7 Emotional Skills that

Beat Depression

o you feel hopeless, worthless, or a deep sadness

that never seems to go away?

If so, you could be clinically depresseda common condition that can afflict anyone at any age no matter what their
background, profession or social class.
In todays article I am going to give you 8 tips that will help
you build the emotional skills you need to beat the sadness.
These techniques will give you some important (potentially
life-saving) tools so you can live a more balanced, happier,
healthier life.
However, I want to make one
thing very clear before we go any
further.
Depression is a potentially
life-threatening
psychological
condition. It is not something you
need to be ashamed about, but it
IS something you should take seriously.

What is Depression?
Clinical depression is different than just feeling a little sad
or bummed out. Lots of people say they feel depressed,
but its just a way of speaking. Most folks are able to get
over these feelings in a few days or weeks.
Real depression occurs when you have significant difficulty
coping with sadness, withdraw from others, feel hopeless
or worthless, and these feelings or behaviors go on for
weeks or months at a time.

Depression can range from a mild

sadness to severe hopelessness.

The good news is that in many

cases depression is readily curable with the right interventions.
The tips I am going to share today will help you regain some
balance, feel happier, and get back on track. But if you suspect youre depressedespecially if you are showing serious signs like suicidal thoughtsI STRONGLY encourage
you to get professional help as soon as possible. Seek out
the advice of your medical practitioner or go to a certified
therapist or psychologist to get the treatment you need.

With that said, lets look a little closer at what depression

is. Then Ill give you some tips to help manage it.

Depression can range from a

mild sadness to severe hopelessness. In its worst forms it
can even lead to thoughts of
suicide.

Its important to realize

that depression is an illness
and NOT something to feel
ashamed about. It is a common condition that can affect anyoneyoung or old, male
or femaleand people from every conceivable profession,
background, or social class may have it.
And you may be afflicted for many reasons: stressful life
events, a family history of mental illness, chemicals imbalances in the brain, and more can all lead to depression.
Some people even experience depression without knowing
what caused it.

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But one thing it is not is a personal weakness or character

flaw. So you dont have to feel embarrassed if youre depressed.
In fact, the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions
National Center for Health Statistics report that about 11
percent of Americans over age 12 take an antidepressant
drug, and about 14 percent of these have been taking the
medication for over 10 years.

care of yourself to overcome depression. This includes

following a healthy lifestyle and adopting habits that will
promote well-being of the mind and body, such as:Eating a
healthy diet. Start your day right by eating a healthy breakfast to maintain your energy throughout the day. Eat nutritious meals to help your mind and body cope with stress.

You may be depressed if you have been feeling unusually

sad and hopeless for at least two weeks, or experienced
any of the following:

Change in weight (loss or gain)

Changes in sleeping patterns
Restlessness
Constant tiredness
Low self-esteem
Difficulty focusing
Anxiety
Memory problems
Trouble making decisions

If this describes you, here are some tips you can start using
today to rebalance your life and feel a little lighter.

Take care of yourself.

People often forget to take care of themselves when they
are depressed. They may forget about making healthy food
choices or not eat at all. Some others lose sleep or oversleep, while others engage in unhealthy lifestyles that involve smoking, excessive alcohol consumption or use of
illicit drugs. All of these can make their symptoms worse
and will not help beat depression. Instead, you must take

Exercising regularly. Keeping yourself active helps reduce stress and increases your energy levels. Be sure to
get at least 30 minutes of exercise on most days of the
week by walking more, climbing stairs, doing chores,
and avoiding long hours in front of the TV or computer.
Avoiding highs from caffeine and sugar. These substances give you a temporary high that often ends in
a crash in mood or energy. Reducing your intake of coffee, soda, chocolate, and other sugary snacks and beverages will make you feel more relaxed and help you

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sleep better.
Getting enough sleep. Learn healthy sleep habits to get
at least eight hours of sleep, which will help fuel your
mind and body, reduce stress, and help you think more
rationally.
Avoiding cigarettes, alcohol, and drugs. These substances may provide an easy, but temporary way to get
away from stress. However, they only mask the issues
at hand and harm your mind and body.
Exposing yourself to sunlight every day. Studies show
that a lack of sunlight makes symptoms of depression
worse. Try to get at least 15 minutes of sunlight daily by
taking a short walk, reading on a park bench, or doing
some gardening. In winter, try using light therapy to improve your mood.
Practicing relaxation techniques. To reduce stress, relieve symptoms of depression, and boost joyful moods,
try deep breathing exercises, yoga, meditation or progressive muscle relaxation techniques.
Caring for a pet. Pets often bring joy and friendship,
which help people feel less isolated. They can make you
feel needed, which is an antidote to depression.

Call, email, or get in touch with people you like through

the telephone or on social media.
Join a club of interest, such as a book readers club.
Enroll in a gym class or flower arrangement course.
Volunteer or participate in community projects, charity
work, or school-related activities.
Join a support group to meet people who are dealing
with similar challenges.
Go out with friends, neighbors, or co-workers who can
contribute a positive influence in your life.

Reach out to others.

People who lack emotional and social support are more likely to feel lonely, tired, overwhelmed, anxious, and stressed.
Having friends, family and community support can help
improve your self-esteem and increase your ability to cope
with problems on your own. You do not have to have a large
network of family and friends, but being surrounded with
supportive, caring, and positive people can help you build
skills to beat depression. Here are some ways to reach out
to others:
Confide in a trusted friend or relative.

Challenge negative thoughts.

People who are depressed are often challenged with negative, self-defeating thoughts that are often unrealistic.
They often jump to conclusions, focus on the negative, diminish the positive, beat themselves up, and believe that

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what they feel is the reality of the situation.

To break these habits, try challenging your negative selftalk by:
Asking yourself if your thoughts are factual or true,
rather than just your own interpretation of events Is
it true, or am I just thinking of it in a negative way?
Looking for alternative explanations about the situation Is there any other explanation for this?
Putting situations in proper perspective What is the
worst/best thing that could happen?
Using goal-oriented thinking rather than focusing on
the past Is there something I can learn from this situation?
Thinking outside yourself Would I say what I am thinking to another person if he were in my place?
Being kinder to yourself Am I being too strict/demanding to myself?

Maintain a balanced routine.

Time management involves prioritizing tasks and activities,
controlling procrastination, and managing commitments.
Failure in any of these elements results in poor time management, which can lead to stress and anxiety. People who
are always looking busy, feeling harried and always rushing
are usually stressed and do not find time for themselves or
for others. At first they will feel irritable, forgetful, tired,
and unable to concentrate. These can escalate to lack of
sleep and physical disorders such as headaches and other
vague symptoms, until they fall into chronic anxiety and
depression. To prevent these, learn to manage your time by
creating a balance in your routine:

Try to wake up early each morning but do not rush to

work. Get out of bed and take a few minutes to stretch
and meditate, tell yourself that this day will be a good
day.
To make it easier to start your morning routines, make
some preparations the night before. Think about what
you will prepare for breakfast, what clothes you want
to wear the next day, and the schedule you have for the
next day.
Always start the day with a good breakfast.
Make a To Do list, prioritizing those things you have
to do first in the morning and the less important tasks

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in the afternoon.
Avoid interruptions or distractions when you are doing
important tasks. These include reading emails, taking
calls, or doing minor tasks that do not need your attention.
Delegate tasks that do not need your personal attention. Learn to distinguish between tasks that you have
to do right now and those that you do not have to do at
all.
Avoid clutter in your workspace and put everything in
its right place. Clean up after work.
Schedule short breaks within the day to stretch, take
meals/snacks, and clear out your mind.
Make sure you get enough sleep. Learn good sleep habits.

can alter.
Develop realistic goals and take steps, no matter how
small, to move toward achieving them.
Avoid detaching yourself from your problems by engaging in unhealthy or unproductive actions.
Find out how you can learn something about yourself
and how you can grow as a result of your struggles.
Sometimes, facing your difficulties may result in an increased appreciation for life, greater strength, better
relationships, and heightened spirituality.
Try to keep a proper perspective of the situation and focus on the long-term outlook with a hopeful viewpoint.
Instead of concentrating on your worries and fears, try
to visualize what you are hoping for in an optimistic way.
Maintain a positive self-image by trusting your ability
to make decisions and deal with problems.

Build resilience.
People who develop the ability to face trauma, adversity and
significant stress become resilient and are able to bounce back
from their difficulties. Building resilience involves ordinary efforts, thoughts and behaviors combined with supportive relationships to stand in the face of loss, trauma or stress. To develop
resilience, you must have the ability to make realistic plans, solve
problems, communicate, manage yours emotions and have a
positive view of yourself. Here are some ways to build resilience:

Have fun!

Make good connections with family members, friends

and other people. Accept their care and support and
help others who are in need.
Try to see crises as challenges, not as insurmountable
problems. Although you may not be able to avoid or
change some highly stressful events, you can modify
how you respond to these situations.
Know when to accept situations that cannot be changed
as a part of life. Sometimes certain goals are no longer
attainable, but you can focus on those things that you

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Sometimes, all you need to get out of that depression is to

have more fun in your life. No, that does not necessarily
mean spending a lot of money to travel or shop, or getting
into a new relationship. Think about carefree children
who have fun riding a bicycle, families having a picnic, or
seniors playing a game of cards. Sometimes it does not
take much to have fun in your life simply being more
physically active, for example, can take away some of your
depressive symptoms. Having lunch or coffee with old
friends, starting a new hobby, and learning to play a new
musical instrument are also some of the ways people cope
with sadness. Other experts suggest keeping a gratitude
journal to help you think about every positive event and
count every blessing you receive. It will help you put things
in perspective and see that the world is not coming down
on you and that there are better things to look up to. Lastly, make it a habit to express gratitude to others. Thanking
someone sincerely can help lift up their mood, which in
turn will have a positive effect on you.

Get additional help.

How do you know if you are just suffering from a temporary sadness related to a difficult life event or you have a
mental illness that needs professional help? Sometimes it is
difficult to determine and even family members and friends
are not able to tell if their loved one is in danger of breaking down. This is one reason why incidents of self-harm and
suicide occur without sufficient warning, or why some people continue to live life isolated from others.
If you or your loved one has some or most of these symptoms of depression, it may be time to seek help from a mental health professional:

Prolonged sadness, irritability or depression lasting for

at least two weeks
Excessive fear, worry and anxiety
Extreme feelings of highs and lows
Confused thinking
Social withdrawal
Loss of interest in activities previously associated with
enjoyment
Inappropriate reactions (such as inappropriate laughing or indifference)
Sudden changes in personality
Denial of problems
Significant changes in eating/sleeping habits

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 Intense anger
Delusions (unshakeable beliefs of something that is not
true)
Hallucinations (perceptions involving the senses that
appear to be real, but are not)
Increasing inability to deal with daily problems and activities
Unexplained physical symptoms and ailments
Deterioration of hygiene
Substance use
Suicidal thoughts

It is important also to take note that in teenagers and older

children, symptoms may also include the following:

Seek help from a mental health professional if you or your

loved one has been experiencing symptoms of depression
for a period of time (at least two weeks) or if your symptoms are not getting better with self-help remedies. A doctor may be able to evaluate and diagnose your condition
and create an appropriate treatment plan for you. This may
include certain medications, behavioral-cognitive therapies, family therapy, and other forms of therapy to get you
on the road to recovery.

Tendency for truancy, theft, or vandalism

Deterioration in academic performance
Decline in athletic performance
Loss of interest/refusal to participate in activities previously enjoyed
Intense fear of weight gain
Poor appetite
Excessive crying/Inability to cry
Prolonged negative mood
Thoughts of death
Frequent outbursts of anger

References:
WebMD. Depression Topic Overview. http://www.webmd.
com/depression/tc/topic-overview-depression
HelpGuide.org. Dealing with Depression. http://www.helpguide.org/articles/depression/dealing-with-depression.htm#yourself
HelpGuide.org. Stress Management. http://www.helpguide.
org/articles/stress/stress-management.htm
Tendency to defy authority

PsychCentral. Antidepressant Use Up 400 Percent in US.

http://psychcentral.com/news/2011/10/25/antidepreswww.rockwellnutrition.com

sant-use-up-400-percent-in-us/30677.html
APA. Stress management: How to strengthen your social
support network. http://www.apa.org/helpcenter/emotional-support.aspx
PsychCentral. Challenging Negative Self-Talk. http://psychcentral.com/lib/challenging-negative-self-talk/0003196

For more information, please visit

Rockwell Nutritions blog at

http://rnblog.rockwellnutrition.com/.

TMS Neuro Health Centers. Depression And Your Morning

Routine: 5 Steps to Avoid Stress. http://www.tmsneuro.com/
depression/depression-and-your-morning-routine-5-stepsto-avoid-stress/
Free Management Library. Stress Management and Time
Management. http://managementhelp.org/personalproductivity/time-stress-management.htm
APA. 10 Tips to Build Resilience. http://psychcentral.com/
lib/10-tips-to-build-resilience/0001146
APA. The Road to Resilience. http://www.apa.org/helpcenter/road-resilience.aspx
HelpGuide.org. Cultivating Happiness. http://www.helpguide.org/articles/emotional-health/cultivating-happiness.
htm
CPC. How do I know if I need professional counseling? http://
www.cpcwa.org/SeekingServices/needhelp.html

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