Coping with depression

The more sunlight an area receives, the lower the level of clinical depression, according to a study by the Global Burden Disease. But about half of the inhabitants of the northeastern regions of the United States experience a depressed mood in winter. Light is more effective at reducing depression than antidepressants.

What to do: take a walk before work. Morning light improves mood more effectively than evening light. If the sun does not shine on you, then there are light boxes (light boxes), which are relatively cheap and do not produce harmful ultraviolet light. Place the lightbox half a meter from your face at a 45-degree angle for half an hour during any activity – exercise, breakfast, reading.

People who do not engage in any kind of exercise are more likely to develop depression. And moderate to vigorous exercise will significantly reduce and prevent it.

What to do: walk 30 minutes every day, preferably outside in the morning, to get an extra plus from the sunlight. The following trick is also recommended: for the first 50 seconds of each minute, walk at an average pace, and for the last 10 seconds – as fast as possible. You can also run or ride a bike.

People who have many pleasant colleagues, acquaintances, and friends are generally less likely to suffer from depression. Scientists say that 140 people is the maximum number of people with whom we can maintain relatively frequent contact, but the majority of the population never comes close to this figure. A quarter of adults believe they have no close friends, and many students are bullied. Not everything is clear with social media: many young people experience stress, rather than support, by communicating in them.

What to do: engage in real emotional contact with others and receive feedback from them. This will help prevent not only depression, but also heart problems. The increase in social contacts reduces the likelihood of heart attacks by almost half.

Today, with most self-medicating, it’s time to focus on cognitive behavioral therapy.

What to do: every night, for three minutes, write down a couple of problems and how you are going to solve them, with a focus on solutions, cites Psychology Today study… Next time, evaluate what worked and what didn’t and try to find a new approach. You can also ask for professional help. This regular analysis will help you look at and deal with other problems in a new way.