The amount of new experiences students have to deal with when entering college is overwhelming. Not everyone has the capacity to handle all the new responsibilities, socialize, and at the same time, enjoy living a full-fledged life. As a result, they become depressed, which makes it even harder to get by. Still, there are practices that can become your good habits and a way to fight depression if you follow them regularly. Here are just some of them!
Table of Contents
Focus On Your Needs
Depression is often followed by forgetting about addressing your basic needs. You may not see the sense in doing that or just don’t notice that you are hungry, need a shower, or haven’t talked to anyone in days. Sometimes, people don’t bother attending to such basic things because they feel guilty. For instance, you may have been avoiding your responsibilities for a long time and it’s a kind of punishment you’ve come up with unconsciously.
The thing is, people start avoiding something when they feel like they can’t handle it alone. So, do ask for help. Start with minor stuff that might seem like a burden to you but actually can be solved in a couple of clicks and messages.
Order a meal or ask your roommate or friend to bring something from groceries. When you feel overwhelmed with the number of academic tasks, order custom essay from an expert. All of that is needed to clear the stack that blocks your mind from concentrating on what you actually need right now. It can be a day off outside your room, an honest conversation with someone who really matters to you, or just a good sleep.
Check Your Vitamin Levels
Based on the area you live in, weather conditions, and the day length there, you may lack some vitamins. The deficiency of those may lead to depression, overeating, disrupted sleeping patterns, and many more. During the change of seasons, everything may get even worse. So, get prepared for that.
Start taking vitamin D when the sunny days are over, for instance. When spring or fall approaches, avitaminosis is inevitable. That’s why it’s important to start a course of vitamins a month before that. Focus on:
- vitamin D
- magnesium
- vitamin A
- B vitamins
- calcium
For the vitamins to get absorbed properly, drink them according to the instructions. And, of course, mind what you eat. There should be enough precision fermentation protein and B vitamins in your diet. The former gives you energy, the latter helps fight depression. By the way, your body can produce many B vitamins itself, but for that, you need to either take probiotics or eat fermented food regularly.
Also, usually, it’s hard to get a vitamin overdose from food, but it’s much easier with a vitamin complex from a pharmacy. So, in order to prevent overconsumption of vitamins, order a lab report and consult with a doctor regarding vitamin intake.
Talk Through Your Emotions
Counseling would be the perfect option. If it’s pricey for you, ask for help from the counselor at your learning institution. In case it’s not possible too, there is an old but gold method of journaling.
Now, with depression, it may be quite hard to identify your emotions and feelings – those become suppressed. So, try remembering what you used to feel and when it changed. What did you feel then? What made you suppress those feelings? How did your conscience benefit from it?
The way the human mind shuts out from threats is truly amazing, and there is a reason for everything. Working through your emotions and analyzing them is not easy. You have to be honest when answering those questions. Yet, as soon as you find that reason, it will be much easier to escape depression.
Exercise
Exercising might seem impossible when you’ve been depressed for a long time, and to start doing it, you might need a lot of external help from a counselor or your loved ones. However, if you notice the early signs of depression, working out is the best way to fight it at that stage. It helps your body produce serotonin and dopamine – so-called hormones of happiness that prevent depression.
To make exercising a more enjoyable process, work out with someone else. Add an element of competition to your sessions, try various sports, and so on. Whatever makes you experience new positive emotions will keep depression away.
Takeaway
Taking care of your mental health is just as important as taking care of your physical health and primary needs. Incorporating these practices into your daily routine can help keep depression at bay and improve your overall well-being. That will translate into the strength to keep up with your studies and eventually succeed with your life goals. Good luck!
