2 skills to help manage depression
After helping countless individuals manage their depression, I am sharing two skills to help you with your symptoms of depression. By the end of this blog post, you will have learned two ways to manage your depression that you can start using today.
Common symptoms of depression
Symptoms of depression include feeling sad or down for 2 weeks or longer, a loss of interest in things that you once enjoyed, difficulty in concentrating, and feeling worthless. For more information on symptoms of depression, click here
If you find yourself experiencing these symptoms, it is important to call your doctor and/or find a Therapist to help you manage your depression. Meanwhile, continue reading for tips that you can start using today to help you manage your depression.
Two skills to help manage your depression
While there are many skills out there to help with managing symptoms of depression, I am going to share two that have helped the clients that I work with. These skills have helped people feel better, feel more hopeful, and begin to feel more in control of their lives.
Skill #1: Opposite Action
Our emotions cause us to behave in certain ways. When we get angry we might begin to act aggressively or raise our voice. When we feel sad we might want to withdraw from others or want to cry. While these reactions/behaviors come naturally with what we are feeling, opposite action can help break these cycles especially when we are feeling sad.
The idea is that when you're experiencing an unpleasant emotion, you respond with the opposite action rather than your usual reaction. For example, the next time you feel sad instead of isolating yourself into your room and away from others, reach out to a friend via phone call or text message. Or the next time you feel like oversleeping or taking a nap, do something active like taking a walk outside or watch a funny movie/video.
It may feel unnatural at first to respond to emotions "out of character." But the opposite action actually stops you from falling into negative patterns that often make you feel worse and contribute to your depressed mood in the long run.
Skills #2: Behavior Activation
When we are feeling down or depressed, we often tend to have lost interest in things that we once enjoyed, we feel a decrease in motivation, and often feel fatigue nearly everyday. By engaging in behavior activation, we can help turn those symptoms around and begin to feel better.
The idea of behavior activation is to keep your body and mind active even when you really don't feel like it. Make a plan to achieve at least three goals each day - one in the morning, afternoon, and evening. Here is a sample template that you can use to incorporate this skill into your life today.
Some examples could be:
● Morning: Take a 20 minute walk
● Afternoon: Call a friend to chat
● Evening: Cook a healthy meal
Planning out activities and tasks ahead of time helps provide a sense of purpose and it’s easier to motivate yourself when you have specific goals written down. Setting daily goals gives you a sense of accomplishment as you check off each one, and engaging in meaningful activities releases the feel-good chemicals in your brain that help us feel better, naturally. Behavioral activation helps break the cycle of depression by replacing the urge to stay in bed all day with simple, achievable actions that get you up and moving. Give it a try if you've been feeling down!
Conclusion
By engaging in both opposite action and behavior activation skills, you will begin to incorporate good habits into your everyday life and can begin to feel better, feel more hopeful, and more in control of your life. These two skills will help you take back control over how you respond to the depressive symptoms you are experiencing. If you would like more help with managing your depression, contact me today for a free therapy consultation.