Everyone gets down sometimes, but how do you know when something is a little deeper than a bad mood?
Depression comes in many different forms and varying levels. Still, the most important thing to understand is yourself and how your moods fluctuate. When you can do this, you can immediately sense when something is “off.”
When you sense it, you can involve yourself in certain activities that lift and lighten your mood. If you’re at a loss for what these activities look like, allow us to provide some inspiration. But first, let’s tackle depression so you can recognize it if necessary.
How to Identify Depression
Depression is a fluctuation in mood that causes feelings of sadness and loss of interest. It affects many different aspects of your day to daily tasks because most people lose the motivation to progress with their day.
Here are some of the more specific symptoms to look out for:
- Loss of interest in things that generally inspire and excite you
- Intense feelings of sadness, hopelessness, and emptiness
- Problems sleeping, such as insomnia
- Lack of appetite or overeating
- Easily agitated, annoyed, or irritable
- Trouble concentrating
- Slowed thinking
- Feelings of worthlessness
You should keep an eye out for a pattern of these behaviors, especially with our current pandemic situation. The pandemic has left many people inside for an extended period of time, creating unhealthy social isolation and loneliness periods.
The next step is to execute some of these activities to keep your spirits up, as discussed below!
1. Dance To Upbeat Music
Music has been around for thousands of years and for good reason. It has a special way of lifting your spirits and boosting your mood, especially if you play the right kind of music.
Think about it, when you hear a sad song, it can often transport you to a time or place that resonates with the emotion that the song embodies. The same effect occurs when you play happy, upbeat music.
There are tons of songs out there that inspire feelings of joy and gratitude, so take the time to create a “happy playlist” and let it roll when you sense depression creeping in. This helps because music greatly influences positive emotions.
So keep that playlist ready!
2. Cuddle With Your Pet
Who can deny the warm, fuzzy feeling you get when you cuddle with your pet? No many people, that’s for sure!
This is a huge reason we’ve seen a massive spike in pet adoptions throughout the pandemic. Individuals and families are stuck in the house, but it’s incredibly beneficial to those who live alone.
One of the main reasons this approach works goes back to our instinctive human need for physical touch. Aside from this supportive element, pets raise your physical activity level, provide companionship, and reduce stress and anxiety.
If you have a pet, go ahead and give them a squeeze, and see how quick it works.
3. Add CBD Into Your Daily Routine
If you find yourself battling depressive feelings constantly, you should consider taking CBD capsules.
CBD works with the central nervous system, in conjunction with the endocannabinoid system to provide long-lasting mental balance and harmony over the day.
When people integrate CBD into their daily regimen, the cannabinoids build up in their system with continued use and work silently in the background to provide continued balance and harmony.
CBD capsules are one option, but if you’re new to CBD, you can also start with gummies, tinctures, or teas. It’s all about what fits best into your lifestyle.
4. Go For a Walk
Many underestimate the combination of vitamin D and a fresh burst of oxygen.
If you’ve been stuck inside for a while, try going outside and taking a walk. Vitamin D is proven to boost mood, immunity, and many other essential aspects of your well being.
Take some time to explore hiking if you haven’t experienced it before. There’s something special that happens when you take the time to immerse yourself in the beautiful crevices mother nature offers.
Who knows, it may become your new favorite hobby!
5. Create a Gratitude List
Sometimes you have to take stock of the things you’re grateful for, and this process always gets things into perspective.
It’s simple; take a pen and paper and write down everything you are thankful to have in your life. This is a great habit to insert into your life because it welcomes more positivity into your life.
Parting Thoughts
You know your body better than anyone else, so when these negative thoughts and emotions start to work their way into your life, pick up some of these tips to get yourself back on track.
Depression gets to us all from time to time, but it’s what you do about it that really makes all the difference.
