Coping

							MAGNIFICENT LIFE TIPS!
May 2012
TIPS ON COPING WITH DEPRESSION
• Believe. For many people, having something to believe in makes an enormous difference to
       their emotional and spiritual well being. Turning to your existing faith, a new one, or
       finding a cause you believe in might be a pathway to finding your way out of the
       darkness and into renewed purpose. If you believe in a religious faith, you may find
       solace in praying, meditating or reading holy texts. Consult a local religious leader in
       your community with any questions. Even if you are not that religious, try reading a
       book of philosophy or a self-help book.
• Have beautiful surroundings. Remove the things from your life that upset you or bring you
       down. It might be as simple as removing clutter or as complex as redecorating.
       Brighten up a dark room or let in more fresh air. Let some of the outside world bathe
       your inside life with light.
• Make your sleeping room as dark and quiet as possible. Any noise or light disturbances
       will often be enough to awaken or prevent sleep for a depressed person.
• Keep your alarm clock by your bed, but away from you. This will make you get up
       enough to check the time. Use the very act of rising physically to check the clock as a
       reason to get up completely and proceed to the bathroom.
• If you find therapy a little strange, try seeing the therapist as a non-judgmental great
       aunt or uncle on whom you can unload all of your feelings without getting back
       any negative commentary. It does you good to offload thoughts to another person,
       and if you can't find that person among your circle of friends or within your family, a
       therapist is a sound and confidential substitute.
• Reduce your stress levels. Stress both nourishes and harbors depression, exacerbating
       any tendencies to react in a depressed way to life's problems and providing ongoing
       fuel for sustaining depressed thinking. Learning to deal with stress constructively in the
       future increases your chances of preventing depression and remaining resilient in the
       face of pressures.
• If the counselor you're seeing isn't helping, don't be afraid to try a different one. It can
       take a while to find someone that is suited to your particular needs. Look for someone
       who specializes in your problem area.
• Avoid comparing yourself to other people. Compare yourself to you at your lowest point
       in the past and think about what's better now. If you think you're at your lowest point
       ever, then imagine one small thing (the tiniest thing you can think of) that you know you
       can make better.
• Change your life. Often times depression results from a deep-rooted desire to be in a
       different situation than you are right now. Take the initiative to change what isn't
       working. It will be hard, but staying in a rut is even harder.

Reference: Retrieved on May 7, 2012, from, www.wikihow.com/Cope-with-Depression