7 Holistic Remedies for Depression

Depression isn’t a condition you can solve overnight. Besides seeking professional help, there are a few holistic and natural remedies you can make to your life to help along with your healing. These changes can help you combat that depressive mindset while working with your therapist and/or seeking professional support.

Have a regular sleep schedule

Studies show that sleep and mood have a strong correlation between them. If you suffer from depression, your sleep schedule is likely severely messed up. You may also experience insomnia or sleep too much throughout the day during this condition. The important thing to note here is you shouldn’t aim for more sleep, but rather, adequate sleep. You must coordinate your bedtime and wake-up time every day. Your wake-up time should coincide with the morning – natural sunlight can play a crucial role in your depression.

Get natural sunlight

Recent research shows that there may be a link between vitamin D deficiencies and depression. Indeed, lack of natural sunlight may further worsen your depression. That is one of the reasons depression can reach an all-time high in winter – that is because you are not receiving as much sunlight as you should. Vitamin D is vital to our immune system and helps to regulate how we feel. When your vitamin D levels are low it can contribute to feeling depressed, tired and unfocused. Talk to your doctor and/or therapist about your symptoms. Getting a simple blood test can show you if you can benefit from taking a Vitamin D supplement. With so many of us working in doors it’s easy to not get the vitamin D that we naturally get from Sun exposure. I also encourage you to take a break from your desk and go for a walk outdoors for about 20 minutes each day.

Exercise more

Exercise doesn’t have to mean going to the gym for hours and hours. When you are experiencing depression, even the thought of exercising can make you lose all your motivation before you even start. In that case, exercise could simply mean getting out of bed and taking a walk. A 15-minute workout would also be feasible. The important thing is that you get out of bed and get your blood flow going. Regular physical activity automatically boosts your mood without any external help.

Challenge your thoughts

Depression involves excessive ruminating over negative thoughts and events. When you are constantly thinking of negative things, you learn to hyperfocus and spot negativity all around you. In that case, you begin to ignore any positive instance. Getting out of that cycle of negativity isn’t easy, but it’s a necessary step for your healing. Here, you need to use your logic when thinking – consider cold hard facts, look for the evidence, and try to get to the root of those thoughts. If you voice these thoughts out, you might realize how biased these thoughts are towards yourself.

Work on your mindset

As you begin to identify these thoughts, try to reframe them in a more realistic or even positive way if you can manage them. Whenever you catch yourself thinking unreasonably negative thoughts, mull over it, and then change your mindset about it, and think of it in a positive or somewhat neutral light. Shift your focus from your weaknesses and impossibilities to your strengths and capabilities.

Avoid harmful coping mechanisms

When you are depressed, it can be easy to turn to the “easy way out,” such as alcohol and drugs. Substance abuse is one of the most common coping mechanisms of depression. Although they may not cause it, they still worsen your health and your mental state. Acknowledge the harm they cause and let go of these maladaptive coping mechanisms.

I hope these tips were helpful to you. Connect with someone on our team today to get started with a therapist. We are here to support you on your wellness journey.