22 Ways to Cope With Your Depression

If a person feels sustained, intense feelings of sadness or loss of interest in activities, they may have clinical depression. People also refer to this condition as major depressive disorder.

But there are small steps you can take to help you gain more agency in your life and improve your sense of well-being.

Read on to learn how to incorporate these strategies in a way that makes sense for you.

Depression affects millions of people, including some in your life. You may not realize they face similar challenges, emotions, and obstacles.

Being open, accepting, and loving toward yourself and what you’re going through may help you navigate depression.

Every day with this disorder is different. It’s important to take your mental health seriously and accept that where you are right now isn’t where you’ll always be.

On days when you feel you can’t get out of bed, exercise may seem like the last thing you’d want to do. But exercise and physical activity can help reduce symptoms of depression and improve energy levels.

Research suggests that, for some people, exercise can be as effective as medication at relieving depression symptoms. It may also help prevent future depressive episodes.

Even when you feel you’re unable to or have little energy, see if you’d be willing to do the opposite of what your mood tells you to do. Instead, set a small goal for yourself, such as walking around the block.

Internal emotions and thoughts can change from day to day. Tracking experiences through journaling or keeping a mood diary can help you to remember this.

If you were unsuccessful at getting out of bed or accomplishing goals today, remember that you haven’t lost tomorrow’s opportunity to try again.

Give yourself the grace to accept that while some days will be difficult, others will also be less difficult. Try to look forward to tomorrow’s fresh start.

Depression can tinge recollections with difficult emotions. You may find yourself focusing on things that are unhelpful or perceived as difficult.

Try to stop this overgeneralization. Push yourself to recognize the good. If it helps, write down what was meaningful about the event or day. You can track what you achieved that day and which activities were enjoyable.

Seeing the weight you’re giving to one thing may help you direct your thoughts away from the whole and to the individual pieces that were helpful.

The automatic, unhelpful voice in your head may talk you out of self-help. But if you learn to recognize this voice, you can learn to work through it.

If you believe an event won’t be fun or worth your time, say to yourself, “You might be right, but it’ll be better than just sitting here another night.” You may soon see that automatic thought isn’t always helpful.

Depression is one of the most common mental health conditions: Learn more.

Instead of compiling a long list of tasks, consider setting small goals. Setting and accomplishing these goals can provide a sense of control and accomplishment and help with motivation.

Attainable goals may include:

• Don’t clean the house; take the trash out.
• Don’t do all the laundry that’s piled up; sort the piles for later.
• Don’t clear out your entire email inbox; just address any time-sensitive messages.

When you’ve done a small thing, set your eyes on another small thing, and then another. This way, you have a list of tangible achievements and not an untouched to-do list.

All goals are worthy of recognition, and all successes are worthy of celebration. When you achieve a goal, do your best to recognize it.

You may not feel like celebrating with a cake and confetti, but recognizing your own successes can be a powerful tool for depression’s negative weight.

The memory of a job well done may be especially powerful against unhelpful self-talk and overgeneralization.

If depressive symptoms disrupt your daily routine, a gentle schedule may help you feel in control. These plans don’t have to map out an entire day.

Focus on creating a loose but structured routine to help you keep your daily pace.

Depression can push you to give in to your fatigue. It may feel more powerful than preferred emotions.

Try to push back and do something you love — something that’s pleasurable or meaningful. It could be playing an instrument, painting, hiking, or biking.

Engaging in meaningful activities lifts your mood or energy, which can further motivate you to continue to engage in activities that help with navigating symptoms.

Research shows music can improve your mood and symptoms of depression. It may also strengthen your reception of positive emotions.

Music can be especially beneficial when performed in group settings, such as a musical ensemble or band.

You can also reap some of the same rewards simply by listening.

Time in nature can have a powerful influence on a person’s mood. Research suggests that walks in nature may improve depressive symptoms in people with clinical depression.

Time in natural spaces may improve mood and cognition and lower the risk of mental health disorders. But there’s only limited research on the direct effect of nature on those with clinical depression.

Consider taking a walk at lunch among the trees or spending time in your local park. Or plan a weekend hike. These activities can help you reconnect with nature and soak in some rays at the same time.

Depression can tempt you to isolate yourself and withdraw from people you love and trust, but face-to-face time can help wash away those tendencies.

If you’re unable to spend time together in person, phone calls or video chats can also be helpful.

Try to remind yourself these people care about you. Resist the temptation to feel like you’re a burden. You need the interaction — and they likely do too.

Consider writing or journaling about what you’re experiencing. Then, when the feelings lift, write about that too. Research suggests that keeping a journal can be a beneficial add-on method for managing mental health conditions.

Writing down your thoughts can help you express what you’re feeling more clearly. It can also help you keep track of your symptoms daily and identify their causes.

You can make a goal to write for a few minutes each day or week. Most importantly, what you want to write about is completely up to you.

When you do the same thing day after day, you use the same parts of your brain.

Doing new things can feel rewarding and may improve your overall well-being and strengthen your social relationships.

To reap these benefits, consider trying a new sport, creative class, or cooking technique.

You can knock out a few birds with one stone — spending time with other people and doing something new — by volunteering and giving your time to someone or something else.

You may be used to receiving help from friends, but reaching out and providing help may actually improve your mental health more.

Bonus: People who volunteer experience physical benefits too. This includes a lowered risk of hypertension and improved sleep.

When you do something you love, or even when you find a new activity you enjoy, you may be able to benefit your mental health more by taking time to be thankful for it.

Practicing gratitude can have lasting positive effects on your overall mental health.

What’s more, writing down your gratitude — including in notes to others — can be particularly meaningful.

Stress and anxiety can prolong your depression symptoms. Finding relaxation techniques can help you lower stress and invite more joy and balance into your day.

Research suggests that mindfulness activities may help you improve your sense of well-being and feel more connected to what’s happening around you. These activities can include:

• meditation
• yoga
• deep breathing
• journaling

There’s no magic diet that will treat depression. But what you put into your body can have a real and significant effect on the way you feel.

Some people also feel better and have more energy when they avoid sugar, preservatives, and processed foods.

If you have the means, consider meeting with a doctor or registered dietitian for guidance.

Eating a diet rich in lean meats, vegetables, and grains may be a great place to start. Try to limit stimulants such as caffeine, coffee, and soda and depressants such as alcohol.

Substances such as drugs or alcohol can contribute to perpetuating feelings of sadness.

On the other hand, people who live with addiction may experience symptoms of depression.

You may want to consider limiting or avoiding the use of alcohol and other substances to help your depressive symptoms.

Sleep disturbances are common with depression. You may not sleep well, or you may sleep too much. Both can make depression symptoms worse.

Aim for 8 hours of sleep per night. Try to get into a healthy sleeping routine.

Going to bed and waking up at the same time every day can help you with your daily schedule. Getting the proper amount of sleep may also help you feel more balanced and energized throughout your day.

Suppressing and compartmentalizing your feelings may seem like a strategic way to cope with the difficult symptoms of depression. But this technique is ultimately unhealthy and ineffective.

If you’re having a down day, acknowledge it. Notice and name your emotions and try to bring your attention to engaging in activities that are helpful instead of focusing on the emotions.

Seeing the ebb and flow of depressive symptoms can be instructive for both self-healing and hope.

You may also find it helpful to speak with a professional about what you’re going through. A general practitioner may be able to refer you to a therapist or other specialist.

They can assess your symptoms and help develop a clinical treatment plan tailored to your needs. This may include various options, such as medication and therapy.

Finding the right treatment for you may take some time, so be open with a doctor or healthcare professional about what is and isn’t working. They’ll work with you to find the best option.