Lifehack logo

6 Ways to Pick Yourself Up When You’re Feeling Blue

Find a way to pull yourselves out of the doldrums and get back to being you.

By Martin Bagel-BrownPublished 4 years ago 3 min read
Like

Everyone feels sadness and depression on occasion. If something happens in your life that is upsetting or disappointing, then you might remain in a temporary state of depression for a short-term period.

Losing a loved one is a perfect example of this. The pain of loss can make you feel depressed for a few days, weeks, or months.

But then, after a while, your depression will start to ease, and you will move on with your life. That is how depression is supposed to work in a person with normal mental health.

However, if you feel depressed each day for no apparent reason and it never goes away, then your depression has surpassed normalcy.

A chronic state of depression can dramatically affect several areas of your life, such as relationships, career, health, and schooling.

It is not natural to feel chronically depressed like this. It would help if you found a way to treat your depression before it ultimately ruins your life.

Below are the top 6 ways to help depressed people feel better.

Make a List of All the Good Things in Your Life

Depressed people tend to only focus on the wrong things in their lives. Try and focus on all the positive things in your life.

Make a list of everything you are grateful to have in your life, such as food, housing, education, job, friends, spouse, or whatever else you appreciate.

As your list starts to grow, you will see that you have much to be thankful for.

Do More Physical Activity

Inactivity is one of the worst things a depressed person can do. If you are lying in bed all day or on the couch watching television while feeling depressed, try to get yourself out of the house.

Physical activity can have a tremendous impact on your mental health. Focus on doing more physical activity outside of the house. Take a walk, jog, or cycling trip around your town or city.

Go to the gym, lift weights, and use any of the cardio machines to work up a sweat. Do this for 30 to 60 minutes, and you will feel the benefit of getting up and being active.

Talk to an Online Psychologist

When you feel depressed, and someone in your life notices it, such as a family member or friend, they will probably tell you to go and see a professional and get some much-needed help.

Often a depressed person finds it difficult to motivate themselves to make an appointment with a psychologist and then drive to their office to keep the appointment.

The person might talk themselves out of going to the appointment because of their negative mindset. Besides, a depressed person needs immediate help. They may not be of the mindset to wait for an appointment.

Fortunately, there is now a solution for depressed people who need immediate counselling. They can chat with an online psychologist on their mobile device or laptop via Skype.

There are apps available that connect you directly to a certified online psychologist whenever you need to talk to one.

Often you do not need an appointment unless you want to chat with the same psychologist you had before.

Watch A Comedy

Sometimes a good comedy movie or television show can distract you from the misery you feel. Filling your mind with humorous events can you forget about your problems as your focus shifts.

This will do wonders for your depression. Stay away from drama and horror films. Do not watch anything that will depress you further.

Spend Time with Your Pet

Pets have a way of making people feel better, especially dogs. That is why there are organizations out there that train therapy dogs to help people who are dealing with trauma and chronic depression.

Whenever you are feeling depressed, spend time with your dog. Take the dog on walks or play catch with them in the backyard. Dogs are a man’s best friend, after all.

Take a Trip

The source of your depression could be your everyday environment. You might need to take a break from that environment by taking a trip somewhere new.

A day trip, or a holiday can have significant health benefits and enable you to lower stress and nagging anxiety. Sometimes it is simply taking the time to get in the car and take a drive out of town for an hour or two.

You could take a longer road trip or flight to a destination far away and enjoy the new scenery for a couple of weeks. The adventure and excitement of the journey could be just what you need to feel better.

Image Pexels License CCO

health
Like

About the Creator

Martin Bagel-Brown

Martin lives in Australia and works in web design. Martin enjoys golf, reading and underwater carpet skiing.

Reader insights

Be the first to share your insights about this piece.

How does it work?

Add your insights

Comments

There are no comments for this story

Be the first to respond and start the conversation.

Sign in to comment

    Find us on social media

    Miscellaneous links

    • Explore
    • Contact
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms of Use
    • Support

    © 2024 Creatd, Inc. All Rights Reserved.