Welcome to January, its cold, its dark and for many of us it’s well depressing. I do and have suffered from seasonal depression for a long time. I was lovingly reminded yesterday that I’m not the only one. I hope I can give some positive solutions of what you can do to easy your depression symptoms. These are things that work for me. I hope they help you.
Please remember if you suffer from depression the first step should always be seeking the help of a professional. Either a psycologist, psychiatrist or both. I have a psychiatrist and a therapist. Most of the following suggestions came from their guidance and are what helps me when I feel depressed or over come by anxiety.
- Buy a light. Not just any light, a Sunlight Therapy Lamp. There are plenty on Amazon ranging from $40 to $100. When you get up in the morning, and you may have to start getting up earlier to do this. Turn the light on and sit with it in front of you for about 20 minutes. It does help, especially on those endless weeks with no sun. You will have more energy.
- Create a morning routine. If you are like me and have kids your morning routine may already be created for you, however if you can keep getting up at the same time and going to bed at the same time, even on the weekends it will help your body regulate. Build time in if you can for self care, sit in front of you light, do your quite time or mindfullness, drink your coffee. Sticking to the same routine will also give you a sense of control and balance that depression likes to steal from you.
- Make a list of things you are thankful for and read it aloud daily. Post it on your mirror, in your car, above the stove. Remind yourself daily how blessed you truly are.
- Listen to worship music. Changing your atmosphere can easily change your mood.
- Exercise. I know this is the last thing you want to do when you feel depressed but it releases your natural endorphins and you will feel better. Because of my injuries I have started doing yoga. Its easy on the body and I feel so much better physically and mentally after doing it.
- Go outside. Even for a quick walk around the block. Studies have shown being outside, especially if there is a park or a woods near by, will help lift your mood.
- Talk about it. Depression makes us feel like were all alone. Your not. I promise someone you know, knows what your feeling.
- Pray about it. Depression is caused by many different things, hormones, situations, chemical imbalances in your brain, sometimes just the atmosphere your in. Ask people to pray for you. Remember God keeps each of our tears in a bottle. Read the Psalms. David dealt with depression. God knows and loves you and wants you better.
- Journal. Write it out. Having a place to put your feelings will help you. There are lots of journal prompts and art therapy prompts on Pintrest that can help you write or draw out your feelings. After you write out how you feel, write down one positive or thankful thought. It will turn your perspective around.
- Know where your thoughts come from. At some point you have to come to the conclusion of who you are and who you are not. Depression makes you feel ugly, worthless, unnecessary, unloved. You are not that. Not on any day. You are a king or queen, righteous and sanctified in Christ. At some point you will have to tell those thoughts, that’s not me and start telling yourself who you are.
I started doing that in 2016. A friend sent me a series of verses from the Bible that describe what it is to be a child of Christ. When I felt anxious or scared or depressed I’d read those verses out loud. I will attach a link to them below. It didn’t take long before I had them memorized. It didn’t take long before I learned how to stop the rhetoric in my head of how worthless I was. I could say, no I am God’s child. God loves me, God made me how I am for a reason and God has good plans for me today. Saying this out loud stopped the negative tape in my head. Now that negative tape comes back sometimes, but I can recognize it and turn it off again. It takes practice but you can overcome depression.
This is how I deal with depression. It is not easy, when you are depressed you don’t want to do any of these things. Your tired, wore out and don’t want to get out of bed. There’s a lot of other things I could say on this subject but these things I used when I started this battle. It is a battle. Its hard work but it’s so worth it.
Remember Jesus left us with peace, John 14:27 AMP “Peace I leave with you, My perfect peace I give to you, not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be afraid. (Let my perfect peace calm you in every circumstance and give you courage and strength for every challenge.) You can have peace. You were gifted it by Jesus. I hope this helped someone today. To read the verses that helped me go to.Who I am In Christ
2BecomeBrave 