Self-Confidence and Depression (Part 1)
Self-help cannot cure all ills. Many disorders take a medical doctor’s help to cure. Depression can be a serious problem and one that you don’t need to be suicidal to discover. If you feel frozen to act, or as if nothing you do has any results, you may be depressed.
Everyone faces depression from time to time. The Blues. Melancholy. That feeling that you’re sad to day and, for whatever reason, it feels good.
The great outdoors is a cure-all for a host of problems, and general depression can be one of them. If you feel down and out, get outdoors. Even if you are just breathing deeply and walking around the block, the exposure to the air, the sun, and the people will be good for your soul.
Exercise plays an important role in keeping your spirits up. Not only does it get you off the couch (and away from those dour made for TV movies) but it increases circulation and gets more oxygen into your blood. Hormones are released that help you feel good, and provide your brain with a natural anti-depressant.
Drinking water and eating fresh fruits may not have an immediate impact, but doing something good for your health will improve your feelings about yourself. The same goes for your appearance. Shaving, styling your hair, wearing a clean shirt and brushing your teeth – forcing yourself to care just for you for a change – reminds you that you’re worth putting a little time into.
Add to that, hanging out with friends or watching a good comedy can make you laugh and raise your spirits almost instantly. It’s hard to focus on the negative when there’s a smile plastered on your face … then again, some people are really persistent. There’s another good trait for your list of abilities!
All joking aside, sometimes nothing seems to help lift the fog surrounding you. Your nights get longer, or disappear all together, to be replaced by naps frequently throughout the day. You may feel sick and achy with no physical cause. You may become paranoid, or anxious in social situations.