Depression Self-Care
In conjunction with seeking medical help and therapy, depression self care can help you regain a better quality of life

In my last article, I discussed the importance of seeking help for depression and letting go of the stigma that surrounds it. In fact, an astounding 80 to 90 percent of people who do seek help show improvement in their symptoms. In addition to seeking professional help there are a number of ways you can help yourself through depression.

Depression self-care won’t take the place of medical and therapeutic interventions, but it can help you feel more empowered as you cope with the day-to-day challenges of your depression.

Research also shows that many of these self-care techniques can positively impact brain chemicals and processes that control mood and emotion.

Exercise

You will see me mention exercise time and again in my blogs, because exercise has so many positive mental health benefits – including improving symptoms of depression. According to Harvard Health:

“Exercising starts a biological cascade of events that results in many health benefits, such as protecting against heart disease and diabetes, improving sleep, and lowering blood pressure. High-intensity exercise releases the body’s feel-good chemicals called endorphins, resulting in the ‘runner’s high’ that joggers report. But for most of us, the real value is in low-intensity exercise sustained over time. That kind of activity spurs the release of proteins called neurotrophic or growth factors, which cause nerve cells to grow and make new connections. The improvement in brain function makes you feel better.”

As noted in the Harvard article above, the growth factors in the brain sparked by exercise can positively impact your hippocampus, the part of the brain that controls emotion.

When you feel depressed, even the idea of exercise might sound exhausting. Don’t worry, you don’t have to go out and climb mountains or run a marathon. Start small. Walk around the block or spend time digging in the garden. Any activity that helps raise your heart rate and start pumping blood through your body will help. Once you take the first step, you can gradually add more activity to your routine.

To help your brain retain those new, healthy cells, experts recommend combining exercise with meditation. Researchers have found that the mental challenge of meditation helps the brain retain new connections.

Seek Out Nature

Those of you who already spend time outdoors probably understand the impact of nature on your mood and outlook. Think about the last time you went camping or took a walk in the woods. Did you breathe a little deeper? Did your shoulders loosen? Did you lose track of time (in a good way)?

Studies back that anecdotal evidence. In fact, one study showed that taking a walk in a natural area – vs. a noisy, urban street – reduced rumination in participants. (We discussed the impact of rumination in a blog earlier this year. Read that article here) Rumination is a pattern of negative thinking in which you can’t seem to let go of intrusive thoughts or let go of unhappy events, and it often accompanies depression. As reported by The Atlantic:

“The nature walkers showed decreases in rumination and in activity in their subgenual prefrontal cortices. The urban walkers showed no such improvements.”

In another recent study, researchers noted the impact of adding green spaces to urban areas. In the study, the city of Philadelphia replaced trash-filled vacant lots with trees and other natural elements. As a result:

“They found that residents of areas that had either the greening or trash removal projects reported a decrease in feelings of depression by about 40 percent. In neighborhoods below the poverty line, the drop was 70 percent. Researchers also found reductions in feelings of worthlessness, hopelessness and overall poor mental health.”

Simply living near trees or walking by natural space on a daily basis can ease your depression symptoms. So, when you begin your new exercise routine, perhaps a walk through your local park would give you some extra bang for your buck. You might also want to add some plants to your home or start a small container garden on your balcony.

Make Decisions – Even Simple Ones

Another key symptom of depression involves decision-making. People who feel depressed often have a difficult time making even simple decisions, but forcing yourself to make a decision can actually improve depression symptoms.

According to neuroscientist Dr. Alex Korb, making a decision – any decision – can have a positive impact on your brain. In his book, “The Upward Spiral: Using Neuroscience to Reverse the Course of Depression One Small Change at a Time,” he writes about the power of making a “good enough” decision. You don’t have to make a perfect decision; just decide:

“Trying for the best, instead of good enough, brings too much emotional ventromedial prefrontal activity into the decision-making process. In contrast, recognizing that good enough is good enough activates more dorsolateral prefrontal areas, which helps you feel more in control…”

Specific brain processes aside, making a decision helps calm worry and anxiety. It tells your brain that you are in control of a situation and it calms negative thought patterns.

So, next time a friend asks you where you want to eat for lunch, don’t say “I’ll go wherever you want.” You decide. Even if it’s not the best meal ever, your brain will thank you.

Retrain Your Brain to Notice the Positive

One of the most powerful depression self-care techniques involves breaking negative thought patterns. For survival reasons, our brains are wired to remember negative experiences. For people with depression, that can also lead to rumination and an endless cycle of negative thinking.

However, you can change that habit. Good things do happen in your life every day, right? When’s the last time you noticed one? Again, start small: You hit the light green on your commute to work; The sun is shining; Your loud coworker took the day off. Make a note of all the positive things that happen in your day.

If listing all of them feels like too much work, aim for three per day, but write them down. The act of recording these positive moments will help your brain remember them the next time a negative thought-loop threatens. Even better, a written log will give you a physical reminder and something to read the next time you’re having an extra tough day.

Therapy can help you gain skills to more effectively cope with depression. My practice, located in the Cherry Creek area of Denver, serves individual teens and adults, as well couples and families.

Sincerely,