Anti Depression Exercises

Deep breathing is a good way to calm down also we tend to live in the past or future we need to learn to live in the moment depression / anxiety can be caused by this but everyone is differant maybe you should google it there are some great websites hope this helps. Mark

Hi Paula. Depression is an odd thing to ask for advice on as most of those who offer their advice are sufferers and cannot help themselves. The best way to over come depression is to work out what is causing it and/or be proactive about improving your life and how you feel about yourself and your life.

The person who sits on the computer all day moaning about how depressed they are and wanting sympathy normally just gets worse and worse. The person who makes themselves busy trying to take their mind off of things, tidying up their wardrobe, baking a cake, going for a long walk or whatever is far more likely to feel better soon. Their attitude is far better too.

Cognititive behavioural therapy is the solution in many instances.

And really that boils down to common sense. YOu can research all of that online. If you do not have to run a business or take care of kids it is too easy sometimes, it makes it far too easy to just wallow in it. So being busy is not just to get things done but to take your mind off of it and feel more positive and in control.

One of the best survivors of depression I ever spoke to was a lady who had terrible illness for many years and then ended up in a wheelchair with only one leg. She never cried, she never sat around with a long face, she was always chirpy, she hid her depression because she know that moaning would just make other people want to avoid her and get fed up with her. And then she would lose relationships too , making things worse - common sense when you think about it. She was always busy with something.She would knit, do jigsaws, go for a wheelchair ride to the shops, she never just lay in bed or sat around, despite her physical and mental problems. Her husband was devoted to her and said she was a joy to live with. And this is the thing. Most "depressed" people just moan and groan all the time and then wonder why their husband starts to spend less time with them or finds another woman. Again common sense. Another important thing is to stand on your own two feet. Partners and friends will feel far more for you if you do things yourself. If you want to go running to your partner every time you feel down or your mum or your dad or your sister then you sare treating them as therapists not family. They should not have to become your therapist and they are not equipped, trained and knowledgeable enough. The more they feel sorry for you and let you lean on them the more lazy you become and the less you get better. You are also taking other people for granted as they may well have their own problems!

Dont confuse depression with anxiety, many do, or depression with mental illness, many do, or depression with being unhappy, most do. The computer gives you so many places to research and learn - all for free.

So the first exercise I would do if I were you is to write a list of all the good things in your life. This might mean that you are young, physically fit, not overweight, not got any physical illnesses or ones that are easy to cope with, enough money in the bank, a job you enjoy or whatever, each person's list is different. Then ask yourself how you make that list longer and better. So if you have a job you dont enjoy much and pays terrible wages work out how YOU can change that and make it into a job that pays better and is more intersting. i have noticed that a lot of "depressed" - unhappy - people get into any job that is easy to get into, and then moan that it is boring and pays badly, but that is how life goes. Obviously the well paid jobs and the interesting jobs are the ones that everyone wants and few are able to do. So if you work as a cleaner and are sick of putting your head down other peoples toilets ask yourself why you are doing such a boring badly paid job and how you can change it rather than just feeling sorry for yourself and moaning about it. Believe me 90% of cleaners would love to earn more and do something more interesting but the realistic ones just accept their life as it is. The proactive intelligent ones study and train and learn so they can do something better. This means sacrifice of time, money and all sorts, but you only get out of life what you put into it. Some people are saying they are depressed - really just unhappy - because they have unrealistic expectations of life. They want the perfect job, the perfect partner, the perfect home, money and all the rest, but without any effort from them. I can see from the way you wrote your post that YOU are not like that. It is refreshing to read a post from someone who talks as if they know they ought to do something to make it better themselves rather than just moaning and wanting sympathy and wasting time on these mails.

If you need to be more relaxed then do relaxation techniques which you can do from home with some soft background music. You can research them on here and there are cds you can get that talk you through it.

If your "depression" comes from something as black and white as being lonely or hating a partner then that is the only way to get rid of the unhappiness. I have met loads of people who have asked me to help them with "depression", then it turns out that they hate their partner and are bored to tears with him, and they cannot see that unless they end that relationship it will just go on and on.

But they always want to stay with the partner for appearances, because it is easier, because the partner pays the bills or props them up or whatever, which is all rather selfish and unfair on the partner too. Another reason never to try to turn your family or partner into a prop/carer/therapist. It makes YOU far too reliant on them.

I will try to answer, I suffer with chronic nightmares every night, now 12yrs my was that we lost a business the other due to work cover injuries, I am back on anti depression tablets ?

mine is that my subconscious takes over at night, my days are good but at night I use ways to try and relax me , spiritual music - incense oils - meditation tapes - magnetic therapy - a music machine that plays many relaxing tunes.

I are not one that wants to live on pills, I are going to seek a good hypnotherapy and look into joining a Reki class.

Depression is normally triggered by something that has really got to and into your mind, trying to get it out of one ?

Try to start a new life take up new hobbies that you get to meet exciting people, even if you can it might be time to move on another town or country.

I want to do just that !

Hope it helps you some how. Alexander.

Hi I wish it was that easy too!  I have suffered from depression as a child and managed as an adult because I did keep myself busy and it was mainly low grade though I did have some nasty flare ups.  

The trouble with depression is to find motivation to do things though I do agree that talking about it to others is often a no no and a downer for them.  

Depression is one of the few illnesses where you have to do things to get motivation so even if that is very hard try and do something even if it is just going for a walk.  The worst thing you can do is isolate yourself and allow yourself to cry and feel miserable all the time.  When my depression is at it's worst I can't cry or feel any emotion at all - I can't even talk.  I walk around feeling in a daze and everything is muffled like I am wrapped in cotton.  I feel totally unconnected to the world at all.  When I start coming out of that is the danger period for me - when I start feeling suicidal and emotional.  But I know that now and also know that will pass soon.  x

Baths are good. I've been told bath salts help too. Mostly its the little things like going out and getting a job. I've found it helps to restore a sense of normality and purpose. It's the same with having goals, but just take small steps. If possible avoid medication, as it can have side effects and you can become dependant. Research show that regular exercise helps a lot, so forcing yourself into an exercise regime should also help because it helps to release endorphines-chemicals linked to psychological well-being and overall relaxation. Often it's the simple things like spending time with a pet looking after your diet. Taking up a hobby eg a language is also good and could provide you with a life skill.