Last Updated on January 16, 2019 by
Dealing with emotions can be already tricky, but consistent feelings of depression, or anxiety make life rough. Fortunately, there are some effective ways to combat negative feelings and change your life for the better. I want to try my best to help, whether you are feeling down at the moment, or struggle regularly. I have organized some of the things I have learned that can help with mental wellness. These are 5 general ideas to fight depression that I am going to call the 5 P’s. Please enjoy and take care. <3
5 P’s to Fight Depression
Purpose
it can be difficult to come up with ways to create meaning in your life. However, if you put the effort in and dig deep (I mean really dig). it is still possible. From my experience, there are moments in life when depression and anxiety lift and I’ll become interested in things. These are the moments you are going to want to capitalize on and perhaps even write about in a journal.
It is important to remind yourself that there are things you hold dear even when you relapse into apathy. Take these ideas that get you going and work at them! You may not want to at the moment, but discipline trumps inspiration when it comes to results. Since inspiration comes and goes, it isn’t very reliable, but you can always rely on good habits.
Productivity
This tip is one I have definitely learned from two of the most hardworking individuals I have known, my mother and sister. Growing up I always had difficulty moving around and staying awake when depression would hit. Most days in high school consisted of me waking up, going to class if I could gather up the strength, coming home and sleeping most of the day, waking up to do homework, and then going back to sleep. The problem with this cycle that I had perpetuated was that there weren’t any opportunities for me to be happy, only content. Rather than facing the day, I would choose to just hide constantly. Eventually though I began to ease into being awake at normal intervals and filled my time with tasks that were worthy of it.
Possibilities
One of my preferred ways of dealing with oppressive emotions is logic. Over time, I haveworked on replacing bad thoughts that life was stable in its negativity by using logical thoughts. While there are always going to be setbacks in life, it is important to remember that there can be just as many opportunities to find happiness even if it didn’t feel that way. One of the key parts to this is realizing just because things feel a certain way doesn’t necessarilymean that they are a certain way.
Pain Management
If you have ever struggled with physical and mental pains associated with any mental illness, then you’ll understand this. If not, think back on moments in life where you had greatly struggled and felt such strong emotions that it felt like it was physically hurting you. The important part to remember here is that you need to take care of yourself. This is probably the areas where I have failed the most in recent years. I cannot stress enough the importance of eating well and exercising. Treats are always good to have, but I highly recommend limiting them for your own well being. To be honest, the moments in my life where I have had the greatest success were when I was taking care of myself. My head was clearer and I respected myself more.
Progress
While it is sometimes difficult to see, just from being wherever you are in your life right now means you have progressed. You’ve moved forward even if you have thought your life has been at a standstill. Learning just comes with the package when you grow up, regardless of the opportunities you may have set aside for later or the doors you completely closed for good. Just remember to keep your head held high and continue your journey forward.
Take Care
I hope this list has helped you with your journey towards happiness. If you have any tips on dealing with depression, anxiety, or anything else like that, I’d love to hear about them. Just post away in the comments section and maybe you will be able to help a bunch of people out. Until next time! : )
Practical advice for tackling depression. Small daily changes can lead to significant improvements in mood.