I've suffered from depression and anxiety for the best part of 30 years. I'm 46 now and feel like I mainly have a grip on it but the dark beast still raises it's head if I am not extremely vigilant.
Over the years I have always looked for answers on "how to feel normal". People who suffer will know what I mean with that saying. Depression and anxiety can be all consuming, debilitating and awful to deal with. I am no expert and I'm not a doctor but I do know what works for me. If I do these things I am usually more or less feel 90% great...
1. No Alcohol or drugs
Seems pretty obvious but this one took me 26 years to figure out as I self medicated to ease the pain. Alcohol is by FAR the worst thing you can do. It offers very short term escapism but it just leads to more pain.
By all means have properly prescribed medicines (I still do) but cut out anything addictive. It might be easier said than done but nothing will have a more positive impact on your health.
2. Move your body
If I walk or run 5km every single day my brain is in a much better place. The act of moving your body is priceless when it comes to your mental health. Over the years I've often found myself to be "Too busy" or "Too tired" to move my body. 1 Day off quickly becomes 3, before you know it a week has gone by.
If you want a healthy mind you have to move. It's also worth remembering that many who suffer from mental health issues might not have the luxury of even being able to move (injury, disability, age etc) so don't take it for granted if you are lucky enough to be able to. I know a walk might seem like one of the hardest things in the world at times but put one foot in front of another. It does wonders.
3. Rest your mind / Breathing Exercises
Whatever you work at or do in life you probably feel frantic. It is the way of the modern world. Mental health comes from your brain and that means you need to rest your head.
I take 15 mins a day and lay in a dark room. I type "Bodyscan" or "meditation" into Youtube and just block everything out. This is a hard habit to form daily but your body and mind will thank you for it.
4. Only eat real food
This might seem like an extreme step for many but I've been so fed up with my mental health at times I want to try and get any advantage. Recently I've noticed that by only eating real food (nothing processed) I have seen huge benefits.
I'm not super scientific about this but by cutting out junk food, sugar, fizzy drinks and processed food I find I crash a lot less and my mood swings are less severe.
5. Tell People About It
Very hard thing to do. I didn't even know I had depression myself for about the first 5 years. It can always feel shameful or like a dirty little secret.
But a problem shared is a problem halved. If you know just how many people in the world had the same feeling as we often do it would blow your mind. So many out there battling away in silence. It might be a friend or an online forum or a family member. Of course it can and should be a medical professional. The very fact you talk about it and tell others always helps. Even if you are battling it for a decade and think you know all the ins and outs. Keeping it bottled up is not the way. Try to talk.
6. Cut down screen time (very hard!)
I think of my phone as a necessary evil. I need it to share stories about the dogs I help and to manage our charity but I am also very wary of it.
I think of my phone as a little black depression box. Social networks, feeds and news are all wried to keep us addicted with bad news, false highs and an endless stream of unattainable ambitions around looks, how you should feel and material goods.
This is the hardest one for me to stay on top of and I have no secret tips. What I do know is less screen time = less anxiety and depression.
7. Improve your sleep
Anybody who knows anxiety and depression will know that good sleep will not always be your friend. Bad dreams. Looking at the phone at 2am. You know the drill.
I've found a huge correlation between good sleep and good mental health. The main factors are again as little screen time in the hour before bed as possible . Black out blinds and a sleeping mask also help me personally. I've still not perfected sleep as I have a busy mind but you should work on it. The difference it makes is phenomenal.
Obvious Right?
I felt kind of stupid writing this and nearly deleted it twice. The tips seem way TOO obvious. Of course people know these things right? Well truth be told even though they have such a positive impact on my own mental health I even forget them myself!
We often tell ourselves we are too busy. Or that we are over the latest hump and it's fine now. The reality is that if you did those 7 things above along with whatever works for you personally we'd all feel much better.
It's taken me a quarter of a century to figure these things out. They aren't rocket science or some sort of hidden secret formula. Truth be told they are just total common sense.
If you also suffer I hope maybe something here might help you.
Good luck
Niall
