Help to Stop Feeling Depressed

If you feel down and have gloomy thoughts such as, everything is too much trouble, or what is the point of it all, it is essential to shake yourself out of the downer and not to allow the negative thoughts to fester and reach the stage of serious depression.

If being in control of your emotions sounds good, then take charge of your life with following tips.

Obviously if, you believe your life is not worth living, or if you think you are at risk or have a serious mental health problem, don't hesitate to seek professional medical assistance or tell someone close to you to help you find medical care.

While the following suggestions are not going to solve life's problems, they can break the negative thought patterns and help you see the light again.

1. Emotional Roller Coaster

Understanding that some days you feel unstoppable, other days helpless and most of the time you float in-between these two positive and negative emotions, will put your feelings into perspective.

Knowing it is a natural emotion and will pass can make you feel more in control. In the long run you are not going to remember what you did or didn't do but, what will always matter, is the present moment and enjoying every second of life with which you are blessed. Accept life in its entirety, don't have unreasonable expectations, stop thinking about what should be and take what is.

Expect nothing and every marvellous thing that comes you way will be tremendous.

2. Positive and Negative thoughts are highly Contagious.

Negative people can be toxic and make you feel the same way. Search out positive people and try to emulate the way they see the world and you too may find their happy outlook seeps into your head. Don't just sit there and let lethargy consume you - force yourself to get out, whether it's to the gym, or for a walk, and when you get back put on your favourite music and enthusiastically move to the rhythm. It is your responsibility to make yourself happy.

3. Interact with Animals and Nature.

Animals don't think of their own tiny problems as humans do. A sparrow doesn't sulk because it isn't a falcon, pigeons don't fret because another got to the crumb first, they just continue looking for the next. Animals live in the present and show their love to their human companions unconditionally. Observing, stroking and interacting with them will help you get over your problems.

4. Be Kind to Yourself.

When you fail at something, it is hard to remember everything else you did right. Take the time to think about your successes, your strengths and build yourself up.

This process will give you the self-confidence to work out what went wrong, what can be done differently to achieve success in the future.

Focus on what you can do to make things better, unless you assume responsibility for what's wrong in your life you will always be at the mercy of other people or circumstances and blame them for your problems.

5. Gratitude for all that you have.

It is human nature to measure ourselves against those ahead of us on the upward climb. If you think you need more money, new clothes or better relationships to make you happy, remember if you had everything that was supposed to make you happy life will still throw curved balls. Your car would still break down, your heel will still break, you will still pull a calf muscle, and if you really concentrate you'll always find something to be miserable about.

Counter wanting more by relaxing more. Think about everything good in your life that you have already and compare your problems to those less fortunate, the things that are making you depressed will more than likely not seem as serious.

Appreciate the sky everyday on your way to work, appreciate every sensation that touches you.

6. Change is as Good as a Holiday.

When you are down, it can get to the point where you start to associate your problems with everything around you. Change your environment so it is not a constant reminder of your problems.

Even ordinary changes, such as moving the furniture around, adding a new lamp or picture, or bring some plants into your environment can totally change the ambiance of a room.

Don't let your daily routine become monotonous and depressing. If you can change it, even if it is temporary, such as taking a day off to do something you would never usually do, or to try something different.

Breaking your routine and changing your environment occasionally will make you happier and more productive.

The ideas below may help if you are experiencing a temporary down:

The best way to stop feeling depressed is to take action:

• What is your biggest problem
• How can you solve it

When you want to lose weight, adjust your eating habits and start exercising,

If you're unhappy with your job, start looking for a new one or improve your education to take a different route.

If someone is not treating you well, tell them to shape up or ship out.

If money is a problem, work out what leads to your poor money decisions and ways to circumvent them. Understanding yourself and the way you handle money will enable you to adopt practices that are better for your bank account.

Once you have decided to move forward you may start to feel better. Action will occupy your thoughts and give you something look forward to. Once the changes start happening, you will build enthusiasm and positive thinking will become easier.

Bear in mind that bad things will happen to you, you will have your highs and lows and lots of in betweens, that same as everyone else! It is your reactions to these happenings which creates your happiness, and it's your choice not to let the bad things overtake your life.