6 Things You Can Do When Struggling With Depression and Anxiety

Depression and anxiety are two things we are starting to hear about more often, and it’s not because they’re anything new, but because we are starting to challenge the stigma behind mental health. We are beginning to realize that taking care of it is just as important as taking care of your physical health. They’re both invisible forces that isolate us from the world and make it harder to reach out to people, but it’s important to keep in mind that you are not alone. You might be surprised to see how many people around you are going through something very similar, and everybody going through this needs to know that things will get better. In fact, you can gain back that feeling of control by taking small steps that make a big difference:

1. Don’t be afraid to reach out to people. It doesn’t need to be a therapist, but reaching out to people and opening up about what you’re going through is a great way to begin healing. If you keep it all bottled up inside, you end up feeling worse. Opening up to people makes you realize that a lot of what you’re going through is quite common. It’s a great way to make the ‘big demons’ smaller, little by little. Remember, you are not alone.
2. Try to understand what’s happening to you. No, you are not a freak. You are not broken or unlovable. There’s nothing deeply wrong with you, in fact, those thoughts are a symptom of the problem. Depression and anxiety affect people in the most surprising ways, often with physical symptoms. If you’ve recently been diagnosed with depression, PTSD or anything of the sorts, don’t be afraid to research about it. Getting to know what you’re going through might help you understand everything a bit more. You can look into books like ‘Depression The Common Sense Approach’ or ‘Peace of Mind Prescription’ to help you get a better understanding of what you're feeling.
3. Don’t punish yourself too much. This is very important. Don’t treat yourself as a failure for having depression or anxiety. Avoid punishing yourself for not being able to do some things due to this, you wouldn’t act that way if you couldn’t run because of a broken bone. Part of healing is also learning to forgive yourself.
4. Pick up activities that encourage mindfulness. Yoga, meditation, and watercolor painting are great examples of activities that bring you peace. Each of these activities requires you to be present and mindful, avoiding having your mind drifting into negative thoughts. Bringing mindful moments in your everyday routine will bring you many positive benefits to your mental health. 
5. Never underestimate the power of exercise and healthy eating. I know it’s a pain to hear this, but honestly, I’m not talking about the superficial benefits or referring weight at all. There are more studies coming out that discuss the relationship between your gut and mental health. You might not be aware of it, but your diet might be putting your body through stress that influences your anxiety and mental health. Try to eat clean and pick up an exercise routine to help you feel better on the inside.
6. Practice self-love and self-care. Repeat the mantra that self-care is not selfish because it’s not. Taking time out of your week or day for yourself is very important. Whether it’s enjoying some spa pampering or enjoying doing nothing by yourself, you need to take time for yourself and not feel bad about it. The sooner you come to terms with this, the sooner you’ll be on the right path to getting better.

In truth, there’s no right path solution, which if you think about it positively, means you have many options to get better. The important thing is that you realize you’re not alone and, even if it’s through baby steps start taking measures for your mental health. A good place is by point number two, get informed. You can find the mentioned books and many others on our online library www.selectvu.com.