How can I heal my depression?
Depression is on the rise around the globe, as is the prescription of anti-depressants. From a holistic healing perspective, taking medication to mask the true cause of depression is a ‘band-aid’ solution, not a cure. Holistic healing for depression can be simple yet effective.
What Creates Depression?
Lack of energy, lack of interest or pleasure in life, feelings of worthlessness or dread – these are all signs of depression. Anger, rage, grief, resentment, any emotion that we tend to avoid and bury under the carpet can trigger depression. But beneath these symptoms is an abundance of energy and love for life, waiting to be released…
Depression is the result of consistently suppressing emotion. When you press down or de-press something, it becomes stuck or stagnant. It’s like putting a lid on a can of carbonated drink. The ‘bubbles’ of energy can’t be released unless you remove the lid.
Depression versus Expression
Both depression and expression are the results of the movement or non-movement of emotional energy:
When emotion is blocked continuously, depression results.
When emotion is given an outlet, we have expression.
Depression is the opposite of expression. Have you noticed when someone’s mood never really changes? It’s hard to get a reaction from them, good or bad. This is because when we are depressed, we don’t express, and we become ‘flatline’, just like this:
It’s all about energy flow…
Emotional energy is extremely powerful and it can be used in positive or negative ways. When this energy is blocked, it has power over us and governs our behaviour in ways that we feel we can’t control. When it is given an outlet and channeled into something, we have more energy and we feel more in control of ourselves.
When our emotional energy has an outlet, the old energy is released and replenished with new energy. This is what makes us feel more energetic when we are expressing our feelings – whether it’s anger, sadness or joy – rather than suppressing them.
When you view depression as a lack of energy flow, the immediate remedy becomes simple:
Get the energy moving!
Remember that emotion is energy-in-motion, so the key is to FEEL. The more you feel, the less you will feel depressed. So the aim in holistic healing depression is to get out of your head and back into your body and FEEL.
The 3 Keys to Healing Depression
There are 3 main keys to holistic healing for depression:
- Movement (body) – You need to get moving – physically, emotionally and socially – to get the energy flowing throughout your whole being. When this energy is moving, you will find it very hard to stay in depression.
- Mind Focus (mind) – Is your glass half full or half empty? Changing your perspective allows energy to move. The more your mind fixes on something that is negative, the more you depress your feelings.
- Meaning (soul) – In order to find meaning in your life, you need to give and share what you have, and see beyond your world, see the bigger picture and that the world needs you.
Take the holistic approach and address ALL the factors that contribute to creating or relieving depression – body, mind and soul.
Holistic Healing for Depression – Do’s & Don’ts
If you try a mix of these remedies on a daily basis, you can go a long way to lifting your depression. Remember to BE PATIENT. The most important thing is that you see an improvement in your mood each day.
The DON’Ts of Depression
BODY
- Lack of exercise
- Spending too much time alone
- Eating too many processed foods or over-eating
- Depriving yourself of food and comforts – a mentality of deprivation fuels depression
- Spending too much time inside
MIND
- Watching TV or movies, unless they uplift your mood
- Criticising yourself or others
- Thinking too much, instead of feeling
- Thinking about yourself or how depressed you feel
- Taking excessive drugs or alcohol affects serotonin levels in the brain
SOUL
- Lack of life purpose or meaning
- Lack of change, ‘every day feels the same’
- Really wanting to do something but not allowing yourself to do it
- Life is too easy, too many comforts, and not really having to work hard for something
- Lack of friends or opening up to friends about how you feel
- Staying in situations that don’t allow you to grow and develop
The DOs of Depression
BODY
- Physical movement & exercise
- Emotional release – cry, laugh, scream or shake
- Give and receive physical touch – have a massage or give a friend a hug
- Eating living foods, high in depression-fighting nutrients such as, Vitamin B6, Omega-3 and Omega-6
- Reduce your exposure to toxins – use natural products without chemicals
- Make sure you get at least 10 minutes in full sunlight each day
MIND
- Focus on the positive & surround yourself with positive people
- Socialise with friends and meet new people
- Write a list of 100 things that you love
- Ensure you are not sleeping too much or too little
- Write your thoughts in a journal every day – get them out of your head and onto paper
SOUL
- Find something that you love, anything, and go do it until you move on to the next thing that you love and the next and so on
- Giving of yourself – go and volunteer for a cause or help out a friend
- Find a teacher or mentor, someone you admire who has triumphed over their problems
- Give gratitude for at least 3 things in your life every day
- Connect with nature – beautiful places, animals or plants
Where To Start
When you are depressed, your head may feel clouded and you may feel completely unmotivated to do any of the above things. If this is you, take these 3 actions as the bare minimum to kick-start your healing process:
- Talk to someone about how you feel, a friend or a professional – speaking your thoughts can start to move suppressed emotion.
- Exercise or move your body in any way you can for at least 15 minutes twice per day – exercise is proven to have a profound effect on elevating mood.
- Feed yourself healthy, living food to maintain healthy serotonin levels in the brain – make at least one meal per day full of fresh fruit and vegetables, especially avocados, bananas, chicken, green peas and potatoes
No matter which strategies you choose, above all, it is important to take action each day and do things that uplift your mood and help you to release emotion. When you repeatedly do these things, you start to create new emotional patterns of expression, rather than depression, and you will find it harder and harder to be depressed.
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