Wednesday, April 10, 2013

10 Steps to Overcome Depression


Depression is a state where mind cannot distinguish between right and wrong. A depressed person feels lonely, loses interest in activities enjoyed before and changes in other ways. There are many factors contributing to depression. Wrong diet, lack of relaxation, high level of stress - they all develop negative thinking that eventually can lead to depression. People who neglect themselves become easily overwhelmed by different events happening in their personal life, financial life or career.

Some early signs of depression:

Change in appetite and sleeping patterns

Losing interest in activities enjoyed before

Feeling unworthy

Losing hope

Feeling guilty without any reason

Becoming indecisive

The best way for you to prevent or stop depression in its initial stage is by taking a good care of yourself. One of the important aspects of it is maintaining a healthy lifestyle - eating right, taking time to relax, exercising regularly, having sufficient amount of sunlight. Other aspects are developing a positive attitude to life, having a goal that motivates you to grow, surround yourself with positive, supportive people.

Here are the 10 steps to prevent or stop depression in its initial stage:

1) Practice meditation. This will help calm the mind and stop the negative self-talk. It will also help appreciate life more.

2) Practice positive affirmations. These are repetitions of positive phrases in your mind that will stop the negative self-talk. Some examples of affirmations are "I feel good", "Every day in every way I am getting better, better and better", "I love and respect myself", etc. Write your own affirmations and repeat them to yourself in a relaxed state twice a day for 10 minutes. You can also repeat them in your mind throughout the day.

3) Practice yoga and active sports. Yoga will help clear your mind and active sports will switch your mind from the negative aspects you concentrate on as well as increase endorphin ("happy" hormone) levels.

4) Get a massage. This will help blocked energy to move again and will make you feel good. Take an aromatherapy bath. Read carefully all contra indications before using the essential oils. You just need few drops of them in your bath.

5) Take time to relax and enjoy your life. Our bodies are complex biological mechanisms. In order to function properly they require 10-20 minutes of relaxation after 1.5-2 hours of activity. This will help keep stress level low so you will not get exhausted, burnt out and eventually depressed. Even sitting for 5 minutes with your eyes closed is better than nothing.

6) Change your diet. Exclude stimulants such as caffeine, sugar, etc. Stop smoking and other negative habits you have. They all exhaust your body. Eat more vegetables and fruits, drink water to clear your body off toxins, take supplements. Vitamin B complex, Essential Fatty acids (Omega-3 and Omega-6) and 5-HTP - are particularly helpful in the case of depression. Ask your doctor before taking any supplements if you are on medication.

7) Believe in yourself, you can achieve anything you want. Set goals that will move you forward. Don't brood over things that you have done; just face them from a new perspective. An important step is to learn from your own mistakes, set and achieve new goals if the old ones didn't work out. Taking some life-coaching sessions can help in these processes.

8) Listen to motivational tapes or read books that inspire you.

9) Be grateful for everything you have in your life. There are always things to be grateful for. As you evolve through this process you'll learn to be grateful for everything.

10) Be conscious of the way you feel. If you start felling negative, take time to relax to recharge your batteries. This will help you stop negative thinking and change your attitude to life.

Follow these steps and you will never get depressed again.

NutrifitPower coaching program incorporates many important aspects - from nutrition to proper relaxation to yoga. This will not only help you keep depression away but will also contribute to your overall well-being.

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