Healthy, Natural Ways To Ward Off Depression

Happy fingersThis is an uncomfortable topic, but depression is something I’ve had personal experience with — and I can tell you it isn’t pleasant. But the good thing is, prescription drugs are not always the best answer, and as your wiser forbearers no doubt said “prevention is better than cure”.

These days depression has almost become a normal state of affairs. There are certainly plenty of reasons to be depressed about general conditions in the world, and feeling down may very well be an appropriate response.

Depression can also be caused by specific devastating events, such as the death of a loved one, losing a job, the end of a relationship, severe injury and so on. Hormone imbalance, nutritional imbalance and a variety of health conditions can also cause depression.

No matter what the cause of your depression, you can take hope in the fact that there are really a lot of healthy and natural ways to overcome it on your own. Taking control of your life and your health is an empowering act in and of itself. It is the first step toward overcoming depression.

Make up your mind to overcome depression. Understand that you have a process ahead of you. Overcoming depression naturally is not a quick fix, and it takes consistency and commitment.

Begin by learning about how to improve your overall health and well being. Read books, watch videos and listen to audio programs about self improvement, self confidence and self esteem. These will help you develop belief in your ability to make positive and measurable changes in your life.

Commit to your own health and well being and don’t let anyone make you feel selfish for doing so. Set yourself a regular schedule for work, sleep, meals and recreation. Don’t allow others to interfere with your schedule or make unreasonable demands. Taking care of yourself and overcoming feelings of depression should be your top priority.

Be sure to eat natural, balanced and healthy meals. You don’t have to follow any sort of strange or demanding diet plan. Just eliminate junk food and processed food from your diet and eat only healthy, whole, natural foods. You should eat lots of fresh produce, a moderate amount of whole grains, lean, high quality protein sources and good, healthy oils.

Drink lots of fresh, pure filtered water. Avoid soft drinks and don’t drink alcohol. It is a depressant and will undermine all of your other efforts.

Be sure to take your vitamins. Take a good quality multivitamin every day. Add one or two thousand milligrams of vitamin C and a B50 or B100 combination. This last one is especially helpful because the B vitamins give you energy and lift your spirits.

Get out in the sunshine and get some light to moderate exercise that you enjoy every day. At the end of each day, take a little time to meditate and review the events of your day. Sleep well and plenty.

Improvement will not be instant, but if you follow this simple, natural plan consistently, your feelings of depression can begin to lift. Soon you will be making better choices, coping better and enjoying life more.

Note: depression is of course a serious illness, so always consult with a medical professional too.