Ten Skills to Manage Depression

Depression can be a debilitating experience. You probably feel sad, tired and slowed down, and guilty or hopeless. As difficult as it feels, there are ways to get through this time in your life. Let me introduce you to some of them.

Photo by Jacob Granneman on Unsplash

WHAT IS DEPRESSION?

A depressive episode is mood episode in which someone feels persistently low and has lost interest in things that used to bring them joy. These are often accompanied by clear changes in sleeping and eating habits, reduced energy and feeling slowed down, concentration issues, thoughts related to worthlessness and hopelessness, and sometimes thoughts related to wanting to die. These symptoms need to be present more often than not for at least two weeks for a depressive episode to be diagnosable. Sometimes people experience a depressive episode as part of what’s called Major Depressive Disorder or Persistent Depressive Disorder (unipolar depression) and other times people experience a depressive episode as part of a Bipolar Disorder, in which the person would also have episodes of mania/hypomania. Depressive symptoms can also be due to others issues, including medical conditions.

Note that sadness and depression are not the same thing. Sadness is an emotion that we all feel from time-to-time. It’s a helpful emotion that we feel when we lose something or someone forever. A depressive episode is a prolonged experience of sadness accompanied by a number of other functional changes that causes significant distress or dysfunction.

DEPRESSION IS TREATABLE!

Thankfully, depression is treatable, usually through medication and/or psychotherapy. Here are some initial ideas for how to manage depressive symptoms. Note that this list is relevant whether someone is experiencing unipolar or bipolar depression, although there will be additional treatment considerations if someone has been diagnosed with a Bipolar Disorder or related condition. Also, because medical issues can cause depression, it’s always best to speak with your family doctor to rule out physical causes.

Don’t hesitate to seek professional help — you don’t have to navigate this on your own!

HERE ARE 10 OF THE BEST WAYS TO MANAGE DEPRESSION:

1. Do things that you enjoy or that make you feel productive and accomplished. Ensure that these are meaningful activities for you, not someone else. Know that you may not like these activities quite as much as before, yet doing them will still probably make you feel better than if you do nothing else. The joy will return over time. This is part of a skill called behavioural activation.
2. Set a schedule of things to do, which is related to #1 above. Figure out what your meaningful activities are and make a clear, specific schedule about when you’re going to be doing them each day or week. A key reminder for your activity schedule is to follow the schedule, not your mood. You may not initially feel like going for that jog at 9am Saturday morning as scheduled, and yet it’s important to stick with (at least, more often than not) it since this is how you get back to being yourself.
3. Connect with other people and lean on your support network. You may feel less interested or able to socialize right now, yet one of the most meaningful things to do is connect with people who make you feel valued and cared for. Challenge yourself to reach out to someone you trust, even if it’s hard.
4. Try to balance your thinking and work to reframe unhelpful thought patterns. People who are depressed are often very self-critical and feel guilty or worthless to a degree that isn’t justified. Try to notice if this might describe you and, if so, try to help yourself let go of some of the self-criticism by being compassionate and kind to yourself. This can often be easier when you have someone else helping you talk through these thinking patterns. Be kind to yourself!
5. Breathe and meditate! Though formal meditation isn’t for everyone, give it a shot. You might find it helps you feel more at peace and better able to accept your uncomfortable feelings. Even if you don’t love formal meditation practices, try to simply be more present in your everyday life, even with the uncomfortable feelings. Try apps like Calm, Headspace, Insight Timer, or others.
6. Practice gratitude. Build an awareness of the things in your life that you appreciate and feel grateful to have. Challenge yourself to notice the big ones (e.g., stable housing, food security, public healthcare) as well as the smaller ones (e.g., the first sip of coffee in the morning, the feel of the warm sun on your skin, a neighbour saying “Good morning”). Try to keep a gratitude journal and write down 3–5 things each night for which you were grateful that day. I know that it may seem like there aren’t many things to feel grateful for right now, and I guarantee that you can find at least three a day!
7. Work to regulate your sleep and eating habits. A consistent sleep schedule (going to bed, and waking up and getting out of bed at the same time every day) and consistent, balanced eating can be very important to help regulate mood. These may be tough ones to do, and you can do it!
8. Exercise! Regular exercise has been shown to reduce depressive symptoms, so get out there for a run, bike, walk, or whatever your preferred brand of exercise might be.
9. Try a self-help resource, like the book Mind Over Mood or an online program like moodgym.
10. Get professional support. It’s always a good idea to begin by speaking with your family doctor about your mental health issues, both to rule-out possible physical causes of your mood issues, as well as to explore treatment options. They can help you discuss medication possibilities and may be able to help connect you with a psychotherapist.

Depression can have a huge impact on your ability to function, and it may feel like you’re going through this alone. While others may not fully understand, I can almost guarantee there’s at least one supportive person in your life on whom you could lean, whether that’s a family member, friend, or member of your care team. Try some of the strategies listed above, reach out to others, and know that you don’t have to go through this by yourself!