Ever since I was a young child, I suffered from bouts of depression. A lot of this stemmed from anxiety, an absolutely crippling mental illness if you let it reach a certain point. Many young college students have a type of mental illness, and this presents a grave health concern among college counselors across the US. The American Psychological Association estimates that 41.6 percent felt the effects of anxiety, while 36.4 percent suffered from depression.
Those alarming statistics do not tell much, including different ways to alleviate some of the symptoms that many young people find themselves experiencing. A detrimental symptom, one that I have undergone many times, is the all-encompassing exhaustion. The fatigue wears on the body itself, and I have lost whole days because of it. However, there are some ways to become energized, and I have found these tips to be the most helpful.
1. Eat and drink water.
This seems like such a simple task, but it is surprising how easy it is to forget to eat. Food gives us the essential nutrients to energize our bodies, while water helps hydrate and refresh. Going without these, even for a day, enables the body to become tired, and as much as a nap for an entire day sounds enticing, food and water should be first on the task list. Try preparing food at the beginning of the week and carry around a BPA-free water bottle. You don’t have to prepare meals for each day like those meal-prep people, but this makes your life a lot easier.
2. Find a creative outlet.
Anxiety produces many different thoughts in the brain, while depression seems to slow everything down. It is a confusing mixture, but one that is often found. With all of those thoughts being locked inside of the mind, having a creative outlet to release those thoughts helps because sometimes organizing thoughts on a canvas, through music, or through writing organizes everything. How to Be Happy (Or at Least Less Sad) by Lee Crutchley provides different activities and notes that engage this creativity, so give it a go.
3. Change your lifestyle.
Sometimes we are unhappy or dissatisfied with aspects of our life -- how we look, what we do, and even how we eat. I found that a drastic change needed to occur because the way I was living was enabling the depression and anxiety to further destroy my mind, spirit, and body. Instead of wallowing in guilt and sadness, I became vegan and began to find inspiration in health and animals. You do not have to change your diet, but going to the gym more is a tip that has circulated much. It really does help, even if you are going just once a week. Changes in lifestyle establish a variety in the everyday mundane and routine.
4. Let's get off social media.
This was the most difficult for me to do. Social media is an incredible tool that is used for work, connecting, and informing, but negativity seems to permeate on social media. That negativity has the power to affect the mind, and in turn, the mind has the power to affect the body and spirit. If you have trouble with this like me, try unfollowing or unfriending those people or pages that seem to enhance your anxiety or depression symptoms. Some people on social media even take the time to “beautify suffering,” a term used by the Atlantic, and that is dangerous because to purposefully evoke negative emotions is just further punishing yourself. This not only affects you, but it affects others too. Try limiting your social media use.
5. Volunteer.
Helping others expands how we view the world and helps us understand people more. I absolutely love animals, but I also have crippling social anxiety. While I was brave enough to send in my SPCA volunteer form, I also adopted a cat, and having something else to think about away from everything that induces sadness helps me feel happier and distracts me. Volunteering may get you away from the environment causing depression and anxiety, and you will find yourself thinking less and less about your own problems.
Bonus: Go outside.
Nature is peaceful, and the natural sounds of animals and leaves rustling can produce calming effects. A small hike can even help because that is the focus. Focusing on nature and the sounds of nature is a form of meditation and relaxation. Even if it is just for five minutes, being outside can really help brighten your day, literally.
These are not foolproof methods of alleviating or even getting rid of anxiety and depression. I still have my sad days, but I found that I am a lot happier when I followed these steps. Find your passion and blessings throughout your days, and even this can produce a multitude of ways to be less sad.
