It doesn’t take much for a person to fall into the black hole of depression. You went to bed late, mindlessly surfing the Internet, you wake up late in a broken state, everything annoys you, and you can’t bring yourself to go somewhere. Depressive thoughts fall on you like a snowball and now you are already in a black hole of hopelessness. How little we need to fall and how much strength we need to put in to get up! If your depression lasts less than two weeks, then you can fight for your well-being on your own or with the support of a psychotherapist. If you already have long-term clinical depression (major depressive disorder), unfortunately, you cannot do without pills; you should immediately seek help from a psychiatrist.

Here are some simple tips to help you get out of the vicious cycle of negative thoughts, guilt, shame and behavior that puts you further into this hole.

1. Think positively!

Our brains are very sensitive to negativity and the more you feed on negative thoughts, the more neural connections are formed that support such thinking. On the other hand, even small positive changes and thoughts cause changes in your brain.

2. Start moving!

This has a destructive effect on the neural connections that cause depression. Active movement and sports are the best antidepressant; they give you the energy and vitality that you so need. It improves disturbed sleep, restores performance, improves appetite and normalizes nutrition. Your mind will begin to work more productively, your attention will increase. Scientists have noticed that physical activity helps neurons grow, increases the volume of gray matter in the prefrontal cortex - and, therefore, increases your willpower. With any movement, the brain produces serotonin - the hormone of joy, which improves mood, self-esteem, and reduces stress. Of course, you can exercise alone, but as a rule, a person interacts more with other people when he plays sports, which also helps fight the feeling of loneliness that comes with depression.

3. Set goals and achieve them!

One study examining rats' response to cocaine found that a rat that pressed a cocaine dose lever showed an increase in dopamine (the feel-good hormone) compared to rats that were given the dose regardless of dose. actions. From this we can draw a simple conclusion, supported by our physiology - when we strive for something, we get more pleasure from life. Ice cream that you buy yourself will give you more joy than something that is given to you for free, at the physiological level, although it may seem that the reaction will be the opposite. Setting a goal itself is perceived by the brain as more significant than achieving it. Therefore, without wasting time, write down several goals and create a plan for achieving them that would be feasible for you. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes - all people make them, it’s much worse to do nothing and be tormented by doubts; uncertainty triggers the mechanism of excitement and fear. The brain works more efficiently when a task is set.

4. Smile!

The brain reads signals from your facial expressions, if you frown, you begin to experience negative emotions, if you smile, positive emotions. Even the position of our body sends information to the brain about how we need to feel. Therefore, by changing our facial expression and body position (we stop slouching and straighten our shoulders), we change our mood. Try to take the pose of a happy person, and you will immediately feel a change in your mood in a positive direction.

5. Thank you!

When you wake up in the morning, think about what you can be grateful for - this will immediately put you in a positive mood. You can keep a gratitude journal where before you go to bed you write down everything that is worth being grateful for that day. It is important to write down the notes at the same time to reinforce the habit. If it’s difficult for you to write a lot of text, write three facts, or even one for which you can be grateful. There is always something positive in life to be grateful for. When you learn to notice this, your mood will always be better even in the most difficult circumstances of life. You can personally thank people who did something nice for you - with a letter, a postcard, or by inviting you for coffee. Research shows that feelings of joy last two months after expressing gratitude in writing.

6. Get enough sleep!

Poor sleep is not just a lack of sleep, but also poor quality. To develop sleep hygiene, use the bedroom exclusively for its intended purpose - for sleeping, do not work there and do not watch movies. Create a bedtime ritual and stick to it. This ritual could be brushing your teeth, meditating, reading, or walking. It is important to sleep at least 8 hours. If you dozed for a couple of hours, it doesn’t count. Avoid any stimulants before bed (alcohol, coffee) and try not to eat 3 hours before going to bed or drink a lot of water at night. If thoughts prevent you from falling asleep, write them down on paper and tell yourself that you will return to them in the morning.

7. Communicate!

As you know, depression deprives you of the desire to see and communicate with anyone. Make an effort to connect with loved ones and family - this has been shown to reduce depressed mood and even increase the effectiveness of antidepressants. If you don’t feel like talking at all, do something together that doesn’t require talking - play something or go for a walk, the main thing is in the company. Even thoughts about loved ones reduce stress, Dutch researchers found.

If you are trying to do this, but feel that you do not have enough support from loved ones to get out of this hole of depression yourself, positive cross-cultural psychotherapy online can help you. Online psychological counseling will give you the support you need to start living life to the fullest again and break the vicious circle of depression. Click on the button below to register.

Take action and you will succeed!