How to Overcome Depression And Lead A Happy Life

Suffering from depression can be a very painful and disastrous experience, which many of us know only too well.  It can cause our lives to almost turn upside down and for our outlook on life to become very negative.  So it’s very important to try to learn how to overcome depression and start leading a better life.
 

Here are just a few simple little steps to begin with if you want to seriously learn how to overcome depression permanently – but you must persistently follow these steps:

1.       Change Your Outlook – This might seem easier said than done.  People suffering from depression nearly always focus on the negative side of things. They envision a bleak and sad future for themselves or others.  Changing your outlook is not easy but has to be done if you want to overcome depression.

An important tip is to stop focusing on what went wrong in the past. Thinking too much about your past will only make you sadder and more depressed. Start thinking about what you would like your future to be. What are the things you would like to have happen in your life which will make you happy?  Think about such things. Note that this kind of thinking is very much different from daydreaming or wishful thinking.

2.      Don't Blame Yourself For Everything - Sure, you might have made some mistakes in the past. But stop blaming yourself for everything that went wrong. People with depression blame themselves for being weak or unable to cope.  Stop trying to find out all the mistakes you made. Learn to accept your shortcomings without focusing too much on them.  Accept the fact that nobody is perfect and that you, like many others, had shortcomings and made mistakes in the past - no big deal!

3.      Indulge In Activities That Make You Feel Good - Depression can make you forget the fun and joy of living. You don't find pleasure in anything. So an important step to overcome depression is to bring back feelings of pleasure and fun into your life again.

Think of activities that you enjoy doing. It could be reading, cooking, browsing the internet, spending time with a close friend, going out for a walk, sitting in a garden or whatever.  Find out an activity which you feel safe doing and which does not tire or bore you.  Find an activity which makes you feel relaxed and even brings a smile to your lips.

Once you identify one or two such activities, make a commitment to indulge in those activities for at least 30 minutes every day without fail.  At first, this may seem pointless. But persist with it and you will begin to notice the difference in your feelings and behavior.   Don't worry if the activity seems silly or not much fun to others.  You’re the important one!

Author: Kent Swigg