Battling Depression: Start Your Day With These 3 Practices

Depression, or major depressive disorder, is a common mental health condition that causes intense feelings of sadness and a lack of interest or excitement. Those who suffer from depression can often find getting out of bed in the morning to be one of the hardest aspects of their day. 

Depression affects the way you think and act, which can cause you to experience other emotional or physical problems. It can interfere with your everyday life by decreasing your ability to function and increasing harmful negative emotions that can be very serious. 

Am I depressed? What are the symptoms?

There are a wide range of symptoms involved with depression that can vary from mild to severe, depending on the person. Depression may affect you only once throughout your life, but it is very common to have multiple depressive episodes. During one of these episodes, you may experience: 

• Sadness, hopelessness or emotional numbness/feeling empty
• Lack of interest in activities you once enjoyed
• Issues with sleep such as insomnia or excessive tiredness
• Fluctuations in weight
  • Reduced appetite resulting in weight loss
  • Increased cravings resulting in weight gain
• Decreases in mood: 
  • Angry outbursts
  • Constant or frequent irritability and frustration 
• Lack of energy 
• Trouble with thinking
  • Lack of concentration
  • Slowed down thinking, speaking and body movements
  • Difficulty remembering things or making decisions
• Physical problems unrelated to anything else (headaches, back pain)
• Recurring thoughts of death including suicidal thoughts, behaviors or actions
• Intense feelings of guilt or worthlessness 

Depression is a serious condition that requires medical attention, especially if you are experiencing suicidal thoughts. Talk to your health care provider if you are experiencing any of these symptoms to develop a course of action and improve your quality of life. 

If you are feeling reluctant to seek medical attention, try talking to a loved one, friend or other trusted individual in your life. It is important to remember you are not alone. Your depression can be treated, but it often takes time. Try not to feel discouraged if your symptoms do not immediately resolve or go away on their own. 

What can I do in the morning to combat depression?

If you have depression or are experiencing a depressive episode, changes in your morning routine can be key to improving your symptoms and overall mood. Try implementing these three steps into your daily routine to help battle your depression in the mornings: 

1. Nourishment

Breakfast is truly the most important meal of the day when it comes to your mental health. Depression can create unhealthy eating habits and affect your appetite. It is important to focus on eating what makes you feel good:

• Swap your coffee for a soothing tea: 
  • Lemon balm tea is known for its ability to improve your mood
  • Chamomile is a great option to help reduce anxiety
  • St. John’s wort tea can help with battling sleep issues
  • Ashwagandha tea has naturally calming effects
  • Green tea is a tasty, well-known option with multiple health benefits
    
    
• Take your vitamins: vitamin deficiencies are linked to depression and anxiety
  • Vitamin C: can be found in foods such as oranges or in a supplement
  • Vitamin D: focus on spending 5-30 minutes in sunlight each day
  • Magnesium: low levels can contribute to depression so eat your nuts, leafy greens such as spinach or whole grains in the morning
  • Vitamin B 12: a deficiency can increase irritability and depression, so B 12 can be found in milk, yogurt and fortified cereals
  • Iron: those who take iron supplements are at a much lower risk of psychiatric disorders associated with iron deficiency anemia (IDA)
  • Calcium: dysregulation of calcium is associated with nervous system disorders, such as depression and dementia

2. Light exercise & breathing 

Exercise is known to work to improve your mood by increasing your feel-good endorphins, the chemicals in your brain that help to relieve pain, reduce stress and improve your overall sense of well being. Your workout doesn’t need to be intense or rigorous, some simple exercises can dramatically improve your depressive symptoms: 

• Walking
• Stretching
• Swimming
• Hiking
• Aerobics
• Dancing
• Running

Even breathing exercises such as meditation can help to lessen your depressive symptoms by reducing your anxiety. Practice “grounding” yourself through slow breaths and counting your breaths to help alleviate depression symptoms. 

3. Journal

Writing down your thoughts, feelings and experiences can help you to understand them more clearly. In doing so, you can gain a better sense of control over your emotions, which can help to create balance and battle depressive symptoms. Here are some journaling practices you can try to start your morning:

• Write every day: it doesn’t have to be homework, even if you just jot down a few thoughts or ideas it can go a long way in improving your mental health – try to set aside a few minutes in the morning to write
  
  
• Make it fun and exciting
  • If you like pens and paper, grab a notebook and even pen color that puts you in a good mood
  • Sometimes bringing a notebook everywhere doesn’t work with your lifestyle - if this is you, try creating a space on your phone or on another device where you can write
    
    
• Apply the “no rules” rule
  • There is no right way to journal, only the way that makes you comfortable
  • Determine if you would prefer it to be completely private, or maybe you want to share some entries with friends or loved ones
  • You can change what you journal about/how you journal as much as you want
    
    
• Try writing “daily gratitudes”: start your morning by writing down some things you are thankful for
  • Giving thanks and feeling grateful can help to improve your sleep, combat stress and strengthen your relationship with yourself and others

These morning practices can help to improve your mood and make you feel better in the mornings, especially when trying to get out of bed. Try to establish a routine or give yourself things to look forward to when you wake up. If journaling isn’t for you, find a hobby that brings you joy, such as drawing, coloring or reading, and do that instead.

Although improving your morning routine is a great way to help battle depression, if you feel that your symptoms are not improving or are becoming too much to handle, talk to your health care provider about finding a path of treatment that would work best for you. Your mental health is important, and seeking help is often the first step toward feeling better.

Next Steps & Resources:

• Meet our source: Eric Alcera, M.D.
• To make an appointment with Dr. Alcera, or a doctor near you, call 800-822-8905 or visit our website. 

The material provided through HealthU is intended to be used as general information only and should not replace the advice of your physician. Always consult your physician for individual care.