Simple Ways You Can Improve Your Depression

Depression may be a common mood disorder, but that doesn’t mean there’s a one-size-fits-all strategy to treat it. Instead, it takes a combination of approaches, whether your symptoms range from mild to severe.

Dr. Peter McAllister specializes in treatment-resistant depression at Ki_Ketamine in Stamford and Westport, Connecticut. His team uses ketamine infusion therapy, a fast-acting medication that creates new neural pathways in the brain, as part of their supervised care plan.

However, medication and talk therapy are only the beginning for managing mood disorders like depression. You can take steps on your own, too. Here are four simple ways to help manage your depression symptoms.

1. Develop a solid support system

Conditions like depression often lead to feelings of loneliness and isolation — both of which can significantly impact your mental and physical health. To help ensure that you have the support you need, work with a specialist to try to create, sustain, and nurture personal relationships with people around you.

Simply being able to talk to someone about what you’re going through can help you feel better in the moment. Reducing your loneliness and feelings of isolation also drops your risk for heart disease, diabetes, obesity, and more.

2. Watch your diet

Depression affects your mood and also changes your appetite. In some moments, it may cause you to overeat, and it can have the exact opposite effect at other times. However, your body needs proper nutrition to regulate your mood and energy. And the key word there is “proper.”

While depression often leads to comfort food cravings — like sugar, fat, and sodium — those items rarely provide the nutrients you need to thrive. Similarly, if you find yourself reaching for alcohol, you’re turning to a depressant that may make you feel worse.

Instead, focus on foods that nourish your body, like fruits and vegetables. Even when you don’t feel like eating, have something light to keep your system humming.

3. Move your body

When you feel depressed, exercise is often the last thing you want to do. However, it can also be as effective for mild to moderate depression as medical or psychological treatment.

Dr. McAllister suggests working at least 20 minutes of physical activity into each day, either by walking, dancing, biking, or jogging. Even engaging in activities like yoga, meditation, and breathing exercises can help improve depression symptoms.

Are you struggling to get started? Share your goals with your support system, sign up for a group class, or ask a friend to join you.

4. Help others

Did you know that random kindness can boost serotonin and endorphins levels in the brain? They’re also proven to help people recovering from depression. The reason is that they lead to positive relationships with others as well as a more positive sense of self.

There are a lot of different ways you can do this, including:

• Reaching out to check in on others
• Sharing 
• Giving compliments
• Sending thank you notes
• Leaving a positive review
• Doing chores for others
• Smiling

You can even take it up a notch by donating or participating in volunteer opportunities. Finding a cause you believe in can also give you added purpose and help you connect with new communities of like-minded people.

For more effective strategies on living with depression — especially if you haven’t had success with traditional treatments in the past — book an appointment at Ki_Ketamine by phone or online. Our team has the expertise to help improve your quality of life.