Abstract
In this busy and demanding world, one is forgetting about complete care of his/her health. Do we know what Health is actually? Health is the state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being, not merely the absence of disease. But, in this stressful era, where everyone is busy in growing more and becoming richer and famous, the focus on mental health lacks, and depression is the main consequence of it.
In this article, we will discuss depression and tips to prevent it.
Introduction
Depression is a common condition that affects the whole lifestyle of a person. Depression can be serious and life-altering. It can affect a person’s behavior, thoughts, feeling, and motivation. It leads to loss of feeling, interest, sadness, difficulty in thinking and concentration, and frequent changes in Appetite. Depressed people may also have feelings of hopelessness, dejection, and suicidal thoughts.
Symptoms
some common symptoms of depression are:
- Alteration in Weight and Appetite
- Rapid breathing and heart rate
- Excessive sweating
- Restlessness or Nervousness
- Increased sleep problems
- Loss of interest in things
- Hopeless outlook
- Unmanageable emotions
- Suicidal thoughts
- Fatigue
Causes
Depression can be caused due to:
- An elevated level of stress
- Family history
- Major life changes, such as Assault, Relative’s death, Severe marital or relationship problems
- Psychological factors, like, Perfectionism, Low self-esteem, sensitivity to loss or rejection
- Previous history of depression
- Alteration in hormones
- Chronic Physical illness
- Anxiety
- Medications that can cause depression
Tips to Reduce the Risk of Getting Depression
There are many stress management techniques and lifestyle changes to reduce the risk of depression. Some of the amazing Natural tips are:
1. Regular Exercise & Physical Acts
Physical activity helps you to reduce stress and prevent depression. To improve mood, Yoga and Aerobic exercises are beneficial. Aerobic exercises enhance the level of Chemicals present in our brain. These chemicals (Dopamine, serotonin, endorphins, and adrenaline) are responsible for the improvement of mood. Exercise also maintains the body temperature that balances the central nervous system. It also helps to decrease those chemicals of the immune system, which can increase the chances of depression.
2. Reduce Drug and Alcohol Use
Overconsumption of alcohol and drugs enhances the chances of depression. Alcohol acts as a depressant to the CNS (Central Nervous System) and its Overconsumption can harm your brain severely.
3. Get Plenty of Sleep
Getting high-quality sleep is mandatory for both physical and mental health. Insomnia is directly linked to depression. Some tips that people can try to upgrade their sleep naturally:
- Avoid heavy meals, alcohol, and caffeine before sleeping.
- Make sure that the room has dim light, quiet, and a favorable temperature.
- Keep screens (Mobile phone, Television, Laptop, etc.) out of your Bed Room
- Have your dinner at least 1 hour before going to bed.
4. Diet
The antioxidant properties of fresh vegetables and fruits enhance the protection of the body from cell damage and oxidative stress. Because processed food items and oxidants increase the risk of depression. Food items that are used to reduce the risk of depression are:
- Green tea
- Soybean and its related products
- Healthy oils such as olive oil
- Fresh vegetables and fruits
- Whole grains
- Fish
- Omega-3-rich foods like Salmon or Nuts.
Try to avoid the food items that enhance the risk of depression-like:
- Stale baked items
- Trans fats
- Sugary desserts and sodas
- Red meat and meat products
- Processed food items
5. Avoid Smoking
Intake of any kind of nicotine increases the risk of depression. To stop smoking, you can focus on your reason for quitting and remind yourself of this every time you are tempted. Also, you can try some quit smoking tricks to control your mind and avoid it anyhow.
6. Avoid Stress
Stressful life situations may enhance the chances of developing depression. Stress reduces your productivity, you can repeatedly be in a bad mood, and evolve sleep problems and all these factors enhance the risk of depression. Stress is like the first step toward depression so treat it to prevent Depression. To decrease stress, a little modification in diet and lifestyle is necessary like:
- Enough Sleep
- Regular physical activity
- Trying yoga, Meditation, and Deep breathing daily
- Having a balanced diet
7. Reduce Your Social Media Time
Nowadays, social media is one of the most leading factors that enhance the risk of depression. By limiting social media time, one can reduce the chances of depression to a great extent. You can limit your social media time by:
- Avoid visiting social media many times in a day
- Using website blocking extensions
- Only use social media with a purpose
- Delete all social applications from your phone
8. Avoid Common Triggers
Several common factors are responsible for the enhancement of depression and stress. These factors will vary from person to person. It may be possible to decrease the exposure to some of these triggers. These include:
- Exposure to some movies, news, and other media
- Using drugs or alcohol
- Having very less sleep due to late nights
It seems quite difficult to avoid such triggers but find ways to minimize their impact if you really want lifelong health.
9. Stay Away From Toxic People
Toxic people are those who take advantage of us and create a negative environment around us; such people should be avoided at any cost. These people can lower self-esteem. Stay away from all those people who make you feel worse about yourself. There is a proven fact, “If someone talks badly about someone as soon as they leave the room, they were likely to do the same for you.”
10. Maintain a Healthy Weight
Obesity is the cause of almost every problem directly or indirectly. Due to the judgments and criticisms of people, obesity becomes the reason for mental sickness and low self-esteem. Getting enough sleep, eating well, and exercising regularly also helps to maintain a healthy weight and avoid all these symptoms.
11. Reduce the Consumption of Some Medications
Overconsumption of medicines such as birth control pills, beta-blockers, corticosteroids, anticonvulsants, and steroids can also cause depression. Talk to your doctor or observe prescription labels clearly before taking them.
Conclusion
Depression can be temporary, or it can be a long-term challenge. Depression has a high rate of morbidity and mortality when it is left untreated. Most patients who are suffering from depression do not complain of this feeling, due to the fear of judgment and other consequences they have to face in family and society. Hence, it mostly increases with vague unexplained symptoms. Depression takes a lot out of you. So, be realistic about your goals, duties, and tasks. Stay as active as you can and always positive. At the end of this article, we conclude that by following the above-mentioned diet plan, and lifestyle modifications, you can reduce the risk of depression.
Don’t be a Victim to Your Mental Health, Be a Fighter.
