4 Things You Can do Right Now to Combat Mild Depression
Laura Hull, LMFT
Coping Coach
“Once we truly know that life is difficult — once we
truly understand and accept it — then life is no longer difficult. Because once
it is accepted, the fact that life is difficult no longer matters.” -'The Road
Less Traveled”
This statement by M. Scott Peck is profound. But for many, this statement is hard to
internalize. Life is difficult, and with
difficulty can come uncertainty and at times, sadness. Everyone experiences sadness, grief or
depression at some point. Assuming we
live long enough, life throws things in our direction that can, at the very
least, wound us enough to cause pain that makes it difficult to experience joy. At other times, the trials of life can bring
us to our knees, making it a herculean task to even get out of bed or go any
length of time without crying our eyes out.
Life happens to everyone. We lose
loved ones to death, we experience the loss of relationships for various
reasons, people and circumstances we are invested in and count on let us
down. It happens to everyone. Most people who experience depression tied to
specific events (loss of loved ones, divorce, job losses, and things of this
ilk) go through a period of time where they struggle with feelings of
depression, but ultimately time helps the process, wounds heal, normalcy is
restored and life moves on. Others
experience severe depression tied to chemical imbalances, genetically driven
mental illness or severely traumatic events.
These individuals often need medical intervention and long-term
counseling. The focus of this article is
for the individuals who fall in the middle….mild to moderate depression that
impacts mood and potentially, happiness.
For individuals struggling with feelings of sadness and being
overwhelmed with their circumstances, there are some specific things I
recommend to those I counsel who feel “stuck” and are struggling with “the
blues”:
- Spend some time outdoors,
particularly on a sunny morning. According to WebMD (Dec, 5, 2002) “A sunny day
may do more than just boost your mood -- it may increase levels of a
natural antidepressant in the
brain. A new study shows that the brain produces more of the mood-lifting
chemical serotonin on sunny days than on darker days. Researchers found that regardless of the
season, the turnover of serotonin in the brain was affected by the amount
of sunlight on any given day. And the levels of serotonin were higher on
bright days than on overcast or cloudy ones. In fact, the rate of
serotonin production in the brain was directly related to the duration of
bright sunlight.” Those of us who are reading this article from sunny
Florida are blessed with an abundant amount of sunshine. Because sunlight naturally boosts
serotonin, many people find it helpful to spend time outdoors in the
mornings (before the heat of the day kicks in). Whether it is taking a
walk or simply sitting on a park bench, being outdoors can help elevate
our mood. If you are struggling
with mild depression, make a point to incorporate outside time into each
day.
- Exercise now. It’s hard to muster the energy to
exercise when experiencing the fatigue that often goes along with mild
depression. This will take a deliberate effort on your part and
a determination to do the things
that can potentially combat depression.
In a study published by Harvard Medical School, the effects of
exercise on mild to moderate depression were impressive. “A study published in 2005 found that
walking fast for about 35 minutes a day five times a week or 60 minutes a
day three times a week had a significant influence on mild to moderate
depression symptoms. How does exercise
relieve depression? For many years, experts have known that exercise
enhances the action of endorphins, chemicals that circulate throughout the
body. Endorphins improve natural immunity and reduce the perception of
pain. They may also serve to improve mood. Another theory is that exercise
stimulates the neurotransmitter norepinephrine, which may directly improve
mood.” (www.health.harvard.edu) Please understand that combating
depression does not require becoming a world-class athlete. But becoming physically active, at least
a few days a week can be a key ingredient of self-help in many ways. Motivation may be an issue at
first. But over time, exercise does
have the potential to impact mood in a positive way. As an added bonus, many forms of
exercise require us to leave the four walls of our homes or office space,
which does seem to help, as well.
Getting out and getting engaged in physical activities will likely
make us more motivated at some point to engage more with others (also
potentially a nice mood elevator in many ways).
- Seek counseling. Let’s be honest. We’ve all had times (regardless of how
good our lives have been overall) where we could have benefitted from
counseling to help us through a rough patch. It can be very comforting and empowering
to bring our issues into a counseling setting, and work through those
issues with someone who is caring and educated in our struggles, without
fear of repercussions in our personal or professional relationships. Oftentimes, just talking with someone in
the safety of a counseling office can be a very freeing experience. A counselor may be in a position to
offer insights or perspective that could aid the process of working
through the issues that are impacting our lives in negative ways.
- Have a medical evaluation. If at least some relief has not been experienced by the above
recommendation, an exam by a physician may be in order, particularly if a
thorough, overall physical exam has not been performed in a long
time. Some physical conditions,
such as thyroid problems (which are treatable), can cause depression and
fatigue. Additionally, a physician
is the only one who can make the determination of whether or not
mood-altering medications should be considered. Even if this is the case, this is
usually only temporary, and certainly not anything to be embarrassed
about.
Though we all experience sadness at some points in our lives, it
is important to recognize when we have become “stuck” in those feelings and
address the issue. Life is hard
at times. This is a great truth. Life is short…this is an even greater
truth. The ability to be happy is within
all of us. Don’t give away your joy.
