So there I was lying on the floor crying all depressed….
There was so much resistance for me to get up or even move a finger and if you’re reading this you know exactly what I’m talking about. I was feeling so depressed, it took every ounce of my will to get up…and it all came to this list.
I suffered from deep depression, at times suicidal depression and it’s been quite the journey climbing out of that dark place. I created this blog to help other women to overcome depression, anxiety, and to help them on their own healing journey with everything I learned. It’s what led me to explore alternatives and going beyond skin deep.
You need to train your mind muscles just like you would train your muscles the way you do at the gym. Over time it will get easier and easier!
Go For A Walk
It doesn’t matter if it’s cold outside or raining, get out! This helps you clear your mind and take a breath of fresh air. Research shows the fastest way to cure depressed people is by going outside for a walk for an hour and looking at things far away. This is better than any anti-depressant you can take. It’s better to do this when it’s sunny outside so you can absorb the warm energy from the sun. This is some scientific evidence from a medical journal here.
Journal
Journaling allows us to release and express our emotions. It’s so beneficial to write things down as it helps us better understand ourselves and become more mindful. It’s hard to progress to higher emotional states without the awareness of the thoughts we are having right now. I’ve been journaling since I was a little girl and it’s been so beautiful to go back and reach how much I’ve grown and overcome. Here are some really nice journals you can get on Amazon.
Dance
Our emotional issues could be energetically lodged within certain parts of our bodies and literally moving the energy, moving your body can help. So put on some music and let your body flow however it needs to and express itself. Let your body move the stagnate energy to get you out of your depressed state.
Eat Healthy Foods
I’m not telling you that you need to become vegetarian or anything like that. It’s important to eat fresh organic fruits & vegetables, they tend to make you feel better. Unhealthy eating habits and foods full of toxins can block neuropathways which is terrible for our mental health. You will always feel better when you’re getting the nutrients you need.
Cry
Sometimes you need to cry! Stop holding in your tears and being brave all the time if you’re the kind of person to do so. It is very unhealthy for us to bottle up and bury our emotions so grab your box of tissues and let it out!
Read
Find something uplifting or you could just find something you’re really into. It’ll help you take your mind off of things that could be bothering you. It’s important to be consuming positive information and when you get in the habit of reading uplifting books, you can change your story and the thoughts you let yourself have. I really recommend reading the book The Secret by Rhona Byrne which you can get here.
Listen to Music
Music is so powerful so put on your favorite song! Be careful with what music you listen to, you don’t want to go down into a deeper spiral of depression which I’ve done with certain songs in the past.
Sing
Your voice is a powerful instrument!
Get Some Snuggle Time
Hug a friend, hug your family, or your partner! In this world, we really don’t get enough tactile contact with others. Feeling that physical comfort can help soothe us and raise our vibration. It also releases dopamine which is a natural chemical our body produces when we are happy. You can even hire a professional cuddler!
Laugh
Watch a comedy or some funny animal videos on Youtube! Laughter can be so healing to your body because it creates an alkaline state.
Visualization
Its so easy for us to want to stay in our depressed state. Its important to let us feel what arises for us emotionally but not staying in it for too too long. Think of your happy place, if you don’t have one, imagine what it would be. What would you do? Allow yourself to pain that picture, and know that you can live that picture.
Get A Massage
This is such a relaxing form of self-care and if you get a deep tissue massage it can help release any build-up emotions that can get stuck in the fascia of our muscles. You can find really amazing massage therapists on an app called Soothe. They can come to your home or office and if you use my code TYLTR and you’ll get 20$ off your massage 🙂
Get or Play With A Pet
Our friendly furry friends can be such a source of comfort and can be really good for emotional support.
Emotional Freedom Tapping
This technique is based on the principles of energy work like acupuncture and can change your emotional state within minutes. I share this on my Youtube and Instagram account. This has worked for so many people especially those battling with anxiety, depression, and PTSD!
Create A Vision Board
Change your focus! When you dream to build and create a vision board of things you desire, your attention goes to positive things. Allow yourself to be a kid again and dream! Look at magazines to find things and cut out pictures to hang up. If this isn’t feeling good for you, just drop this activity and try something else. This exercise might not feel good for some of us because of limiting beliefs. I have a post dedicated just to this here.
Release Depression with Gratitude
This is one of the most life-changing powerful exercises ever! Feeling truly grateful from the bottom of your heart allows us to focus on the glass half full rather than half empty. You can be thankful for anything…like you just the basic fact that you’re alive, that you can feel, and breathe. With this exercise, you vibrate at a frequency of love which is one of the highest emotions.The Universe will give you more when you are grateful for what you already have. I created a free gratitude workbook for you…you deserve this gift for yourself! <3
Listen to A Guided Meditation
Listening to some relaxing audio track with positive affirmations is so helpful in quieting the negativity and your depressed thoughts. You can find some useful guided meditations on Youtube. I created a free guided chakra meditation for you…you can download it at the bottom of this post
Get A Reiki Treatment
This is a powerful eastern technique that gently releases stress, promotes relaxation and healing. Reiki is a form of energy work based on the energy channels that exist within our body that flows through certain meridian points. A Reiki practitioner can help release any energy blockages in the body, it alleviates stress, aligns your chakras (the points where energy flows), and makes you feel better.
Find A Therapist
I have never been a fan of conventional therapy but I acknowledge the fact that this works for some people. You can find someone to speak to on www.betterhelp.com
Paint
Allow yourself to be creative..art can be a form of meditation. Let your heart speak out through healing art therapy. My sister has also suffered from depression and painting is truly her outlet…all her attention begins to shift into her art and it has been very soothing to see her finding a beautiful creative tool to cope. So get yourself a nice art kit and paint away.
Do Something New
Sometimes we can get stuck in our comfort zones and life can get a little monotonous. Getting out of this zone allows us to create new experiences and perhaps very happy and fulfilling ones. I know it can be very difficult when fighting depression (being the homebody that I am) but it is so worth it! Anytime I tried something new I generally ended up being really happy and I don’t regret staying home.
Change Your Mindset
It’s all about being mindful of the thoughts we let ourselves entertain. If you observe a negative thought brewing find an alternative positive. As you continue this, you’ll find yourself adopting this habit as part of your lifestyle upgrade.
Workout
Once I did crunches when I was depressed and crying because I forced myself to. As I got into my workout, the sadness I was feeling literally dissipated. So much research has proven that this works to alleviate depression.
Get A New Job
Please this obviously only applies if you really don’t like your job or even hate it. It’s important that we are grateful that we even have a source of income however maybe it’s time to start doing something you’re passionate about or at least having a job you’re happy to go to everyday. Sometimes actual structural change in your life is what you need!
Help Others
When we are in our negative feelings we tend to be stuck in this narrow bubble that prevents us from seeing other perspectives. We are so focused on ourselves, our issues, our problems that it magnifies the negativity. If we step outside our bubbles and ask how we can serve others our entire focus changes. When it’s not just about you, you realize that other people are going through their own things, and a helping hand can be life-changing. Lifting others up can lift you up as well.
Whatever you decide to do just know that you are not alone, you are always welcome in our Facebook group the Soul Deep Tribe where we lift up and support each other.
