If you have depression, simply navigating everyday life can feel like a struggle. Along with feeling sad or hopeless or losing interest in doing things, many people with depression often also experience a loss of interest in activities they once enjoyed, difficulty concentrating, or decreased energy.
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“The symptoms of depression culminate to specifically make getting through the day feel like an uphill battle,” says Maggie Holland, a licensed mental health counselor in Puyallup, Washington. “Just getting out of bed can feel like running a marathon if you have depression.”
Some other symptoms of depression that can make it harder to face the day include fatigue, unexplained physical problems like back pain, irritability, sleep issues, and slowed thinking or body movements.
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The good news: No matter what depressive symptoms you’re struggling with, there are some expert-recommended daily habits that can help you manage the day-to-day challenges you face. Consider giving these strategies a try.
1. Stick to Your Treatment
If you’re going to psychotherapy or taking medication for your depression or both, don’t skip any sessions or doses, even if you’re feeling better. Doing so can allow your depressive symptoms to return. Missing doses of antidepressants or stopping them abruptly can also result in withdrawal-like symptoms.
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2. Get Moving
If you’re experiencing fatigue or low mood, exercise may sound draining. But moving your body can help you feel better if you’re dealing with depression.
One overview of 97 systematic reviews found that exercise not only eases symptoms of depression and anxiety, but also should serve as a “mainstay approach” in managing these conditions. While the findings suggested that all kinds of physical activity are beneficial, moderate- and high-intensity exercise have the most significant benefits.
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Current guidelines recommend adults get 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise and two days of muscle-strengthening exercise each week. That goal can be broken down into 30 minutes a day, five days a week.
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If that amount of exercise sounds like too much at first, try starting small. “Getting active for 30 minutes a day is the maintenance goal, but you can absolutely start with a 10-minute walk. You can break it up throughout the day if you need to,” says Holland.
3. Fuel Your Body With Nutritious Foods
The food you eat could help or hurt your mood.
Regularly consuming a diverse diet of anti-inflammatory foods, such as fruits, green leafy vegetables, olive oil, nuts, and fatty fish, is associated with a lower risk of depression symptoms. Meanwhile, a diet high in pro-inflammatory foods, such as refined carbohydrates, fried foods, red meat, and margarine, is associated with an increased risk of depressive symptoms.
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“Sugar also acts on neuroreceptors and can provide a temporary feeling that can feel like a happy boost but quickly results in what’s commonly called a ‘sugar crash,’ and the low feelings return,” says Jeannette Lorandini, LCSW, a therapist and director and founder of Suffolk DBT in New York. “A diet that regulates blood sugar [such as an anti-inflammatory diet] also [helps] regulate mood.”
On the flip side, consuming a diet high in added sugar and refined carbohydrates is linked to blood sugar changes that, in turn, can lead to mood disturbances.
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4. Stick to a Consistent Sleep Routine
Getting enough quality sleep each night is one of the best ways to consistently set yourself up for a successful day. Conversely, not getting enough shut-eye leaves you with less energy, which can be especially problematic for people with depression who struggle with fatigue. Too much sleep can also make you feel sluggish and worsen depressive symptoms.
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Holland’s recommendation: “Aim for seven to nine hours [each night] — not more, not less — and build healthy sleep-related habits.” Some strategies for creating healthy sleep habits include the following:
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- Go to bed and get up at the same time every day.
- Turn off screens at least one hour before bedtime.
- Expose yourself to natural light during the day to help regulate your circadian rhythm (the body’s internal clock) and make it easier to sleep at night.
- Make sure your room is dark and cool when you go to sleep.
- Avoid alcohol and caffeine later in the day because these substances can make it harder to fall asleep or stay asleep.
- Limit naps to 20 minutes early in the afternoon.
Let your doctor know if you’re having sleep problems. Sleep disorders like insomnia (difficulty falling or staying asleep) are very common among people with depression and can exacerbate depressive symptoms.
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Your doctor can determine whether you may need professional treatment for your sleep issues.
5. Make Time for People You Care About
If you’re having a hard day, try reaching out to a loved one for support. “It’s really important to stay connected with family and friends that support you,” says Holland. “They can help encourage you to continue strategies that will make you feel better and help you maintain a healthy and realistic perspective.”
You may benefit from joining a support group, too. Peer mental health support groups, for instance, can be particularly beneficial for those experiencing mental distress and social isolation, partly because members can understand and empathize with each other’ s experiences.
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6. Practice Healthy Self-Talk
Lorandini says therapists who practice dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT) — a type of therapy that helps an individual manage emotional sensitivities and facilitate behavioral change — often promote a concept called “radical acceptance.” This idea is accomplished in part when a person validates their feelings in a healthy way.
“It involves accepting the reality of one’s situation without judgment or resistance, no matter how unpleasant,” says Lorandini. “It’s rooted in the belief that suffering isn’t caused directly by emotion but by attachment to the expectations of the emotion, attitude, or behavior.”
One way people with depression may validate (or invalidate) their feelings is via self-talk, the stream of unspoken thoughts running through your head. Lorandini says self-talk can be healthy or unhealthy, giving the following examples:
- Unhealthy Self-Talk: “I am worthless, and I expect no one to care about me.”
- Healthy Self-Talk: “I accept that I’m feeling low right now, and I expect that this will pass.”
To practice healthier self-talk:
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- Avoid saying anything to yourself that you wouldn’t say to a loved one.
- Speak to yourself gently and with respect.
- Respond to negative thoughts that enter your mind with more realistic thoughts that treat you fairly.
- Intentionally repeat your more balanced thoughts to help replace negative ones.
7. Keep a Diary Card or a Journal
Filling out diary cards or writing in a journal on both good days and hard days may be beneficial for people with depression.
A diary card is a tool that helps you rate your emotions, track your behavior, and record the skills you utilize, which can help you see patterns in your emotions and behavior over time.
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A diary card can come in various forms, including charts you fill out or apps you use on your phone.
Lorandini suggests keeping a daily diary card to identify any negative or potentially harmful emotions or patterns, such as anger, shame, or suicidal thoughts. It can also help to share your card with your therapist, so you can work on developing skills to help you manage difficult emotions during challenging times, she adds.
Journaling — writing your thoughts down on paper — is another way to manage depressive symptoms.
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Journaling can also help you track your symptoms, pinpoint your triggers, and find helpful ways to deal with them.
8. Go at Your Own Pace
Remember that your experience with depression — and the impact it has on your life — likely differs from someone else’s experience with this condition. Do what you can each day. Focus on getting your most important tasks done, and expect that sometimes you’ll have a bad day or get less done than you planned.
“The most important thing to know about depression to get through your day is that the things that will help you the most are often the things that feel the most difficult to do,” says Holland. “Make sure to get your supporters cheering you on, and give yourself permission to do things at your pace — but still do them.”
