When you lose someone that is close to you, getting past the grief can be difficult and can take a very long time. So, how to you get past that grief without it consuming you? When I lost my husband to a car accident, I struggled for months trying to find my footing. I missed a lot of work, couldn't pay my bills and had a difficult time getting out of bed each morning. That was until I began going to grief counseling. This was one thing that I never thought that I would do, but it has helped me in so many ways. To learn about some of the tools that I have been using to get past this difficult time, visit my website.
Pedro Carr
Even though depression doesn't have a lot of physical symptoms, it is a real devastating illness to those who have it. The key word in that last sentence is illness. Because your depression is a symptom that something has gone haywire with your brain's chemistry, you need to treat it like your typical illness and actually make some physical changes. Making physical changes on top of seeing a psychiatrist and a psychologist will allow you to improve your chances of getting over your depression and being able to build a life that is worth living. Here are some tips for biologically managing your depression.
1. Make a Schedule for Each Day, Several Days in Advance
Today, sit down and plan out every hour of your day for the next two or three days. Consider going online and printing out some templates that have every hour or every half hour marked with a blank space that you can fill in, or make a template yourself. Try to make the time chunks small enough for you to be specific about what you're going to do within each hour. For example, if you make a template that marks every fifteen minutes, you can plan to wake up at 9, get out of bed by 9:15, be in the shower by 9:30, be dressed by 9:45, and have makeup on or hair combed by 10:00. By being meticulous about how you spend your time and by writing it down, you can hold yourself accountable for each time chunk. This means that you will spend less time lying around the house or ruminating, which will increase your depression, and more time accomplishing tasks, which will cause your brain to release a supply of endorphins. Make sure that you keep making and updating your schedules so that you can stay on top of your recovery.
2. Move
Exercise has been shown to release brain chemicals that are associated with a positive mood. It is going to feel nearly impossible, but it is critical that you start moving around. If you don't want to leave the house, try to convince yourself to do jumping jacks or yoga in your home. If you can leave the house but don't want to run, simply walk. By choosing a manageable form of exercise, you will be more likely to continue doing it regularly and start a more regular supply of positive brain chemicals.
3. Get the Same Amount of Sleep Every Day
Finally, do whatever you can to try to get the same amount of sleep every day. Set an alarm for when you should be in bed trying to fall asleep to make sure that you don't stay up too late, and set an alarm to try to get up at the same time each day. Doing this will help make your brain more resilient and give you the energy that you need to combat the negative thoughts of you depression.
For more information, talk to a company that specializes in depression treatment.