How to help yourself when you're depressed?

There are some things you can try which have been shown to help lift a depressed mood. These involve changing your behaviour and challenging your negative thoughts.

Changing behaviour

People who are depressed often stop doing pleasurable activities which would make them feel better in the short term, for example they may stop going out, opt out of regular sporting activity, or stop going to see friends or to lectures. Encourage yourself to start doing things again - activity can lift your mood and you may well find that you can do things better than you imagine. If you usually enjoy going to the cinema or swimming, for example, try these things to start with. Any activity will be helpful, but enjoyable activities and physical exercise/sport are particularly effective.

Break tasks down into steps or manageable 'chunks' and tackle these one at a time. Although it may not seem so to you, you will probably be able to do things just as well as when you are not depressed
Start with easier tasks and then progress to more difficult ones: this will help you to regain your confidence
Be realistic and allow yourself more time to do fewer things
Allow yourself to feel pleasure at what you have achieved and reward yourself for each achievement
It is very important to spend time with people who are supportive. Isolating yourself increases depression, while social support helps lift a low mood
Find people with whom you can be honest about how you are feeling, and with whom you do not have to put on any pretence - but don't take up all their time.

Changing negative thoughts

As already stated, there is a link between negative thoughts and emotional disturbance which can make us vulnerable to depression. If you are not aware of any specific negative thoughts and are confused about why you are depressed, you may find it helpful to talk with someone. A trained counsellor can help you understand the depression and find the most effective and appropriate ways of dealing with what you are experiencing. There read more