FIVE EFFECTIVE AND EASY WAYS TO BEAT DEPRESSION.
Big question: what is DEPRESSION? World Health Organization (WHO)
defines depression as follows: a common mental disorder characterized by
persistent sadness and loss of interest in activities that you normally enjoy.
Symptoms include: loss of energy, loss of appetite, insomnia, hypersomnia,
anxiety, reduced concentration, indecisiveness, feelings of worthlessness,
thoughts of self-harm or suicide amongst others. Absolutely anyone can suffer from depression;
young, old, men, women, rich, poor even celebrities. But of recent, the most
"at risk" group is the youth who constantly experience unemployment,
bullying, peer pressure, heartbreaks, abuse, disappointments etcetera. The good
news though is, depression is a well manageable disease and can be cured. And
today I'm bringing you five easy and effective ways to beat this mental ill for
good.
1. Break the silence
It is no hidden secret that depression is a silent killer. The
reason being that those who suffer from it choose to bottle things up and
rather suffer alone in silence. Worse, they appear happier when they are with
other people but resort to cutting themselves when they are alone with the sole
mission of ending their own lives. Depression is a disease and just like any
other disease, it can be cured. People should really open up and seek help
before it is too late. Open up to your trusted allies and mental health
specialists such as counsellors, psychologists and psychiatrists. They can help
you in many ways than one. Chances are, help will come to you 98% most of the
time if you seek it. If you're in South Africa you are in luck because SADAG
have so many programs in place for people suffering from depression all over
the country. You can contact them on: 0800 12 13 14.
2. Laugh it off
A duck enters a shop and says to the shopkeeper: "Do you have
some grapes?" "No I don't have some grapes" answered the
shopkeeper. Next day, the duck comes back again and asks: "Do you have
some grapes?" "No I don't have some grapes" answered the
shopkeeper. The duck leaves and third day, it comes back again and asks:
"Do you have some grapes". "No I don't have some grapes. And if
you ever come here again and asks if I have some grapes I'm going to staple
your feet together and throw you in the bin outside" said the shopkeeper.
The duck leaves and comes back again the next day and asks: "Do you have
some staples?" "No!" answered the shopkeeper. "So do you
have some grapes?" The shopkeeper fainted. Pardon me for my lil boring
sense of humor but I really wanted to make you laugh there. As a matter of
fact, it is scientifically proven that laughter triggers a hormone in your
brain known as endorphin- a special pain reliever hormone that targets and
eliminate pain. It's like antivirus in your computer which guards your hardware
against viruses. Ever wondered why you sometimes let loose a (fart) when
something cracks you real good?? Exactly that! That brief moment of laughter
makes your entire body to enter into a relaxation mode there by neutralizing
every tension you carried all along. You momentarily forgets all which troubles
you and have the best moment of your life. So make it a religion to at least
crack yourself up every day. Watch your favorite comedy shows, read jokes, hire
a clown to entertain you or something. As long as it makes you laugh. A good
laugh will go a long way even when the joke has long diminished. Laugh, laugh,
laugh, it is good for your well-being.
3. Find a hobby
Confession: I used to suffer from depression as well. Mine was due
to unemployment and brokenness. Yes! It felt like I just fell at the heart of
an empty driest dessert with no clue as to which direction I should go. I felt
so alone and traumatized out there. And calling for help seemed pointless. But
amidst it all, I never wished to die. Are you kidding me? I too want to hold my
own children in my hand and live to see my grands... hello! Oh yes I always
used to think positively and kept the good hope. But what really helped me was,
I decided to remarry one things I enjoyed doing the most while growing up. One
is art and the other is writing. Ever since then, my life changed dramatically.
It was like an automatic therapy that gave me a rejuvenated hope and therefore
helped me beat this mental ill for good. The pleasure I found from completing
one drawing after another was out of this world. I mostly did it for fun but
soon people started to realize my talent and paid for it. So yes, find
something fun to do while busy figuring your life afresh. Trust me, it will
help you become creative and soon, your problems will start to disappear one by
one. Do music, write a book, and get involved in sports, whatever. Find what
interest you the most and stick to it. You'll thank me later.
4. Meditate
Sometimes all you need to do is to take a pause, forget all that
bothers you and clear your head. One way to achieve all that is through
meditation. Meditation is an ancient technique that was heavily used by
Buddhist people to get in touch with their inner world. Today people rely
mostly on it to find peace and serenity within themselves and to fight
depression. Psychologists from the University of Exeter conducted a study on
"Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy" (MBCT). After four months of
starting, three quarters of the patients felt well enough to stop taking
antidepressants. They found it to be the best solution to depression than drugs
and counseling. It is surely a technique that soothes and rejuvenate our souls
there by allowing us a chance to reimagine our lives with an increased hope.
Try it sometime and find out for yourself. The results are going to amaze you.
If you don't know how where to start with meditation, click here.
5. Exercise
Last but not least as some of you might have guessed, is working
out. Exercising have more or less the same effects as laughter. When you engage
in physical activity, your body produces the hormone (endorphin) as discussed
in point 2- "Laugh it off". It has more health benefits as well. One,
it gives you energy. You need energy to be productive and feel lively. Two, it
can help you sleep peacefully at night. When you're depressed, you constantly
experience sleep disorders such as insomnia and the likes but engaging in
physical activities does help you manage those disorders with ease. And three,
meditation can help you lose weight. Let's not hide from the fact that one of
the contributing factors of depression is obesity. So losing some kilos will
definitely make you feel good about yourself. So hit the gym and start working
out. It really helps, it does.
End note
Depression is indeed real and is everyone's worst nightmare.
Whether you suffer from it or not. It is actually a global worry as the stats
keep on increasing year after year everywhere around the world. But we should
be able to say enough is enough some way or another. A life lost through an
illness that can be perfectly contained is one too many. Let us open up if we
suffer from depression. Likewise, we need to listen to and help those who
suffer from this mental ill. Collectively we can find many ways to conquer this
mental ill so effectively. Otherwise, think positively, worry less, live
healthily, eat healthily, laugh a lot, take care of yourself and your loved
ones and stay alive. This is Uncle G signing out folks, May the force be with
you…PEACE!
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