Introduction

Depression is a condition in which a person loses pleasure in activities that he/she used to enjoy before, generally speaking, they lose all zeal in life and look at things more in a pessimistic light, they take every little thing to their heart, their mind doesn’t allow them to see the broader picture.

As per WHO, 264 million people of all ages were affected by depression in 2020

 

Causes of Depression

There are various causes of depression, the most common ones are: 

  1. Money Problems & Unemployment: A lot of people develop the condition of depression because of money problems & unemployment as they start to feel worthless even when they’re fully equipped to have a great job and life, start avoiding family and friends, stop going outside, spend more time sleeping during the day, might start excessive alcohol consumption all creating fostering ground for depression.

     

  2. Relationship Issues: Normally people in relationships argue sometimes it’s a common thing to have such events it’s when things start to get sour when the argument is no longer constructive, such prolonged events can take a toll on mental health and might lead to depression.

     

  3. Traumatic Life Event: Like losing a loved one or seeing something very tragic can drain your mind of all happiness and fill it with anxiety and uncertainties which is a contributing factor to developing depression.

     

  4. Loneliness: It’s a very common factor for a person who might have everything in life but doesn’t have anyone to share it with, their mind makes them think they’ll die alone, and again it stops them from seeing the broader picture, which becomes a contributing factor to developing depression.

  5. Other contributing factors include: Drug and Alcohol Abuse, family history of mental illness, low self-esteem and change in seasons (low light) are also very important contributing factors to developing depression. 

 

Symptoms of Depression
  1. Guilt: Guilt will surround you even when you do something good for your well-being.

     

  2. Excessive Fatigue: Excessive anxious thoughts will going to drain your energy and low mood will make you really lazy it’ll become even hard for you to complete your basic daily tasks.

     

  3. Strees Eating: You will going to start eating to cope with the anxious feelings.

     

  4.  Difficulty Sleeping and Excessive Daytime Sleepiness: Sleeping at night will become hard for you as you had not been active throughout the day because of dwelling in anxious thoughts and uncertainties and because sleeping late at night, you’ll wake up late and the cycle continues.
    (man a person with depression has to go through a lot)

  5. Social Withdrawal: You will become socially inactive even when you meet someone you won’t have much to discuss and you’ll try to get out of that conversation.

  6. Thoughts of Self-Harm: If you are having thoughts of self harm it’s time to consult a qualified medical professional.

  7. Feeling of uncertainty: Life is already very uncertain but depressed mind have a bias to focus on negative aspects of life no balance between positivity and negativity only focusing on negative aspects of all situations.
How to Manage and Reduce Depression Symptoms
  1. Stay Connected: with others even when it’s tough remember isolation is currently your enemy, when I say stay connected I mean with your loved one, not the toxic ones.
  2. Take care of your body and diet: Try to engage in self-care activities such as going for a walk, eating a balanced diet, working out, bathing regularly, and following some kind of skincare routine remember even 10 min walk is better than doing nothing, whatever you like as it’ll increase your self-confidence which will ultimately help you improve your depression symptoms.
  3. Actively challenge negative thoughts: Actively challenge your negative thoughts set a time in the day for 10-15 minutes to worry and in that time challenge your negative thoughts in this time you can use our free “Anxiety Buster Worksheet“, don’t let unnecessary worry eat your day.
  4. Set very small goals: I can’t stress enough on very small as setting goals that you might not be able to achieve will only going to contribute to your depression, so set goals that you’re certain that you’ll achieve for example I will walk for 5 minutes today, this might seem small but when done overtime will going to improve your symptoms, remember “A Journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step “- Lao Tzu
  5. Repeat Self-compassion Affirmations- Every day before starting your day repeat self-compassion affirmations as over time it’ll increase your self-esteem and improve your symptoms.
  6. Every day create a list of positive things in life- this will help your brain see not everything is messed up in life, not everyone hates you, and will in the long term reduce your symptoms of depression.
  7. Petting an animal- You can pet an animal dog or cat is most favorable, for example, when you pet a dog, your body releases several chemicals, one of which is oxytocin. Oxytocin is often referred to as the “love hormone” or “bonding hormone” because it plays a role in social bonding, trust, and emotional connections.
  8. Use light Box- During winter the light decreases which contributes to depression so you can use a lightbox or you can sit in the sunlight, or add more lights in your room.
  9. Say no- Prioritise self-care say no to things that are draining your energy.
  10. Engage in activities you like: Any sport you like any place you like to visit keep yourselves busy.
Disclaimer:

The tips provided in this post are intended to offer guidance on managing depression. They may be helpful for many, but individual experiences vary. If you find that these strategies are not alleviating your symptoms or if you are experiencing thoughts of self-harm, it’s crucial to seek professional help from a mental health provider. Your well-being is our priority.