1. Cognitive Reframing

One of the easiest and at the same time, one of the most important things on how to fight depression you could learn, is a technique often used in cognitive therapy, called cognitive reframing or cognitive restructuring. It consists in recognizing your thinking patterns and once you understand why do you think in a certain way; it will be easier for you to find alternative ways of viewing ideas, events, situations, or a variety of other concepts. This technique does require a little effort on your behalf and a little time, but it offers spectacular results every single time. You should definitely try to learn as much as you can about it and you will master it in no time, is such a valuable asset!

2. A List of Positive Things

Whenever you’re feeling a little bit down, try to put together a list of the nice things that happened to you that day or the day before or even the week before or - why not? - in your entire life, and you will see that you have so many things to be grateful for that you’ll forget about the things that made you feel so unhappy in the first place. This tip works every time. Just try it! This way, you will focus only on the positive things in your life and the other stuff will seem insignificant.

3. Reach out to Your Loved Ones

One of the easiest things to do when you’re feeling a bit depressed is to reach out to your friends and family or to any of the other close ones and ask for help. They will be more than happy to help you, to listen to all your troubles and of course, to comfort you. They will make you see that your problems are not as big as you imagined them and that there are so many ways by which you can feel better again in a jiffy.

4. It’s Normal to Be Sad

No matter how down you may feel, you shouldn’t just give up and do nothing because you might think that nothing you do is worth something. That’s just not true and you couldn’t be more wrong! You’re only thinking this way because you’re feeling depressed. You must understand that is normal to feel sad from time to time, (everybody does) and by thinking this way, you’ll realize that everything will get better in time. You mustn’t lose hope!

5. Exercise!

I know this may seem a little hard to do when you’re feeling depressed, but now is the perfect time not to pay attention to yourself because you’re not functioning quite right. So, instead, you should put on your sports gear, go out or go to a gym and do any type of exercising you enjoy! All those hormones that are released will make you feel better in no time!

6. Be Active!

Depression can be such a burden sometimes! But despite all your feelings, stay active! Don’t let all that sadness overwhelm you and especially, don’t give up! You should always find ways to keep yourself busy and by being active you won’t have time to think about all your troubles or about everything that goes wrong in your life at that point. By not thinking about all that negative stuff, you might even find a solution to all your problems. Don’t just be a spectator of your life, get involved, be active!

7. Eat Healthy

Especially when you’re feeling depressed, you shouldn’t ignore the amazing and countless benefits of a healthy diet! By paying attention to what you’re eating, you will improve not only the way you’re feeling but also your general health status. You will be happier, more brisk, and livelier in very little time. I know that all that junk food may taste pretty good but there are so many healthy foods that taste amazing too. You just have to discover what you like and I’m pretty sure you won’t return to eating processed foods ever again.

8. Read Self-Help Books

I love self-help books! They offer a lot of wonderful advice and also, I get to see how other people react to problems similar to mine and even how they handle the things that trouble me. You may discover that you problems are insignificant and that there are so many solutions you haven’t even considered. There are so many wonderful self-help books to choose from! Just try it!

9. Go outside!

I know that this tip may sound similar to the tips I’ve told you about so far, but I believe that this is the most easy and most simple thing you can to lift your spirits in a jiffy. Sunlight will help you feel happy and good about yourself! I know it may sound silly, but there are a lot of studies that show that an hour a day of natural sunlight works like a good antidepressant for most people. So, what you’re waiting for? Just try it; you’ve got nothing to lose!

Sadly, now days depression is one of the most frequent affective disorders and this term is widely used by everyone, but a lot of people don’t know that this is more than just sadness. Fortunately depression is treatable and a combination of therapy and antidepressant medication can help ensure recovery. I hope you will find helpful the tips I gave you, even if you’re not suffering from depression and you’re only going through a difficult time in your life. Have you ever felt depressed? What did you do to make it go away and feel better again? Please share your advice with me!