10 Hacks to Stop Depression Dead in its Tracks!

N'soroma James, LCSW

As a trained psychotherapist and mother of twin daughters, I have both professional and personal experience with depression. The throws of depression should not be underestimated, and sometimes accessing a quality therapist takes time. These hacks to combat depressive episodes can be used during the interim of finding a therapist or in conjunction with your therapist.

Depression is a serious mental health condition that should be treated by a trained clinician. But if you can't immediately access a quality trained mental health professional, here are 10 hacks that can help you right now.

Tip #1 - Take a shower!

Don't underestimate the healing powers of good ol' fashioned H2O. Water has soothing properties that are able to reset the mind and mood of a person.

Tip #2 - Play your favorite upbeat music!

Music is essential to shifting a mood and energy. Your favorite upbeat music can hijack the depressive chemicals saturating your brain. It's important to avoid depressive music that will further trigger a downward spiral of emotions. Keep the music light, upbeat, and free!

"Please don't stop the music!." – Rihanna

Tip #3 - Dress nice!

You don't have to be rich to dress nicely. Even if you just throw on a pair of freshly washed sweats or a crisp white tea shirt and jeans, you can jazz it up with a nice pair of earrings or a fresh snapback hat. It's all about your attitude and how you work it. Dress & tell yourself positive things that fill you up with boss energy!

Tip #4 - Take a walk or run!

Just a 5 minute walk or run will help you to feel better. Movement restores the soul and mind. Movement will refocus your mind & equip you with a certain protective energy to protect you from the everyday harms that come with facing the day. Movement is your armor to face a new day!

Tip #5 - Be creative!

Draw, write, color, rap, dance! Playing your favorite playlist while you dance in the mirror works wonders! Put on your alter ego and conquer the world through your sexy moves and release built up tension that has been showing up as anxiety or depression in your life! Reclaim your control through a creative outlet that allows you to feel free!

Tip #6 - Join a Meetup group & get out the House!

Meetup is an excellent resource for getting to know people online who actually enjoy getting out of the house! Depression is closely linked to habits and neurological circuitry. By breaking old habits, we can create new neurological pathways that welcome authentic happiness and joy into our lives. Establishing real and tangible social connections that are based in outdoor / out of house activities allows us fresh opportunities to recreating our world.

Tip #7 - Clean & Reorganize Your Space!

Reorganizing your space, ridding it of clutter & items that hold harmful memories is a strategic way of designing a new lifestyle. Have you ever seen an artist performing on a messy and cluttered stage? You are the artist of your own life, and your reality is your own performance. The stage for your life deserves to be organized, clean, and free of clutter! If you have mic chords everywhere you are destined to trip over them during your show...clear your space, and give a show that you are proud of.

Tip #8 - Give back!

Giving back can be a myriad of small or big things. You can volunteer twice a month at an animal shelter, or you can call people once a week to check on them. Depression is a tricky disease, because it has this way of making us think that we are the only ones facing misery. But the truth is, many everyday people are facing overwhelming challenges every day. Lend a hand by trying to add comfort to someone's life. But be careful to have boundaries and limits, because your own personal health is priority number 1!

Tip #9 - Stop Negative Self-Talk!

If you put yourself down in front of others or in your mind, cut it out! Breaking negative habits is really hard, but it's an essential step towards reprogramming the depressive mind. You may not be able to go from negative talk to positive talk overnight, but at the least refrain from degrading yourself out-loud and in your mind.

Tip #10 - Train for a 5K or Marathon!

Train for a 5K / 10K/ Half Marathon / Marathon walk or run! Sometimes we need to try something so big that it will disrupt the patterns of our every day lives. Training for a challenge preoccupies the mind with strength, endurance, and physical pain, which may not sound fun, but it ironically takes the brain's focus away from the emotional and psychological pain driving the depression.

Stay Encouraged!

These are just a few hacks to navigate depression and guide yourself to a more positive path! Depression is not an overnight fix, so staying consistent with new activities is critical to recovery and neurological reprogramming.