. And they have helped me to be interested in music, art and dancing again.

This excitement has driven me to want to be an artist again. It is truly wonderful to feel revived within the realm of art!

8. Yoga & Mediation

I never realized the importance of paying attention to my body in the present time until recently.

Whenever I meditated or did yoga, I felt peace in that moment. I felt a sense of calmness and serenity as my mood was boosted. To put it plainly, I felt better.

At the start, it was only a temporary feeling but after doing it everyday, it became long-term. It has become more of an important practice for me and has changed me for the better.

Conclusion

Depression is not easy to get through. It can take a great deal of time and continuous practice to overcome. Severe depression requires greater assistance from professional help. My friends, if you are going through this, don’t give up! Please seek help! You deserve to feel better. You deserve to enjoy life again. Always know that you are loved and are cared about. Always know that you are important!