Trying to manage your depression can often feel like a full-time job. No one wants to experience symptoms like fatigue, low interest and motivation, or even the physical aches and pains that can come with depression.
But, you could be making it harder on yourself to manage your depression than you realize. Certain habits can actually make your depression worse, and you might not even think about them.
Breaking these habits won’t necessarily alleviate all of your symptoms. But, by pulling yourself out of some of these negative cycles, you can start to respond better to treatment, learn more about the underlying cause of your depression, and start to find some freedom from the confines of this mental health condition.
With that in mind, let’s look at the following:
6 Habits that Might Be Making your Depression Worse
1. Isolating Yourself
Depression can make it easy to feel like you want to be alone. But, it’s one of the worst things you can do. You need a support system to help you manage, even if you don’t always feel like it.
So, contact friends and family. Do things with people you love, even if you have to force yourself to, at times. Isolation allows your thoughts to wander and can drive you deeper into a hole. If you can't muster the energy to go out, at least call/text/video chat to have some human contact and get out of your head.
2. Waiting to Feel Better
Sometimes, you might think you can “wait it out” and your depression will get better on its own. You just want to hide under the covers and not come out. It's easy to postpone it "until I feel better."
Although this is understandable, unfortunately, this usually just makes things worse. Sitting around and waiting to feel better before doing anything else will likely give you the opposite results.
3. Not Making Time for Hobbies
It can be hard to find the motivation to do things you typically enjoy. But, avoiding those activities, again, can make your depression worse. Sometimes, you might have to force yourself to do something you know you like. Or, try something new.
Engaging in hobbies can help to keep your mind busy and improve your overall mood.
4. Blaming Yourself
It’s normal to have low motivation and energy when you’re depressed. It's also very common to have inappropriate guilt - blaming yourself for things that aren't our fault. So remember to not blame yourself for the fact that you don't have as much energy and motivation as you usually would. While you do need to nudge yourself (with tips in this article), remember that depression is a real mental health condition and not something to blame yourself for.
5. Poor Sleep Habits Make Depression Worse
Depression can cause a variety of different sleep issues. For some people, you might feel as though you want to sleep all the time. For others, it can lead to insomnia. But, by developing poor sleep habits on your own, you could be fueling these issues and making your depression worse.
Try to develop a healthy nighttime routine before bed. Try to go to bed around the same time each night and wake up at the same time each day. (In fact, regardless of what time you go to sleep, keeping your wake time the same, and then not napping, is the fastest hack to get your sleep cycle back on track). By making sure you get enough sleep and start practicing a healthy routine, you can combat the issue of not sleeping and might have more energy to get through the day.
6. Inactivity
Depression might make you feel like you should stay in bed all day. But, not getting any physical activity can make your symptoms worse.
Regular exercise has been scientifically proven to boost your mood. While it’s not a cure-all for depression, it can help to manage it. Plus, it sets you up for long-term success. One way to get motivated? Work out with a “workout buddy” who holds you accountable a few times a week.
Remember, the goal is not necessarily to burn a ton of calories, or lose weight, or train for a marathon! The goal is to just get moving to overcome the heavy depressive inertia that keeps you glued to the couch.
Start wherever you are and build up in baby steps - light stretching, a walk to your mailbox and back, around the block, etc. Or do jumping jacks, planks, and push ups on the commercial breaks. Work up to 20 minutes of moderate activity level (ideally outside) to see the most benefits for your mood and stress levels.
Finally…
While these habits discussed can be damaging, they don’t make it impossible to treat depression. If you feel like you’re letting any of these habits control your life, do what you can to break the cycle.
Additionally, don’t be afraid to seek out professional help. Therapy can help you to learn more about the cause of your depression and offer different skills to help you manage it at home.
Contact Me
You’re certainly not alone if you’re dealing with depression. But, it doesn’t mean you need to continue to struggle. Contact me today for more information about managing your depression.
I know how stressful and demanding it can be to make changes in your life, but you don’t have to figure it out on your own. Some of the benefits of individual therapy include:
- Having a safe, confidential space to work through life’s struggles
- Speaking openly with a highly-trained professional
- Learning to be curious about oneself and become more mindful about your choices
- Identifying relationship patterns that are helpful, or existing patterns that are interfering with your growth and wellbeing.
- I offer online therapy (video conference style of therapy), which provides an increased level of comfort as you could meet with me from the privacy and comfort of your own home or other location.
You can request a specific appointment time that fits your schedule. Once confirmed, you can complete all New Patient Intake paperwork online as well.
*** The tips offered in this article are for general information and should not be considered medical or psychological advice. For more personalized recommendations appropriate to your individual situation, please contact us or obtain professional guidance.
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