How To Overcome Depression During COVID-19

Presently, the whole world is going through an unprecedented health problem named, Covid-19. A billion people around the world are confined to houses, cut off from their regular lives. Many have lost their job; they are struggling financially and worried about if and when the economy will pick up. This is a distressing, uncertain time and everyone has going through the same questions how to get rid from this problem, what is the solution of this pandemics, how to overcome depression during COVID-19?

Going through a major change in your life like the death of a loved one, the loss of a job, being diagnosed with a serious illness, or financial difficulties can bring overwhelming levels of stress.

These hard times might naturally cause mental stress. It has already pushed many people towards depression, anxiety, and isolation. 

We, humans, are social creatures; being cut off from people can trigger depression or make existing symptoms worse.

Social distancing may make you feel isolated and lonely. And anxiety can lead to depression. And for those people with a pre-existing anxiety disorder or depression, the coronavirus pandemic is a recipe for disaster.

What is the soluiton of depression?

I completely agree that all the fear and uncertainty surrounding COVID-19 is natural to worry. But don’t let your worries spiral out of control.  Otherwise, they may cause panic and anxiety.

Several people are going to unhealthy ways of coping. They started drinking too much, abusing drugs, or overeating junk food. Let me tell you these methods can give you instant peace.

But in the long-run, they’ll make you more depressed. Instead, try to follow healthy strategies to improve your mood and ease your depression.

Sometimes we believe that worrying serves a purpose, it makes us vigilant and prepared. But in reality, getting worried for even for a short period predisposes us to even more worrying.

It only makes us feel anxious and stressed. And before it is realized it, we’re stuck in a trap from which we can’t escape, depression.

See, taking the first step is always the hardest. But going for a walk or getting up and dancing to your favourite music, for example, is something you can do right now. And it can substantially your mood.

Here are some small but positive steps you need to take. By following these steps day by day, you’ll be able to overcome the depression and find yourself feeling happier, healthier, and hopeful:

Easy Steps on How to Overcome Depression During COVID-19

Stay Connected with Your Friend

Friendship is a key element in preserving mental health. Friends keep in a positive mindset with total acceptance, laughter, and togetherness. But when we feel down, don’t feel like interacting with others.

This is the stage when we started feeling. If you are going through this phase, keeps your friendship going.  Friends are best in preventing isolation and can help you recover from depression.

Explore New Things

 The coronavirus outbreak has brought great attention to the amazing resources available online. Why don’t you explore and master the full breadth of opportunities? This would help you in a meaningful social connection, mindfulness, self-care, distance learning, and many more.

 This lockdown period is best when we can review the use of tech in general and mental health tech in particular. We cannot deny from this fact that any application or software cannot magically grant wellness, sleep, or an end to poor mental health. But they are tools that you can learn to use with wisdom.

Today, there is a variety of free online tools that you can use to spark more self-reflection and to develop better sleep, exercise as well as self-care habits.

Daily Exercise

All aerobic exercise such as jogging, cycling, walking, gardening, and dancing are effective in reducing anxiety and depression.

Experts say that physical activities boost the blood circulation in the brain that impacts the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and move your physiologic reactivity to stress

Additionally, regular exercise help distract your mind from negative thoughts toward self-efficacy, and social interaction.

Learn or Enhance a Skill

When you sit empty, you go through the negative thoughts. Try to utilise and use that time. Famous Bollywood actress, Deepika Padukone said that she has turned into a home chef. If you check her fee, it is filled with pictures of all sorts of delicacies and meals she has been cooking.

She believes that the lockdown is a perfect time for you to put that ‘extra time’ into better use. So if you are feeling lonely and have nothing to do, pick up a hobby that you always wanted to.

 Psychologically says turning to bake and cooking or what you love doing makes you feel connected to each other, at least virtually.

 Engage Yourself in Service

When you support something, it triggers the release of brain chemicals that help you feel nice. Even a small help can pull us out of our funk.

Presently, the news channels and social media feeds are filled with worst-case scenarios. Uncritical overconsumption of these messages can harm our mental health.

 Even before the virus outbreak, depression and anxiety have been major problems.  Isolation and uncertainty cannot help us in dealing with the new realities of virtual life. 

It makes us feel good when we give because we get what researchers call a “helpers high” or a distinct physical sensation associated with helping from donating money to helping someone in crossing the road. It triggers a reward center in our brains, which is responsible for dopamine-euphoria.

How you can Help During COVID-19:

• Call or face-time an elderly relative
• Bring groceries to an elderly relative or neighbour
• Talk or Play online with an elderly relative or isolated friend
• Write thank-you cards to health care workers or those working in the “front lines”
• Donate money to a fund to help people

Spend Time in Reading Book

Book reading is related to less stress and more positive psychological outcomes. It also helps you stay away from feeling worse.

Just 30 minutes of reading can decrease your blood pressure, heart rate, and feelings of psychological distress. Just like physical activity or yoga, habits of reading relax your brain and temporarily transport it to another world.

In depression, a person either keeps his/her mind inactive or occupied with negative thoughts. When you start reading a positive book, it fills your mind with a positive thought that generates positive energy.

Listen to Your Favourite Sons

 Music is a therapeutic way to curb the feelings of loneliness.  It is helpful in schizophrenia, ADHD, clinical depression, and numerous other mental health disorders.

When you listen to the uplifting rhythms and beats, it soothes you and also reduces feelings of anxiety.

That’s why, music is considered an effective mood enhancer; that helps to reduce pain, curbs feelings of stress, and improves overall emotional health.

Take Regular Bath

According to studies, taking bath regularly can help relieve symptoms of depression.

During bathing various actions are exerted on the body like hyperthermic action, hydrostatic pressure, buoyancy, and viscosity of water.

Bath brings great impacts on heart rate, metabolism, nerve stimulation, and cardiac output that boost your immune function and let you feel refresh.

Minimise Your Screen Time

 I know that we are packed at home. And this time, the phone is the only way to stay connected with our friends and loved ones.  While this is good for us in small doses, but it can bring adverse effects if not kept in check.

 Always crossing through Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook can make you get lost in a world of make-believe, and lead to unhealthy comparisons. You can go towards a bad feeling if keeping checking the number of coronavirus cases frequently.

If you are living alone away from your family and hometown, remind yourself that you are not alone. This uncertainty will not last forever.

Go for walk, learn a new skill, take up an online course, or speak to a loved one directly on the phone or through video calling.

Stop thinking about what you don’t have. Stay positive, no matter how tough it might look.

Limit Your Alcohol Consumption

Try to limit your alcohol and cigarette consumption. If you have started taking alcohol, smoking, and drugs to deal with fear, anxiety, boredom, and social isolation, then stop it right now.

Alcohol and narcotics are a central nervous system depressant. Means. It might give you a temporary high and but in the long term, it makes you have faltered perception and make you think irrationally.

 The “Wellness Toolbox” to Beat depression

Here are some more points on how to overcome depression during COVID-19.  They work as a quick mood boost. Implement a few of these ideas daily, even if you’re feeling okay:

• Spend some time with nature
• Make list what you like about yourself
• Watch a funny movie or TV show
• Involved Yourself in small tasks
• Play with a pet

Take Help From Professionals

If you’ve taken self-help steps but still going through the same situation or your depression getting worse, go for professional help.

See, if you need someone’s help that doesn’t mean you’re weak. But sometimes, we stuck with some negative thoughts.

Depression is something that can be treated and you would feel better!

Keep following these tips to beat depression and anxiety even if you are taking help from professionals.

Last Verdict on How to Overcome Depression During COVID-19

Stay connected with your family, friends, and love ones, even virtually. Engage yourself in activities that give you happiness and a sense of meaning. Try to help others, it is quite effective and works as an antidote to depression.

Don’t forget to share your opinion on how to beat depression during COVID-19 in the comment section below. What is your secret formula to beat depression and anxiety?

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