10 tips on How to fight Depression and anxiety

10 tips on How to fight Depression and anxiety

If you know someone who’s depressed, please resolve never to ask them why. Depression isn’t a straightforward response to a bad situation; depression just is, like the weather.” – Stephen FRY

In the previous post, we have read about why Mental Illness like Depression and Anxiety are 2-3 times more frequent in women. Women is the powerhouse of every family and if she suffers from mental illness then it is a suffering of the whole family and not just a single life.

With the surge of social media, depression and anxiety is surging in women and affecting mental health. Did you knew that women are 2-3 times more susceptible towards depression and anxiety? Read why and signs associated with these mental illness. #mentalillness #mentalhealth #depression #anxiety #suicide #selfharm #women

If a woman is emotionally weak, stressed, she will never be able to give her best to raise a child, to care for the elders and care for herself. For such emotionally exhausted woman, kids bear the harsh brunt and it has a deep impact on growing children and their developing mindsets. It is often seen that in families struggling with mental illness of a woman/mother, it often leave scars on the growing kids.

Thus, we need to ensure that a women’s mental health is not ignored and her wellbeing is protected and cherished. “SHE” is the centre of love, care, productivity, charm of the family and let’s help keep that intact.

Overcoming Depression and anxiety :

1. Consult your doctor and Psychiatrist :

As soon as you feel such recurring symptoms, don’t delay and refer your doctor. Child & Adolescent Psychologist ,Praggatti Rao says, “Consult a psychiatrist in clinical settings to manage Anxiety well ahead of time, else it spirals into Phobic disorders, panic disorders or OCD’s.”  

Visiting your doctor should be the first step to sort Mental wellness. Your doctor would resort to no. of questions as : If you have any family history of depression and anxiety? Recurrence rate, sleeping issues, from how long are you facing the symptoms, type of feelings, and basis the analysis, they will suggest for medication/ therapy/combination of medicine + therapy followed by diet change.

Did you know that more than 80% of women diagnosed with depression have been treated successfully? So, never fear and consult. 

While medications include Anti-depressants, Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), is the most common psychotherapy for depression. It focuses on teaching new ways towards life, optimistic approach and how to cope if you see depression attacking. It also helps women understand the difficulties of relationships and how to handle them in a positive manner.

2. Nutrition :

Many of us would think as to why and how Nutrition is important for Anxiety and Depression.

Avni Kaul, Nutritionist and wellness coach, founder of  Nutri Activania, suggests that  –

With the surge of social media, depression and anxiety is surging in women and affecting mental health. Did you knew that women are 2-3 times more susceptible towards depression and anxiety? Read why and signs associated with these mental illness. #mentalillness #mentalhealth #depression #anxiety #suicide #selfharm #women #Avnikaul

“Nutritional psychiatry and Food Psychology are growing disciplines as a lot of research is showing evidence about foods that help in alleviating depression and other mental illnesses. Food is your fuel to hunger and also the medicine to protect one from several health conditions and diseases.” She further shares with our readers :

  • Green Tea has shown to reduce anxiety due to the presence of amino acid L-Theanine as per some studies. All the dark green leafy vegetables are loaded with vitamins and minerals which are important for brain health. Coffee too has been known to lift the mood of the person and can reduce the risk of developing Type 2 Diabetes, Alzheimers and anxiety.
  • Increasing the intake of Omega 3 is essential for boosting brain power and mental health.The two omega-3 fatty acids, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) which the body converts into docosahexanoic acid (DHA), found in fish oil, have been found to elicit antidepressant effects in human.
  • A deficiency of Vitamin B like Vitamin B1(Thiamine), B2 (Riboflavin), Folate and Vitamin B12 has been linked with depression.  Recent evidence suggests a link between low levels of serotonin and suicide.

Start reducing your consumption of processed food items as they have additives and are harmful for the body. Reduce the intake of processed sugar and start getting adequate sunlight exposure so that your Vitamin D levels are within normal range. Haven’t you heard people are happy when it is sunny? Hence go out in the sun and eat fortified cereals. SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) is a mental condition related to sunlight deficiency.

A small change in the diet can make a big difference to your mood.” Thanks Anvni, for sharing these helpful insights.

3. Speak up, socialize and find a support group to talk to :

Praggatti Rao shares her experience –  Talk and communicate to those who help and support you in your hour of stress. Leverage the potential of the most useful emotional net – Family”. 

So true. Don’t feel lonely. Most of the depressed people feel dejected, lonely, not-loved. Depressed people can go on for days or weeks without talking to any other person. This isolation is a trigger of further despair and causes a wreck. Hence, just speak to anyone, be it a person selling groceries or your neighbour or a small child in the garden. Start any conversation and you will feel better.

4. Limit your Social media Time :

Talk to your partner and stop letting Inboxes, Likes, Retweets, ruin what you are trying to build ~Tonya Gaskins Jr.

Close Social media for Mental and spiritual maintenance, remember Mental health is way beyond Instagram and Facebook.  When Social media is focussed on keeping a constant check on friends lifestyles, their outings, fashion, and to promote a high self-image, it easily leads us to the trap of “Insecurity and jealousy”. As soon as the comparison begins, the feelings of inferiority, inadequacy, insecurity jump in very soon. Comparing ourselves and our real lives to others “reel-social media life” is a very important factor in welcoming anxiety and depression with open hands.

Sometimes it can be a healthy comparison and motivation but more often competitive and “less than” feeling overtakes it. We all have our own slices of problems and mind it that posting smiling glamorous pictures doesn’t always mean that another person doesn’t have their own set of problems. If it would have been so, 2018 wouldn’t have been infected with the famous, rich and public celebrities resorting to suicides. A photo on social media, cannot show you the problem. So, stop any comparison, stay true to your life , focus for its betterment, have healthy quality relationships. Forget being obsessed about “Others”.

5. Pleasure activities :

Engage in activities that gives you happiness and pleasure. A nature walk can be immediate mood booster. If you love dancing, dance crazily. If you had a passion to sketch, do so and sketch out all your emotions. Listen to motivational music. What is stopping you from playing the sport you loved once? Hit the courts/ground and sweat yourself out.

Happiness is a state of mind and you will have to hunt it every day with small things. Hike, trek, look at the beautiful nature and inspiration in daily life happenings. Remember, the water waves hit the stones, once, twice, infinite times. And what happens then? They become shiny pebbles from being mere sharp stones. Be confident of your personality.

6. Remove Toxic People :

Toxic people are really disastrous. True, that it is not easy to throw them out of life, but start working towards it. Talk to people who understand you and support you in positive outcomes. Stop meeting people speaking only “negative about anyone and everyone”. They are mere clutters in our brains. Say bye-bye to not-so-healthy habits in your life. Take a thorough read of the book called “Life” you’ve spent till now and accept where things went wrong.

With the surge of social media, depression and anxiety is surging in women and affecting mental health. Did you knew that women are 2-3 times more susceptible towards depression and anxiety? Read why and signs associated with these mental illness. #mentalillness #mentalhealth #depression #anxiety #suicide #selfharm #women

7. Writing a Journal

Sometimes, we as women are a treasure of unspoken emotions buried deep inside the heart. While very few speak out, most of us don’t find a word for those emotions to flow. In such situations, writing them in our journal or a diary is the best thing. Keeping a private diary is the most effective modes of dealing with fluctuating moods and mood disorders. Once you’ve penned down your feelings, I bet, you’ll feel better, much better.

I myself used to write my own diary whenever heavy emotions used to strike me. I used to cry while writing and by the end, I would see myself in a much better mental and emotional state.

Infact this has resulted in a new stream called “Journal therapy” to help you organize and understand your emotions and thoughts.

8. Meditate, Yoga :

We all today know the benefits of Meditation towards a peaceful and calm Mental health. Yoga is not just to have better physique, but it also lays focus on breathing control, blood circulation, which all helps in elevating the energy and mood. Try for yourself. Indulge in Family Yoga which will give you a quality family time, taking you away from loneliness and giving you  a fun of togetherness.

9. Quality sleep & family time :

An unhindered 8 hour sleep is must. Try to get that deep sleep without any thoughts running your mind. It will help you feel fresh. Spend time and go for outings, picnics with kids and family. Forget any gadgets during “Family time” and enjoy the present. This will usher positivity and a new energy.

10. Spirituality :

Could be that atheist out here deny this point. But it is not sitting and doing a puja or being a religious person, if you aren’t. We are talking about reading a spiritual book which has real life lessons and how to face them, as Bhagvad Gita. Try to look at reforming your soul. Spiritualism gives you a faith and new strength. Hearing mantra’s have a great optimistic effect on our minds, if we understand their true meanings. Spirituality gives you the strength to face your difficulties.

Hola Friends! I poured out my heart here. I wish to hear from you all, if you/someone known has been very close to anxiety and depression and what helped them overcome it.

Try to share this and help a soul in need. Live is fun, delete the stress, add love , we all deserve it!

Love, Jhilmil

Jhilmil

Quest to live the life surrounded with the charming little bundle's of joy. When they speak, I sing, When they smile, I rejoice , When they hug, I hold them never to lose, Such is my passion for these Gifts of God.This love urged me to navigate separately from my Travel Blog & establish an "All-In-One" Blog for budding mothers. Mum's have multi-tasked this world ,with all her professional commitments , she still makes an extra effort to be a loving, caring and be an intellectual mommy! Cheers, for me too come from the same fraternity, post having a superb academics & close to 8 years of professional experience and blessed with a little one "who has indeed changed my life from Autumn to Spring";)

This Post Has 41 Comments

  1. Thanks for this. Sharing with a few friends i know need it right now. So many are actually affected by this but don’t read about was to combat it.

  2. Zainab

    What an amazing post. I agree with all your rightly put points. Offlate social media – likes can incur anxiety and it’s so sad:(

  3. Priyanka Patwari

    Meditation , yoga and spending a great happy family time is really a great option.. This is really a very helpful post for anxiety people.

  4. alpanadeo

    Limit social media time is something we all need to learn. We usually count that as one of the way to stay connected to our friends but what you pointed out is very true. Seeing others pics leaves us with some complex which turns into anxiety.

  5. Charu Chhitwal

    Removing toxins people is no one priority. And having a support system is imp

  6. Seema Wadhwa

    This is such an important subject, especially in today’s time. Mental Health is pivotal

  7. Snehalata Jain

    I hv seen many students who goes in depression before exams but i was always good counselor to release their stress using motivational stories

  8. Khadija

    Totally loved reading this. You have listed some very important points

  9. Princy Khurana

    these are some very points that overall everyone must remember about stress, depression, anxiety. well written.

  10. Sayeri

    Its a real good list Jhilmil. The more alone you are, the more you are involved in social media. And its a fact. Yoga, sleep and pleasure activities are imp always.

  11. Having recently come out of the Shadows of depression I know what a person goes through while being depressed. depression struck me when my father abruptly passed away and his hurried departure was something that I couldn’t cope up with that’s when depression struck me the hardest. I was in such a way that I couldn’t give my motherly love to my daughter, a new born at that and looking at her I made a resolved to come out of it as soon as I could. the points that you have mentioned here is what I actually followed. I went to a heart specialist, took vitamins and minerals, started meditation, focused my tension on my hobby of reading, brought forth goal that I wanted to achieve a long term goal and that’s how I have conquered depression.

  12. Neha Tambe

    This is an extremely informative post! You have touched on some important aspects that many women tend to ignore and families don’t even realize the kind of have stress is causing in the women’s life!

  13. Shilpa Garg

    Fab pointers. It is so sad to see that consulting a psychiatrist or a psychologist is still considered a taboo. A friend of ours is battling depression, but she just refuses to see a doc. Because of this her entire family is impacted too. So we try to involve her in meditation, yoga and talk to her frequently.

    1. Jhilmil

      I really don’t understand why people don’t see a Psychiatrist, if your stomach pains you see a doc and take medication, its that simple. Do try to involve her in all these activities which makes her feel better.

  14. Sarah

    That was an extremely insightful post with all the important tips and measures one must take while dealing with stress.

  15. Rima

    Now we talk about it. There was a time when people don’t want to discuss this topic. You have shared all the good lists which can help one to come out from the depression phase.

  16. misha jain

    a much needed post for me.. m starting meditation soon

  17. Mrinal Kiran

    This was one post I was looking for.. I always suffer from stress and anxiety and it’s really hard! This would help a lot! ❤

    1. Jhilmil

      Hope it helped you Mrinal, do share me your honest feedback on points which really helped you

  18. Roma

    This is such a well researched and vital post dear, it is painful that mental health is a primary concern in today’s time. Glad you have put forth this wonderful series. Helpful!

  19. Papri Ganguly

    In our fast moving life, many are suffering from depression and anxiety. I think meditation and yoga is the most effective way to resolve it.

  20. jhilmildsaha

    Depression is never treated so seriously but is a silent killer. This is a very nice article to address this issue ourselves.

  21. Khushboo Wase

    That’s a really informative and helpful post. I agree that mental health is really important.

  22. Neha Sharma

    Thanks for this superbly written and helpful post. As you mentioned that almost 80% of women suffer from depression in their life, I was not left alone. I suffered from postpartum depression and it took me 6 months to come out of it. The tips you have shared are the best ones as I have myself tried many out of these and they all have their own pros. The only advice I want to share is that don’t start the treatment with anti-depressants until you are in a very bad stage.

    1. Jhilmil

      Hey Neha, exactly, anti-depressants should be the last one to opt for. PPD is really common and women need to understand, acknowledge and take help then at the right time.

  23. Ashh

    These are some really good tips. Thanks for sharing. Good lifestyle is a key to mental peace. Great post.

  24. Bushra Khan

    Being one of the most important topic these days, depression must just not be taken easy! I find that keeping a journal has helped me a great deal in maintaining my sanity! I love your tips!

    1. Jhilmil

      Thanks Bushra, Journaling has helped me throughout, I feel so light after writing my feelings in my diary!

  25. Geethica Mehra

    A woman is surely the powerhouse of a family. And she just can’t be lazy or depressed. The family as a whole needs to take care of her. The tips you have mentioned are very helpful. I agree that social media plays an important role here. Being a blogger we have to be associated with social media channels all the time. It is a big challenge for us to keep that life away from our real life.

    1. Jhilmil

      True Geet, i at times wish to close all of social media , as it sometimes suffocate me as a human and spares no time for my soul, which I need for a longer and healthy run in my life.

  26. Ritu Pandit

    You have hit the right tooic at the tight time. World is growing but mind is reducing becus of depression. A well read & good observation.

  27. Manisha Garg

    You have shared details steps which are very helpful.

  28. Shalini R

    Truly amazing post. Thanks for this Jhilmil. You don’t know what a great thing you’ve done writing about this topic.

    1. Jhilmil

      I’m happy Shalini that it will help many:)

  29. This is such a wonderful posts to fight depression. Some great insight about the nutrition tips to fight depression there I was never aware of. Thanks for sharing

  30. Yoko Curtis

    Hi Jhilmil,
    Some great insight about the tips to fight depression there I was never aware of.The family as a whole needs to take care of her. The tips you have mentioned are very helpful. I agree that social media plays an important role here. I also think meditation and yoga is the most effective way to resolve it.Thanks for sharing

  31. Ashley Maxwell

    I like how you said that you should control your anxiety by focusing on your breathing. It’s nice how you said that sleep also helps control it too. My husband is looking for an anxiety controlled performance ebook since he needs the extra help as a father, husband, and working man.

  32. Swarnali Das

    Now a days depression is increasing like anything. Thanks for this post.

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