Natural Remedy for Depression

By Julie
2 years Ago

Looking for natural remedy options for depression?

Depression is a common diagnosis among many. A lot of medications are given to those diagnosed. But before taking any prescribed medicine, doctors usually recommend natural remedies for depression first.

Depression Affects Millions

Depression can make you feel helpless and hopeless. It is a difficult diagnosis to live with. But the good news is that there are many people experiencing the same thing. Additionally, there are even more who are able to manage, cope with, and overcome their depression.

Along with therapy and prescribed medication, there’s a lot of ways to fight back.

In addition, there are also a lot of natural remedies for depression. There are a lot of ways to counter the symptoms and effects of depression that don’t involve medications. If you’re curious to know the different natural remedy options for depression, check out our list below. Then, talk to your doctor about which option makes sense for your treatment regimen.

Related: How to Cope with Depression

Natural Remedy Options for Depression

This blog post discusses some natural treatments and remedies that may help fight depression.

Check out these tips that will help you feel better.

Get in a Routine

Humans are creatures of habit. We love having routines and knowing what happens in our day.

If you’re depressed, you need a routine to help you cope with your depression. Why? This is because depression can remove the structure from your life because it affects all aspects of your life. Each day can feel like it is melting into the next.

When you set a routine and a gentle daily schedule, this can help you get back on track. Additionally, it’s also a good way to take back control of your day, and eventually, your life.

Get More Sleep

Sleep and mood go hand in hand. It is so essential to get enough sleep in order for the brain and body to function well.

When you get less than 8 hours of sleep, your brain and body aren’t able to operate at their peak. Additionally, getting too little sleep affects and can worsen your depression.

In order to support your mental well-being, it’s important to have good sleep hygiene by getting the proper amount of rest.

Additionally, it’s important to have consistent bedtimes and wake-up times. This will help your internal body clock adjust. Another tip is to optimize your bedroom for sound sleep. You can do this by ensuring that your room is dark, quiet, and uncluttered.

It’s also good to have a relaxing bedtime routine. Here are a few tips to help improve your quality of sleep.

Take time to unwind before bed.
Read a book or listen to a gentle podcast.
Meditate before bed.
Do a little stretching before bed.
Go to bed at the same time each night.
Set an alarm so that you wake at the same time each morning.
Turn off your devices before going to bed or leave them on a table that you can’t easily reach.
Try reading a book for a few minutes before bed.

Get Moving

Exercise is a great and effective way to boost your feel-good chemicals. These are called endorphins.

Regular exercise has long-term benefits as well. This includes rewiring the brain in a positive way, long-term health benefits, and a better mood overall.

So, getting enough movement into your day is also a natural and effective remedy for depression, anxiety, and other mental health issues.

But how much exercise do you actually need? Well, you don’t need to run a marathon or lift 1,000 pounds of weight. Even just light walking and stretching each day can be really helpful.

Here are some of the many benefits of regular exercise:

Better protection against Alzheimers and other diseases.
Improves your mood.
Helps you manage your depression and anxiety.
Can help you manage and control strong emotions.
Improves your concentration and creativity.
Improves your memory.
Better sleep.

Take on Responsibilities

When you’re depressed, it’s natural to want to hide away from the rest of the world and let go of your responsibilities.

But actually, taking on more responsibilities can help you cope with depression.

How? When you stay involved and have daily responsibilities, this will help you maintain a lifestyle that will enable you to counter and fight back against depression. In addition, accomplishing these tasks and responsibilities also gives you a sense of responsibility.

Diet as a Natural Remedy for Depression

Although there is no magic wand that you can just wave and eliminate or cure depression. But it’s a good idea to watch what you eat and maintain a healthy diet.

For some people, depression tends to make them overeat or not eat at all. When you get in control of your eating, this will help you feel better and will keep your mind and body healthy. When you are well-nourished and strong, you can more easily recover from sicknesses and handle stress much better.

Here are a few foods that you can try to add to your diet:

Vegetables (especially green leafs)
Fruit
Berries
Whole grains
Nuts
Seeds
Olive oil

Challenge Your Negative Thoughts

When you are going through depression, a lot of the effort it takes to overcome it is mental. It is about changing how you think.

It’s quite common to have negative thoughts and thought patterns that spiral down which can make your depression worse. A natural remedy to overcome your depression is to challenge your negative thoughts.

How so?

The next time you’re feeling terrible about yourself, sad, or angry, use logic as a natural remedy for depression. Ask yourself if what you are feeling is true. Ask yourself if what you are thinking is helpful or harmful? Are your thoughts true or are you overthinking?

It definitely takes practice, but in time you’ll learn to control your inner critic and those negative thoughts.

Meditation and Mindfulness as a Natural Remedy for Depression

Mindfulness and meditation are great tools that you can use to overcome and deal with depression.

It is deliberately focusing your attention on the present moment. This can reduce depressive symptoms.

Here’s one way you can start practicing mindfulness:

Sit in a quiet place.
Close your eyes and relax.
Breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth.
Now, notice your senses one by one.
- What do you feel right now? Can you feel the hard floor beneath you? Or the soft cushion? Is it cold or hot in the room you are in? Notice the temperature.
- What ca you smell right now?
- What are the sounds you can hear? Do you hear birds chirping outside? Do you hear cars passing by? Or perhaps you can hear your neighbors voices outside your room?
Try this for a few minutes and do it once or twice every day.

Spending Time With Animals as a Natural Remedy for Depression

Can hanging out with a dog or cat or even a horse help you cope with depression?

The answer, according to research is a resounding yes!

Studies have shown for decades that spending time with animals can act as a natural remedy for depression. All the more reason to snuggle up with your dog or pet cat.

Tend to Your Social Life

When you’re depressed, it’s a natural tendency to hide away from the world and stay cooped up alone.

While it’s okay to take some time for yourself to process things, try to still reach out to your friends and family. If you feel comfortable sharing your thoughts and what you are going through, then by all means.

Talking to a trusted friend or loved one can help lessen the heaviness you feel when you are going through depression.