Feeling depressed?

Here are 5 strategies to try by yourself before seeking psychotherapy:

1. Sleep

Many studies have shown that sleep deprivation produces symptoms of depression and in extreme cases even psychotic symptoms.  So start by reviewing whether you get enough sleep and the quality of the experience – eg. does your partner’s snoring wake you frequently?.  If you tend to spend a long time worrying before getting to sleep it may be worth trying hypnosis or guided meditation to relax and distract you as you drift off.  If you wake early and cannot get back to sleep get up and do something useful, then try to build a “power nap” into your day later when you feel tired.

2. Exercise

Reluctant as most people are to exercise when they feel low there is good evidence that it does lift mood. Movement also distracts from negative thoughts – especially when combined with music. To start, try simply getting up and walking briskly. Do some high speed housework. Buy a skipping rope and skip for 5 minutes.  Put some music on and dance (children can help with this!).  Breathing more deeply will also help lift mood.

3. Posture, breathing and dressing to kill

Changing your posture can have a profound subliminal impact on how you feel, so make a conscious effort to pull your shoulders back, stand up tall and breathe deeply.  When we feel bad we tend slouch around wearing loose comfy clothing to disguise the bodies we feel dissatisfied with – but looking saggy and shapeless simply reinforces our negative self-image.  So making the effort to look your best contributes to breaking the cycle of depressive behaviour.

4. Acting “as if” strategies

Consciously getting on with your life and behaving ‘as if’ you didn’t feel depressed can be a very effective approach especially applied to particular situations that you may be dreading.  This is not to suggest your negative feelings are unreal or unimportant, but to accept that although you may feel bad you are going to act ‘as if’ you felt reasonably content, confident and capable for a particular time – eg. at a party. You may want to prepare by imagining version of you who is not depressed and thinking how they would deal with the situation. An alternative version is to think of your “hero” – a public figure you admire, and imagine how they would behave in the situation – then go and pretend you are your hero. Essentially you have nothing to lose

5. Social contact

Get out more!  In a nutshell, meeting with friends and doing things together can be enjoyable, refute ideas of loneliness and no one caring, distract you from negative thoughts and open up possibilities for change in your life.  Staying at home alone a lot can in itself lead to depressed thinking.

If in doubt, consult your GP...

If you have noticed a significant change in your mood and believe you may be depressed it is important to talk to your GP.  There are a number of physical conditions that can produce similar symptoms to depression which may need to be checked out in your case, and if you are depressed it is important that your GP knows.

Anyone considering hypno-psychotherapy or other forms of psychotherapy for depression should consult their GP, and all psychotherapists who practice ethically will routinely notify your doctor at the start of therapy.