As you probably know, depression affects millions of people around the world every day. Just in the United States alone, 17 million people have depression, and more cases are added every single day.
Depression is something that can affect your entire perception, affect relationships and work, keep you from achieving, and be a risk factor for suicide and harm of others as well. It is not something that should be taken lightly.
While this is all a scary thought to take in, you should also be aware that depression is treatable and manageable. It is really important that you talk to your doctor if you are depressed so that they can guide you toward the right treatment plan.
In addition to talking to a doctor, there are also some natural ways to manage depression. These are not meant to completely replace what your doctor or therapist has suggested, but simply to provide more ways to manage the mental health condition.
Take a look at some of these different natural remedies for depression and give them a try. Remember that not all methods work for every person, so it is often just a matter of experimenting and seeing what helps you best. Don’t give up and keep trying new things until you figure out how to manage your depression properly.
Natural Remedies
The first way you can help manage your depression in a more natural way is with supplements. If you already follow a healthy diet, some of these nutrients might already exist in your natural food sources. This is ideal, but not always realistic. If you think you are missing out on some essential vitamins and minerals, it is worth getting to know which supplements are best for depression. Here are some recommended herbal supplements for someone with depression:
Fish Oil
If you have ever read about following a healthy diet, you have probably read the recommendation to have more omega-3 fatty acids. These are important for so many things, from helping with your heart to reducing your cholesterol. These fatty acids can also help with depression. A supplement that is good for getting your omega-3s if you don’t eat a lot of fish, nuts, or canola oil, is to take a fish oil supplement. As a warning, fish oil pills don’t smell or taste all that great, so swallow it quickly. However, they are very helpful with managing depression naturally.
Folic Acid
Folic acid is another supplement you should be taking on a regular basis to help with your depression. Folic acid, also called folate or B9, is a nutrient that everyone should have more of. You will often see it recommended for pregnant women since it helps their developing baby, but even if you are not pregnant, it can be helpful to you if you have depression. Folic acid supplements it often given to people who don’t react well to anti-depressants, or used in conjunction with other medications.
Vitamin D3
If you are someone that gets more depressed when it is dark and cold, and less depressed when it is hot and the sun is out, you know why vitamin D is so helpful. The sun is actually a natural source of vitamin D, so if you live somewhere warm, you may already be getting enough of it. However, when the weather gets cold and it is dark outside, such as during winter, you may want to take a vitamin D supplement. You typically need between 20,000 and 30,000 IUs per week, but ask your doctor first.
Dietary Changes
The next natural remedy available for depression is making some dietary changes. You don’t have to go on a strict diet, but you do want to eat healthier foods. There are certain foods that can actually help with depression, and other aspects of your diet that might be triggering your depression.
What You Should Avoid
You may not want to hear this, but your daily coffee run might be triggering your depression. Caffeine is a natural stimulant, which also makes it a depressant. Depressants can momentarily make you feel better, but they end up hurting you in the long run. Try to get rid of coffee or at least reduce your caffeine intake as much as you can.
Alcohol is another big depressant, giving you short highs and long lows. You might have a fun night without a care in the world, but this can lead to weeks of feeling severe depression. Avoid excessive drinking and try to limit even casual drinking.
Natural Anti-Depressants
Luckily, there are many foods that are actually natural anti-depressants, so you can add these to your diet. They include:
- Lean protein like fish and chicken
- Nuts like walnuts and almonds
- Spianch, beet, beetroot, and kale
- Dark chocolate
Eat These for a Calming Effect
Believe it or not, some carbs can actually be beneficial for you. As with most diets,y ou should reduce your refined carbs as much as possible. These include those that are overly processed and bleached, such as white potatoes, white pasta, white bread, and white rice.
On the other hand, complex carbs are a smarter choice not just for general health, but for depression. They can actually have a calming effect on your brain. These include legumes, beans, whole grains, and some vegetables. Being more alert is also helpful when you suffer from depression, so eating a diet high in protein is also recommended.
Exercise
The next recommendation for a natural depression remedy is to get more exercise. When you start to exercise, you begin to release endorphins from your brain. Endorphins are brain chemicals that give you a feeling of happiness. The more you exercise, the less stressed you feel, which can then lead to lessening depression. Exercise also has tons of other benefits, including boosting your self esteem, helping with anxiety, and improving your sleep. It can even help to boost your energy levels, which is a common issue with someone who has depression.
You can exercise in any way you want, whether that is dancing or going for a walk around the neighborhood. Just get up and get your body moving, preferably on a regular basis. Here are some different options, but definitely be creative and workout how you want to.
- Walk during your breaks at work
- Get outside and garden over the weekend
- Take your dogs for walks in the evening
- Do more housework to get your body moving
- Try a low-impact aerobics class
- Do water aerobics in your pool or a local pool
- Learn how to golf or play tennis
- Start doing yoga or Pilates
- Take a dance class with a friend or significant other
- Play outdoors with your kids
Exercise should not be seen as the only way to treat depression, but it can definitely be added to the list of natural remedies.
Meditation
When you get past changing your diet and exercising, you might start thinking about other options for helping to manage your depression. One good way you can help with depressive episodes or just to reduce the severity of your emotions is to try meditation.
Meditation is great for depression because it helps to calm you and focus your mind elsewhere. Meditation is also good for a variety of other things, from helping with anxiety and panic attacks, to managing your stress in a healthier way.
Types of Meditation
There are different types of meditation you can try, from mindfulness to a body scan meditation session. You may want to start slow as meditation is not something you will get right away. Some people can meditate easily, but this is rare. For the average person, it takes a lot of practice to get it right. The important thing is to remember it will get easier the more times you try it.
Basic Meditation
Here are some guidelines and tips for just a basic meditation session. This is going to focus on your breathing and help you get into a calming state. You will be able to clear your mind of all your worries and just sit quietly for a bit.
For this meditation, you want to find somewhere in your home that is quiet and won’t cause a lot of distractions. It is best to wait until the kids are at school or in bed, and keep the dogs outside so they don’t bother you. Turn your television and phone off, even turning it off vibrate. Close the windows so it is as quiet as possible.
You want to find a comfortable place to sit and focus on sitting up straight. Relax your body and close your eyes. Now just start by focusing on your breathing. Think about each breath you inhale and exhale, concentrating on the feeling and sounds the breathing makes. Keep doing this until your mind begins to wander, then bring the focus back to your breathing. This is what a basic meditation session is like.
Mindfulness Meditation
With mindfulness meditation, it is very similar to a simple breathing technique, but your thoughts are going to be a little different. The object of this type of meditation is not to clear your mind and think about nothing, but to have a certain frame of mind with wherever your mind wanders to. In mindfulness, you are accepting the present and not letting your mind focus too much on the past or the future. You just live in the now.
So when you are sitting with your eyes closed and focusing on your breathing, let those other thoughts come. Every time you have a thought, think to yourself that right now, this is important to you. Focus on turning it into something positive, instead of letting it be a negative thought.
Body Scan Meditation
This is a type of meditation that helps people who are just starting out. You might find that when you try to meditate, your mind wanders too much. You need something else to focus on, aside from just your breathing. This is when the body scan can be helpful.
As you are meditating, start mentally scanning your body, starting with the top of your head, and gradually scanning your head and face, ears, nose, and mouth as you feel each different part of your body. Continue doing this as you go down your neck, arms, hands, fingers, abdomen, pelvis, legs, knees, feet, and toes.
Journaling
The last recommendation we have for you is to start journaling. Journaling is really popular right now, and that is because of how many benefits it has. Journaling can help with mental and physical health, from allowing you to lose weight, to helping with stress and anxiety. It also helps to be a wonderful tool when you suffer from depression.
In order for journaling to help with your depression, you need to do it every day. One good thing to do is set a timer for 10-15 minutes, then just start writing. This is a stream of consciousness writing, where you just let your mind and fingers do the work.
Don’t have a theme or subject to talk about? Just talk about anything. It could be what you did that day, what you are looking forward to, or what you are struggling with. This can be very therapeutic and eventually help you identify your triggers for depression. Be open and honest in your journal to let it help you.
