Help With Depression Part 9 - Learn a New Skill

Help With Depression Part 9 - Learn a New Skill

Learning a new skill can be like learning to walk again. It exposes you to new concepts, new ideas, new experiences and can be great fun along the way. Many of us have things we have always wanted to do but never got around to it. What is yours and consider what it is that has stopped us pursuing our dream. Usually, the obstacle or barrier that has got in the way is in our head rather than anything else. Change your mindset, believe you can actually do what you want, that you can learn that new skill, such as learning a new language, or fly fishing, or a musical instrument.

Learning a new skill can also bring you into contact with other like-minded people and expand the number of friends you have. The learning process will help you focus on other things than just your own wellbeing, it broadens your knowledge and experiences and helps you become rounded and grounded.

When you are in the process of learning, you will experience a sense of achievement and ultimately success when you have mastered the new skill and this will further feed your feelings of self-worth, self-confidence and personal value.

Help With Depression Part 8 - Get Involved, Make a Contribution

As well as voluntary work, as mentioned above, taking an active part in family life, with your friends, the community and in the workplace can really enhance your sense of belonging and give you purpose in your life. Rather than shrinking away from these activities, throw yourself into them with real enthusiasm, be the instigator or organizer and watch how you self-esteem and self-confidence grows.

For example, hold dinner parties or arrange a barbeque and invite everyone along. You will be surprised how your value grows within you and how you are valued by others. Overcome the fear of failure and do it anyway, the perception is always greater than the reality.

In the workplace, build your enthusiasm for projects and events by taking a lead part, grow your reputation amongst your peers and colleagues and revel in the involvement

Doing something positive will develop positive thoughts and help you to be mentally healthy. This will in turn, build your resilience to difficult times and stand you in good stead for maintaining a healthy balanced mind and body.

Help With Depression Part 7 - Care for Others

There will be times when people around you need help and support and someone to listen to their troubles. Helping others in their time of need can be very rewarding and uplifting for you and help you forget about your difficulties at the same time. Caring for others is part of developing and maintaining a close relationship you have with them, it can draw you closer together.
You can even extend the concept of caring for others by volunteering to work with charities or organizations helping those less fortunate. You will feel needed and valued for the work you do and will enhance your levels of self-worth and self-confidence. In addition, it will help you see that you are not the only one with needs and will add a new dimension to your world, one that will put everything into perspective.

Caring for others can include pets. Many people believe that looking after pets can improve your own mental wellbeing, can be fun and enjoyable. Most pet owners describe how they develop a strong bond between themselves and their pets, a bond that can cut the feeling of isolation and loneliness. Walking a dog, for example, will help you meet many new people with a similar interest and get you out of the house and provide that daily exercise.

Help With Depression Part 6 - Keep in Touch With Family and Friends

The stresses of life can feel much easier with the love and support of close family and good friends. Being among family and friends will give you a sense of inclusion and of being cared for, they can provide different perspectives on what you may be going through, offer advice or personal experience that may be relevant for you. They can also help you follow the steps in this guide and even hold you accountable for what you are doing and the progress you are making.

With all the different ways of staying in touch these days, there is no excuse for being isolated. Having family and friends around will give you pleasure and fun and help ward of those negative feelings. It’s good to talk!

Concentrate your efforts on those relationships with people that make you feel good or loved or valued. If someone is adversely affecting your mental health it may be better if you can avoid them or make contact as infrequent as possible. If necessary break the relationship in a way that is okay for both of you.

At times during life, you may lose someone close to you and it is natural to grieve and mourn their passing. However, it is unnatural for these feelings to last a long time so it is important that you talk about how you are feeling to either your family, close friends or even a counselor or coach.

Help With Depression Part 5 - Talk About Your Feelings

Contrary to what you may believe, talking about your feelings is very mentally healthy and will help you deal with difficult times. Talking to others about what you are going through means you are taking control of your wellbeing and doing what you can to stay healthy. It is not a sign of weakness; it is rather a sign of strength.

The old saying “two heads are better than one” is so true, talking to others about how you are feeling can help you cope with your situation and, in addition, it releases the thoughts whirling around in your brain going nowhere. Just to have someone listen to you can fill you with a sense of support and care and make you feel less lonely. Communication is a two-way process and by opening up yourself you will also likely encourage others to do the same.

Describing your thoughts and feelings to others can be difficult initially so its worth using lots of different words rather than trying to select just one. Drawing pictures is another way of expressing how you might be feeling and will help the other person understand better.

It will help you to talk about how you are feeling if you develop the conversation naturally rather than plan it, in situations where you are doing something together, say over a cup of tea or out walking. For the first time it may make you feel awkward but give it time, choose your moment and it will get easier once you start. You will feel very relieved once you have done and it will be much easier next time.

Help With Depression Part 4 - Value Yourself and Others

When you look around you, you will notice that some people are good at one thing, such as making people laugh, or several things, such as cookery, gardening, sport, and so on. We are all unique and just because we might not have the same skills as others does not mean that we can undervalue ourselves. Everyone has something they are good at but not everyone recognizes the abilities within themselves. It is much healthier to accept you are unique than be jealous of what someone has got.

By valuing yourself for who you are and for who others are, will boost your sense of self-worth and self-confidence, allow you to grow and develop new skills, go to new places, meet new friends and fulfill your potential. These feelings will help you when circumstances change and you are challenges with life’s stresses and strains.

Concentrate on what you are good at but also accept and recognize what you are not so good at, be proud and value yourself for what you are and what you can do. For those things that you might want to change, be realistic about what you are able to achieve and take small but regular steps towards your goal.

Help With Depression 3 -Only Drink in Moderation

Alcohol is often drunk to help change our mood or to help relaxation. For some, it helps reduce fear and a feeling of loneliness but whatever the reason for consuming it, the effect is short-lived. After drinking you will feel worse due to the manner in which alcohol withdrawal symptoms affect the brain and the rest of the body. Alcohol is not an effective way to help deal with difficult feelings and emotions. Like any addiction, the more frequently you drink alcohol the more you need to produce the same short-term effect and the more your body and brain is damaged.
However, occasional light drinking in moderation is perfectly healthy and enjoyable for the majority. The recommended daily limits are as follows and you would be wise to stick within these guidelines: -  Three to four units a day for men. In addition to alcohol, many people use nicotine and/or drugs to alter their mood but as with alcohol, the effect is very short lived and creates a craving for yet more. Neither of these solve the problems you need help with but rather create new ones to deal with. 　- Two to three units a day for women