Richard O’Conner, Ph.D., author of Undoing Depression offers these do it yourself strategies that might help with depression:
- Sit up straight; do not hunch over which is associated with depression.
- Gardening which is outdoors and encourages close contact with nature all of which help with depressive symptoms.
- Make yourself presentable; brush your hair and your teeth which can help with low self-esteem.
- Cook; it can be a distraction from ruminations of a depressed mind. Also it forces you to go to the store for ingredients providing a modest amount of social interaction.
- Eat right. Do not resort to sugary snacks as added sugar in junk food contributes to depression.
- Attend a religious service; religious faith and spirituality are linked to reduced rates of depression.
- Get some sleep but not too much. Getting more sleep does not always reduce depression. Irregular sleep times and durations are associated with increased depression; somewhere between 6 to 8 hours of sleep per night is ideal.
- Get some exercise even if it’s not very much. In some studies, exercise was proven to be 50% more effective than either medication or cognitive behavior therapy. Lengthy and strenuous exercise is not necessary for benefits. Just 20 minutes a day five days a week of moderate activity such as brisk walking is sufficient.
- I do not do counseling or behavior therapy and hypnosis is not a useful treatment for depression.
- If you do have questions about hypnosis or life coaching, I am happy to answer them at 361.442.9590 or [email protected]