5 Surprising Ways To Cope With Anxiety and Depression
There’s a lot going on in the world right now that might make you feel depressed or anxious in addition to whatever you may be going through personally. While we can’t always change our situations, we can control how we react to them and whether we get back up after life knocks us down. Discover these surprising (and less conventional) ways to fight anxiety and depression so you can feel more like the beautiful and wonderful person that you are.
Turn on the Lights
If you’re feeling depressed or anxious, try tricking your brain into feeling more upbeat by opening up the windows and turning on the lights. It’s a well-known fact that lighting directly impacts your emotions, so use this knowledge to your advantage! If you can, go on a walk outside so you can experience some sunshine for an instant mood boost.
Play the Opposite Game
Many of us experience a “depression voice” inside our heads when we’re feeling down that tells us to feel tired, powerless, and uninterested in social activities and hobbies. Whenever you “hear” this voice, do the opposite of what it says! If it tells you to stay home instead of hanging out with friends, go see your friends.
One reason this tactic is so effective is that normal activities help distract us from our negative feelings and sometimes even provide positive feelings as a counter. However, when we’re depressed or anxious, we often choose to do things that are even more depressing. So, don’t listen to that nay-sayer in your head! Going through the motions of normalcy will help you feel better.
Use Affirmations and Gratitude
Here’s a surprising way to fight anxiety and depression: tell yourself you’re amazing! It may seem silly, but there’s a reason people tell you to get psyched up before a job interview or other important event. Being positive about yourself and your life has a dramatic impact on your attitude, even when it feels like the last thing in the world you want to do.
Try It Out!
Here’s an exercise to try next time you feel sad or worried. Stand in front of a mirror, raise your hands up like you’re reaching for the ceiling, smile as big as you can, and say something positive about yourself or something that you’re grateful for. You may feel ridiculous, but studies have shown that smiling tricks our brains into feeling happy, as does adjusting our posture. If you stand big and tall, you may feel more confident.
Get A Tattoo
Doing something new can help your brain break the cycle of negative emotions, so try something different, like getting a tattoo to improve your mood! Bonus points for including a positive affirmation, personal motto, or your favorite faith-based sentiment. It can be as big or small as you want—the point is to feel empowered!
Listen to GoOD Mornings with CurlyNikki
One Apple Podcasts reviewer said, ‘who needs Xanax when you have Nikki’. While we still highly recommend that you seek mental health therapy for your anxiety and depression, Nikki’s daily podcast is a great resource and tool to help you find inner Peace and have the capacity to choose it even when conditions are less than optimal. She shares enlightening quotes as well as daily practices to help you experience life more positively and more fully. Listen to today’s episode and share with a friend that needs it!
We hope these tricks for fighting depression and anxiety help you feel more like your best self.
Also, check out these affirmations for dealing with Anxiety!
