Depression is a common mood disorder that can cause severe symptoms which affect how you think, feel and other daily activities. What’s worse is that most people who suffer from depression rarely seek treatment, even though most of the depression symptoms are easily treatable. Treating depression doesn’t always have to mean braving hours of counseling or forcing pills down your throat. These methods can be effective but can be quite expensive, sometimes even harmful to your health. Thus, comes the natural remedies for treating depression.
Exercises, herbal supplements, and mind-body therapies are some of the best natural treatments of depression that you can try. These natural remedies will save you money and even have the power to alter your brain chemistry. They can also affect your overall outlook without any future consequences. Thus, they have proved to be quite effective in combating depression. Try out these 5 natural remedies for depression and see what happens.
Exercise
Nothing beats regular exercise when it comes to improving your overall mood. What’s more, is that exercise is also inexpensive compared to most of the other depression treatments. You can easily integrate exercise, especially aerobic exercise, into your depression treatment plan. Exercising regularly helps to release mood-elevating chemicals in your brain as the stress hormones decrease. You should pick the exercises that you enjoy doing and stick with them. It doesn’t matter whether it is gardening, playing tennis, taking a brisk walk, or even signing up for dance classes. The goal is for it to help reduce your stress levels.
Eat a ‘Happy’ Diet
Eating a healthy diet is another excellent way of improving your mood. However, some foods can help put you in a ‘happy’ mood faster than others. These foods help to boost the production of a chemical called serotonin in the brain which helps put you in a happy mood. Foods that can help enhance serotonin levels in your brain include eggs, fish oil, coconut oil, sour cherries, and flaxseed oil.
Sleep
Depressed people rarely get enough shut-eye which can worsen their depressed state. When this happens, you may want to start making some changes to your sleep cycles. Getting enough sleep is paramount if you want to have any shot at fighting depression. Make a schedule where you get to bed and wake up at specified times every day. If possible, also try and avoid taking naps in between. In time, your sleep will improve with time as your depression levels decrease.
Try Meditation
Meditation helps to clear the mind by helping you to focus on specific things. Some studies even suggest that meditating daily helps to alleviate stress and anxiety which are the main symptoms of depression. Meditation helps you learn how you can focus your attention on the moment. Thus, helping you cultivate an attitude of acceptance and openness which acts as antidepressant effects.
Try to have fun
Depression can make even the most fun moments of your life feel gloomy. When this happens, you have to try and bring back the fun in your life. Make time for some of those things you used to enjoy. Go to the movies, hang out with friends, and stuff like that. In time, those fun things start to feel like fun again.
Most of the natural remedies for depression don’t work as instant fixes. But they can help improve your life and health tremendously. Try out these habits; they will pay off in the long run.