tips for dealing with depression Archives

Depression can be sneaky. Here are some symptoms of depression that you might not even recognize as being related to depression.

Body aches

Your whole body may just hurt whenever you are depressed. I experience this a lot. I didn’t realize until recently that other people experience this too.

However, it can also be a symptom of physical illness, so make sure to get this checked out by a doctor especially if it is ongoing or concerning to you.

This pain often interferes with my desire to do pretty basic things. I have tried some ways to cope with it such as walking and yoga. While it helps with this symptom of depression, it doesn’t make it go away.

However, it does at least lift my mood, and I can’t complain about that.

A physical feeling of heaviness

This lesser known symptom of depression ties in with the body aches for me. I get a feeling of heaviness in my whole body, but especially in my chest.

It can make it very difficult to want to get up and do anything when it may feel like your whole body is physically weighed down.

I have found that activities that lift my mood even just to being less depressed can help significantly with this symptom of depression. Think of activities that will make you laugh, but don’t take a lot of energy to start such as looking at memes or watching a comedy.

Sensitivity to rejection or criticism

This depression symptom can be very difficult to cope with. The reality is, sometimes we will not meet other people’s standards and we will face rejection and/or criticism sometimes.

However, for people struggling with depression, this can feel like the world is ending. We may feel as though our worst fears about ourselves have been confirmed.

Some of us may even experience Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria, or RSD. You can read up on that here.

One way I know of to cope with this depression symptom is to work on your own self-talk and feelings about yourself. If you feel more positively about yourself, you won’t feel like your worst fears are confirmed when you face criticism. This is probably the hardest change for most people to make when they’re dealing with depression.

Fatigue

One of the symptoms of depression is feeling completely exhausted and wiped out. You may feel like there are a million things needing to be done but you can’t work up the energy to even do the most “basic” things, like taking care of your hygiene.

This happens to me a lot. Sometimes I will feel the need to sleep fourteen hours or even more per day. It’s not because I am lazy. I am simply that exhausted. Sleep can also feel safer than being awake for people struggling with depression, so that is something to keep in mind as well.

With this symptom, a big part of it is knowing when giving yourself a break or resting is beneficial and restorative versus when it is causing you to sink deeper into your depression. If it is the first, it is okay to give yourself a break when you need it. If it is the second, try to push yourself to do something small but productive even if it is only for five minutes.

Brain fog

Brain fog is one of the cognitive symptoms of depression. You may experience memory problems or an inability to focus. You may also lack concentration or the ability to think clearly.

I personally experience all four of the subsymptoms of brain fog. I struggle to read or write for long periods of time which is especially challenging as a student and a blogger.

Brain fog can also be related to things other than depression, so I would also recommend talking to a medical professional to rule out other possible causes. Even if it is related to depression, you can still take steps to reduce its impact.

Some of the things I do that are helpful include making sure I get enough rest at night (for me this is at least 9 hours), taking walks or exercising, and making sure I add more nutrient-rich food to my diet when it gets really bad.

Feeling numb

It is often assumed that depression is mostly feeling very sad, but that is not always the case. Sometimes, one of the symptoms of depression is feeling nothing. You may just feel indifferent or numb to the world.

I tend to alternate between the “sadness” type of depression and the “numb” type of depression. Sometimes it is related to medication changes, sometimes it has to do with my circumstances, and sometimes it just is that way.

Some people who do know about this symptom also assume that feeling numb is better than feeling sad, but the truth is, both can be equally awful. Depression is unique to the individual experiencing it in terms of which symptoms feel worse to them.

If you are feeling numb, I recommend you do something that will cause you to feel something, even if it is very temporary and just to show yourself that feelings are still possible. You could watch a funny show or maybe eat your favorite dessert. You could also try getting in touch with nature if that is usually joyful for you. It’s all about feeling something positive, if even for a moment.

Final thoughts

Depression has some symptoms that are less obvious to most people. It’s important to be mindful of these symptoms as well, though.

Keep your coping tools handy and know that you have the power to fight back against depression.

You have more power than you realize.

I would also love for you to check out my 17 Journal Prompts for Mental Health. They can help you learn to cope with many of the symptoms listed above and more!

Until next time,

Danna

Depression can be difficult to cope with. Today, I would like to share with you my top five tips for dealing with depression.

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1. Get the right amount of sleep.

This means getting enough sleep. It also means not letting yourself sleep too much. Staying in bed all day can have a really negative impact on your mood.

You’ll want to have some sort of evening routine to get your brain prepared for sleep. It doesn’t have to be a long routine. I will be talking more about evening routines in a coming post.

Avoiding depression naps will be very important. You don’t have to 100% abstain from napping, but you will want to limit it to when you are actually sleepy and feel like it will help you.

You’ll have to pay attention to your own body to learn when you are tired and need sleep versus when you are experiencing fatigue due to depression.

Getting the right amount of sleep is definitely one of my top tips for dealing with depression. It’s not always going to happen, but it’s important to do your best to stay balanced in this area.

2. Set and work toward goals.

These goals should be yours. They should not be focused on what others want or need from you.

They don’t need to be big either. Sometimes making a to-do list for the day and accomplishing some of it will count.

Your goals may be things you need to do, such as take a shower, do the dishes or take your medication. It’s okay if those feel like really huge goals when you’re depressed.

They may also be goals that you want to do like getting back into an old hobby or starting a new one.

3. Stay in contact with people you care about.

In other words, don’t isolate yourself. This can be super challenging when you feel depressed, which is why it’s one of my tips for dealing with depression.

It’s hard to talk to people when you’re depressed for a couple of reasons. First, you don’t have the energy. Second, you may not want them to see you feeling bad because you feel embarrassed or are worried they will be upset or judge you.

It’s important to challenge the beliefs you have surrounding these ideas. You need to remind yourself that people love you and want you around. It’s okay to be depressed and still be seen.

Try to make sure you’re reaching out to at least one person outside your household every day. If a phone call feels like too much, you can try a text.

Schedule out your social time so you can be properly rested and prepared for it. It’s okay to schedule phone calls with friends ahead of time. If they’re a good friend, they will understand.

4. Set a timer for fifteen minutes.

This is a great strategy when you’re feeling overwhelmed by a large or seemingly large task.

You can use this for things like chores you have to do, school work, or really anything.

This allows you to work for fifteen minutes and then take a break, so you don’t feel worried or overwhelmed by the entire task or set of tasks ahead of you. If fifteen minutes is too much for you at this time, try ten minutes or even five.

Getting anything done is better than getting nothing done.

You can also use this to try out a coping skill. Set your timer (depending on the skill, you may have to adjust the amount of time) and try it out. When your timer ends, evaluate how you’re feeling and if this skill seems to be helping.

If it didn’t help, you can switch to a different coping skill. If it seems to be helping, try to continue doing it for a bit longer.

5. Do things you enjoy without having to earn them.

Doing things you enjoy may sounds simple to some, but it can be really hard when you have depression for a couple of reasons. First, you may struggle to come up with the energy to get started. Second, you may not enjoy things the way you used to.

If you’re struggling with energy, I recommend trying the technique above about setting a fifteen minute timer. It won’t give you more energy, but it may allow you to change your mindset around the activity long enough to try it.

If you aren’t enjoying things, sometimes it’s just a matter of sticking with it. Keep trying to add small enjoyable activities to your days and don’t be afraid to try something new.

Another thing I want you to notice is that I said “without having to earn them”. This means you can’t just use enjoyable activities as a reward. You need to be actively building them into your schedule.

It’s important to allow yourself to do things you enjoy, especially when you’re depressed. Try not to feel guilty about all the “more productive” things you could be doing. Life is not all about who can be the most productive.

Some final thoughts

Depression is difficult to cope with. I hope these tips for dealing with depression will give you some new ideas of things you can do to improve your mood.

Depression is not a moral failure. There is nothing you did to deserve it. It isn’t your fault, but there are things you can do to fight back.

You’re going to get through this.

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