If you know me, you should know that I don’t keep my depression a secret. While I don’t go announcing it everywhere at any time, neither do I pretend that I don’t struggle with it. It can get really bad during periods of high stress and with the seasonal changes, but it is something that I deal with year-round.
On social media, I’ve seen many discussions gone awry because of people accusing each other of touting cure-alls for depression or shaming others for methods that have only worked for select people. By compiling this list, I don’t mean to say that they will work for everybody, that people should try them, or that they should abandon the methods that are tried-and-true for themselves. I merely am cataloging what has worked in my experience.
1. Sleeping
So simple,yet so complicated. This did not come so easily to me. While I did have the time to get my preferred 10 hours of sleep, I had a problem with insomnia. Once I got over it (see #2), I found that coping with my depression became easier. If you can, make time in the day for a nap. I discovered that no matter how much time I have available for me in the night, I am never able to wake up refreshed, and that’s where naps come in. A nap can also provide a much-needed break.
2. Moving somewhere new
This is not something a person can wake up one day and decide to do. Luckily, I moved from San Antonio to attend school at Western Washington University in Bellingham. The new environment allowed me to pursue new things, play around with my schedule, and find friends. Slowly, my anxiety attacks wavered, and I was able to sleep better. When I become too settled in a place, I find that traveling manages to mix it up a bit. While taking a vacation or traveling too far may not be an option, going camping or doing a weekend trip may have a few of the same positive effects.
3. Keeping busy
It becomes harder to mull over the fact that I’m depressed when I keep myself busy. The tricky part of this, though, is not becoming too busy. Otherwise, the stress builds up and contributes to the problem. I also find that some activities are favorable to others; for example, taking up vermicomposting to adding another class to your already hectic schedule.
4. Taking Vitamin D pills
When first coming to college, my mom and aunt got me a bottle of Vitamin D pills to make up for the lack of sunshine in the Pacific Northwest. It would be years until I ever took one. I started taking one pill every day, and I felt a slight but noticeable difference in my outlook. The skeptic in me wonders if it’s only the placebo effect, but it’s made enough of a positive change that I’d gladly stick to the placebo effect than nothing.
5. Adding animal fats and protein to my diet
A lot of us are told how converting to vegetarian or vegan diets will make us healthier. Even more so, we’re told that we need to avoid saturated fat. My life was changed when I read an Experience Life article on why we need to have saturated fats in our diet, and why the literature on it was incomplete. Since then, I’ve been incorporating more meat and dairy into my diet, and I couldn’t feel better. Before this, I would mindlessly stuff candy and other junk food into my body, not knowing why I couldn’t get rid of that never-ending feeling of mind cloudiness and being constantly tired.
These five changes I’ve made haven’t erased my struggles with depression but have made living with it easier. Now that I’ve laid out what has worked for me, what’s worked for you? I’m hoping this is a conversation that people can continue to have without feeling the need to have every single technique work for them and others. Of course, if you suspect that you have a mental illness, find professional help for proper diagnostics and, if needed, guided treatment.
