Countdown to Christmas: Day 6. Depression.

It’s Countdown to Christmas Day 6 today and I’m talking about Depression. No one likes this word and yet, everyone seems to have it or be affected by it at one time or another. 

Postpartum depression, Seasonal Affective Depression, generalized Depression. 

It seems that everyone could fall into one or more of these categories at one time or another. 

Depression just stinks no matter how you look at it. 

Depression appears in many forms. You could just feel sad for no apparent reason, stopping you from enjoying your normal activities. Fatigue could be a part of it. Insomnia and weight gain, as well.  Interestingly enough, angry outbursts can be a sign of depression. Behaviors that are out of character for you could be signs of depression.

Everyone else is feeling holiday cheer and excitement and you are feeling sad and overwhelmed. That makes it all worse. No matter how hard you try to be cheerful all you want to do is go home and curl up on your couch. 

What can you do about it? 

There are some things you can do or try before going on medication. 

1. Think about the foods and drinks you are consuming. Are you indulging in foods that are high in empty calories, carbs and are generally unhealthy for you? High sugar contents? How about your drinks. Are you drinking more alcoholic drinks? High amounts of sugary drinks? 

Try cutting down on those sorts of foods and eat more fruits and vegetables. Get in some good lean proteins- without all the extra salt and condiments. Eat a healthy snack before you go to the holiday party so you aren’t tempted to indulge in a lot of unhealthy foods. Check out this article here about diet and depression.

Limit your alcoholic drinks. Instead choose low sugar spritzers or waters. If you like tea, there are lots of great options available now. Hot teas or bottled teas are good options without all the excess sugars. I have a friend who carries a little container of flavoring for her water. Those little packets would work great too. I like the ones with stevia in them rather than the fake sugars. 

2. Again I’m going to mention grounding. It seriously helps with a lot of stuff! You can read more about that here or here. 

Christmas Countdown: More ideas..

3. Increase you Vitamin D3 and B complex’s. Studies are showing that they both help alleviate depression symptoms. As your health professional for advice on how much you should take. 

4. Find a good counselor who can help talk you through your depression. Emotion Code and Body Code can be a good adjunctive therapy as well. Studies are showing that counseling can be as helpful as medication. 

5. Red Light therapy. Know someone with a infrared sauna? There are a couple places around here that has it for a reasonable price. I’m sure that with a little research you could find something not too far from you as well. . Take an hour and try it for yourself. You may be pleasantly surprised. 

6. Go volunteer somewhere. Helping others does wonders to lift moods!! I find myself feeling so much better after helping in any capacity! 

7. Sleep is restorative and excellent to help with feelings of depression. Struggle with sleep as I do? Melatonin will help. There are lots of natural sleep remedies that work wonders. My favorite is this one. (I get no revenue from this. It is just the one I often use.)

Want more information? Check out this article by “The Intuitive Physician”.

These are great places to start alleviating depression. Obviously, go see your licensed professional if your depression doesn’t lift or gets worse. 

Christmas Countdown: Depression.

Depression is nothing to mess around with. Keep connected with friends and family who can help monitor your symptoms. Isolation will not help, as much as you want to! This is not a time to isolate! Reach out and be honest with the people you love and can trust that you are struggling. 

I hope this helps you. Meeting with me can be helpful as part of your overall treatment plan. Message me if you would like to give it a try. My first session is always free and we can meet via video chat, phone call or in person.