How to Prevent Depression?

In this blog, we have already talked about other mental illnesses, such as anxiety. Since it is not something physical, its danger can often be underestimated, but in many cases, they are even more dangerous to a person's health than a disease that manifests itself physically.

In some cases and as mentioned above, even people with depression do not realize that they have fallen into it, since sometimes it is a slow but progressive escalation towards that state, from which it can later be difficult to get out.

Habits of A Person With Depression

And what daily habits can a depressed person have? Many times they may seem “normal” to the environment, or go unnoticed, since one of the most obvious habits of a person with depression is precisely to hide from others that they are in that state. Sometimes it's because of the shame of confessing it, or simply because they don't even realize how they are.

Another very common state is the fact of feeling abandoned by others, by your loved ones, as well as the need for love and approval. 

In a state of depression, one can feel tremendous emptiness and loneliness despite being accompanied, so many times the person suffering from depression constantly requests signs of affection to feel loved, because he or she does not love himself.

Abandoning activities that you previously liked, not showing affection, or getting irritated easily. If these things happen progressively, when at the beginning, the person is not like that, it may be another indicator that he is suffering from depression.

Also the fact of having to maintain an image from the outside, either by telling stories to hide the truth or lies about him to hide the eating and sleeping disorders that he experiences.

The presence, in the same case as the symptoms, of some of these habits regularly, can hide behind a depressive state, which should be treated.

How Can I Prevent Depression?

This question is probably the one many people ask themselves, is it possible to prevent depression? The answer can be very complicated to specify, but with some guidelines that we will give below, you can at least reduce the risk of suffering from it.

Working on your emotional intelligence: Knowing how to manage emotions, to be able to express them correctly and regulate them so that they do not overwhelm you, will help you not get carried away by them. In this way, your moods will not depend so much on the fluctuation of your emotions, but you will feel that you have the power to manage them and not the other way around.

Exercise: It is essential to maintain good physical activity to activate endorphins, hormones that improve the feeling of happiness and well-being. Promoting this state will allow you to think more positively and lock yourself in less. Another advantage is that it will make you feel better about yourself by improving your physical appearance.

Eat healthy: Indeed, it will not take away your depression, but it will make you feel better about your body since heavy digestion does not help to improve a depressive state either. Feeling light and less heavy when you eat will also promote a better state of well-being.

Practice your hobbies: We all have activities that we like to do the most. When we are discouraged, it is often difficult for us to dedicate quality time to ourselves, so knowing what you like and being able to do it frequently will help you feel fulfilled and satisfied with yourself.

Have an active social life: Spending time with people who make us feel good and who care about us will also help us feel supported and better about ourselves. Even sharing our experiences with loved ones will make us feel accompanied in more difficult times.

Living in the present: It is the basis of a more permanent state of happiness. Many times we fall into loops of worry or self-punishment when we think about the future and want to control it or remember the past believing that it is better than the time we live in. This element is the basis of an increasingly common practice, mindfulness.

Accept and forgive yourself: Most of the time, we are harder on ourselves than others. We reject what we feel and think, and we punish ourselves for mistakes we may have made, pretending to be perfect so as not to make mistakes. But the basis of life is to learn by making mistakes, since, otherwise, we would not learn. Only by knowing how not to do things after doing them will we know how not to repeat them.

Avoid stress: The current pace of life, if we do not realize it, pushes us to stress and frenzy, and if this increases, it leads to anxiety. Anxiety is the prelude to depression, so avoid loading up your schedule with superfluous activities, and prioritize doing the things you like.

Avoid alcohol, and of course, drugs: Many of these products produce negative emotions and states that can more easily induce depression. Avoid its consumption if you want to feel good about yourself.

Sleep the necessary hours: Having a good rest is necessary to oxygenate the mind and body and wake up eager to start the day. That will be the basis on which to start working daily.

It must be made clear that these are only guidelines, but it is a priority that patients who may have symptoms of depression go to a specialist as soon as possible so that they can receive treatment according to their condition.