How does depression impact daily life?
The impact depression can have on one’s daily life varies from person to person. Generally, depression can impact our mood, motivation, cognitive function and energy levels throughout the day. This can make everyday tasks such as socialising, work and self-care difficult. Without support, this can snowball and impact relationships (personal and working ones), self-esteem and healthy decision-making.
Top coping strategies for depression
Everyone will cope with depression differently. If you know you’re depressed or suspect you may be, here are some of our recommendations for building your own coping strategies for depression and its symptoms.
1. Speak to your doctor
Speaking to your doctor is the most important step you can take if you suspect you may be depressed. They’ll be able to assess your symptoms and ask relevant questions to deduce whether it is depression or something else. In some cases, doctors may deem it clinically appropriate to run blood tests to check things like vitamin and/or hormone levels, as deficiencies can cause or exacerbate symptoms.
2. Seek counselling support
Talking therapies and counselling for depression can help individuals verbalise, as well as navigate what they’re feeling in order to come to self-realisations. Counsellors can also help put healthy coping strategies in place to alleviate the symptoms associated with depression, as well as provide steps for self-care and lifestyle changes to keep depression at bay.
3. Do one act of self-care a day
Self-care can help depression symptoms, yet we recognise it can be hard to care for yourself when you experience low mood and a lack of interest in daily life. Whether it’s making yourself a nice meal, brushing your teeth or changing into a comfy set of your favourite pyjamas, all of these things – while simple – are great for self-care.
Depression at work can be troublesome and even detract from deadlines. If depression is hitting hard whilst you’re at work, there are still some simple yet impactful self-care methods that are appropriate. Look at your task list and tackle only the ones you feel you can take on that day is one way you can practice self-care at work, as well as help ease the load. If you feel able to, it may help to confide in your manager and/or colleagues that you aren’t feeling yourself. This can not only be cathartic, but it can help others around you know where you’re at, as to not pile on additional tasks and duties.
4. Eat nutritious foods
Nutrition plays a huge part in depression and its associated symptoms. Take time to reflect on your current diet - are you drinking your daily recommended amount of hydrating fluids, and are you balancing comfort with nutrition?
It’s fine to eat the foods you enjoy. It’s also beneficial to fit nutritious and hydrating foods into your daily diet in order to help with cognitive functioning and energy levels.
5. Lower caffeine consumption
Caffeine can have both positive and negative effects, especially if you are trying to cope with depression. It can help “kick-start” your day and give you the energy boost to power through tasks. However, too much caffeine can lead to a “crash”, which can worsen existing depressive symptoms – particularly if you are already fatigued. It can also affect your quality of sleep, cause restlessness and further exacerbate poor cognitive functioning.
6. Focus on regulation, not perfection
Instead of saying you “should” be doing something (fun, productive etc), ask yourself “what do I need to feel better right now?”.
With this, you can help yourself regulate your emotions in order to bring a sense of calm. It can also help reduce feelings of guilt. After all, it’s hard to run on empty, so self-regulation will be key for your depression coping strategy.
7. Rest when you need to
In a fast-paced world, it can feel all too easy to have to always be “doing something productive”. However, rest is productive, and key in regulating our emotions as well as recovering from stress and fatigue.
8. Reframe unhelpful thoughts
It takes practice, but catching unhelpful thoughts when you realise you’re having them can be a great way to reframe them into more constructive or helpful thoughts instead. This is often a technique used in CBT for depression (cognitive behavioural therapy).
For example, “I’m too tired to get out of bed” could be reframed to “Maybe my body needs a bit more rest” is just one of many ways you can put this into practice. It’s not about changing your thoughts or “trying to be positive”, it’s about giving unhelpful thoughts a different perspective.
