Ten Tips for Beating the Blues

A woman was suffering from depression, so her husband took her to a psychiatrist. The doctor said, "The treatment I prescribe is really quite simple." With that, he held the woman in his arms and gave her a big kiss. He then stepped back and turned to the woman's husband. He said, "See! That's all she needs to put new life back into her." Expressionless, the husband said, "If you say so, Doc, I can bring her in on Tuesdays and Thursdays."

Okay, that's not how to treat depression, but I have a few suggestions that make more sense. As a result of trial and error, I've found ten blues battling strategies that help me. These are not quick fixes, and this list is not exhaustive. It is also not a "must do" list.

When you're depressed, the last thing you need is a list of expectations to live up to. Don't stress about forcing yourself to accomplish all these things. They're not items to be checked off a list each day. The only one that is crucial is number one. After that, you can experiment with the others, as you feel able to.

1) Get the Facts and Get Help.

Depression is a serious medical condition that can be complicated to treat. Many people suffer needlessly because they won't consult a doctor. If you're waiting for God to heal you, consider this: Wise doctors and modern medicines are gifts from God through which He often heals.

If you've experienced depression, you already know it is not an illness you can "snap out of," no matter what others may tell you. It's not something to be ashamed of either. Depression can be caused by an imbalance of brain chemicals. Like any serious medical condition, it needs to be treated. Without the proper treatment, none of my suggested coping strategies will do any good.

2) Get Focused.

Feelings of hopelessness and helplessness pervade the life of a depressed person. Focusing on hope and developing a hopeful heart is a must. If you're a spiritual person, you can find many instances in the Bible that that tell how God has helped those who felt hopeless: Hebrews 4:15; 2 Corinthians 4:8 & 9; Matthew 6:34; Isaiah 41:10; and John 14:27. I read and re-read the books of Psalms and Job.

Practice positive self talk. This simply means telling yourself good things. Make a list of positive affirmations like "God cares and understands my pain. God values me. God is giving me strength. I am made in God's image. I choose to be happy." Write down as many of these affirmations as you can think of and read them daily. Your mind will come to believe what you tell it, so remind yourself often that God is with you, pouring his strength on you.

2 Corinthians 4:18 says we need to "fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen." Focusing on positive, heavenly things rather than earthly things will keep hopelessness at bay.

3) Get Friendly.

Fellowship with other people is a mood lifter. Being alone is the worst thing you can do when you're depressed. Join a club, take a class, invite someone to lunch, or visit a nursing home to chat with the residents.

4) Get Giggling.

Collect cartoons, visit humor web sites, watch funny movies, and read funny books. Best of all is laughing with friends. Laughing releases endorphins, which make you feel good. Chocolate does the same thing, but a good laugh is less fattening.

The Bible says, "Rejoice in the Lord always." (Philippians 4:4) Act happy, act glad, and you'll feel happier. The apostle Paul, who wrote the book of Philippians, exhibited this truth in his own life. Paul and Silas were attacked, beaten, locked in stocks, and thrown into solitary confinement. Yet, at midnight, what were they doing? Feeling sorry for themselves? Moaning and complaining like I do? No, they were singing! They were praising God because they were part of God's family. No jailer could take that away. That was worth being grateful for, no matter what else happened to them.

5) Get Rhythm.

When the gloomies descend, it's not the time to play melancholy music. Positive upbeat tunes are in order. Singing and dancing sends a message to your brain that you're happy. Your brain is an actualizer. That means that whatever it believes to be true it will make happen. That's why if you tell yourself you're clumsy, you will drop things. When depression takes hold of you, you tend to ruminate on negative thoughts; but listening to good, upbeat music with positive lyrics helps to pour good things into your brain and crowd those negative things out. Philippians 4:8 says, "If anything is excellent or praiseworthy, think about such things."

6) Get Busy

We all need to feel like we're involved in something significant. Participate in something outside yourself. Volunteer at a shelter or food pantry. Joy boomerangs. When you give it away, it comes back to you.

7) Get Physical

Exercise and the healing touch of physical closeness affect brain chemicals. If you're depressed, hug somebody - anybody, everybody! A hug is good medicine. It reduces stress and tension and it boosts your immunity to illness. Hugs raise self-esteem and lower blood pressure. They're healthy for the "hugger" as well as the "hugee." Gong for a walk is the easiest exercise. Breathing fresh air and looking at the beauty of nature can be helpful, and taking your dog along is even better. Watching his ears flop as he bounces down the road will bring a smile to any face.

8) Get Quiet

Spending time with God is one of the best anti-depressants. However, too much solitude can worsen depression; so don't use meditation time as an excuse to avoid human contact. Balance between quiet time with God and time spent with others.

9) Get Forgiveness - And Give it Too!

Psychiatrists agree that depression is often guilt or anger turned inward. If something you've done makes you feel bad, you may need to ask forgiveness from the person(s) you hurt and/or from God. Often, when your guilt is removed, depression is removed too.

Depression can sometimes be caused from the need for you to forgive someone else or yourself (whomever is making you angry). Grudges cause feelings of frustration, which aggravate the hopeless feelings of depression. When we forgive, we let go of past hurts and give up bitterness. Then depression has no negativity on which to feed.

10) Get Thankful.

An attitude of hopelessness has a hard time competing with an attitude of gratitude. The Bible instructs us, "In everything give thanks." Being thankful is good medicine. Depression is not fatal and it doesn't't last forever. You WILL survive! Remind yourself that this cloud of despair will pass eventually. Be thankful for that, as you wait for the light to appear.

So, while kisses from your husband (or a psychiatrist) may be great, they can't cure depression. But along with the proper treatment, now you have practical steps to take for your own wellbeing.

There are times when one of these strategies may be more helpful than the rest; but keep practicing them all anyway, even if they don't seem to make a difference right away. They are steps toward a healthier lifestyle. Following them on a regular basis may not eliminate depression forever, but it could minimize its severity.

These tips can be helpful for people who are not depressed too. They can be useful for anyone who needs to refocus on more positive things in life.

I hope that by trying these ideas you may find yourself on the way to experiencing more joy.

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