How to Deal with Depression

1. Pray, Reflect, and Read the Word

Dealing with depression is difficult. It can seem as if nothing is ever going to be better or that there will be no more days filled with happiness. While God doesn’t want us to feel this way, if we are going through depression, these are the feelings we normally experience. To better help ourselves deal with depression, we need to pray to God. Don’t recite specific words or what you think you should say. Instead, pour out your true feelings to God and let Him know how much pain you are in. 

The writers of Psalms understood what it felt like to go through depression. David was one of these Psalmists, and he understood depression greatly because he experienced it for himself. In Psalm 23, David speaks about walking “through the valley of death.” For those of us who have struggled with depression, we know exactly how this feels. Every day can feel like walking through a valley of death and destruction. Notice in this Psalm that David doesn’t say that he walks through the valley of death on his own. Instead, David tells us that God is walking beside him through the valley of death (Psalm 23:1-6). 

In the same way, God walks with us through every valley and He promises to never leave our side. Reflect on this truth and allow it to fill your heart with the love of Christ. Reading, reflecting, and meditating on the Psalms can help you feel less alone and remind you of God’s presence in your life. God is always there for you and He loves you unconditionally. When you are feeling overwhelmed with depression, turn to God and rest in the peace of His love. 

2. Practice Self-Care

Another way to deal with depression is to practice self-care. Though self-care is a buzzword that causes conflict in today's Christian culture, self-care is not selfish. Everyone needs their own time to do something enjoyable to unplug from the stress of everyday life. Look at the example of Jesus: He went to weddings, hosted dinners, spent time with His closest friends. Even with the weight of saving the world on His shoulders, Jesus took time to enjoy the healthy, positive people, places, and things. 

Self-care can look different for each person. Some people may find taking a bubble bath is a form of self-care while others prefer to go for a walk or a run as a form of self-care. Each person knows what helps them calm down best, which provides some sanity to their daily life. Daily self-care can help ease depression symptoms because you are going against the voice of depression and choosing to take time to enjoy yourself. While a person is in the midst of depression, it can seem impossible to enjoy anything in life. However, by practicing self-care each day, you create an atmosphere that invites sunnier and brighter times into your daily walk.

Oftentimes, depression encourages us to isolate ourselves, to run home, lock the doors and shut out everyone and everything. But, another crucial part of self-care is inviting others into your life, welcoming Christ-like friends and family to walk alongside you to grab a scoop of ice cream or enjoy a movie. Remember, self-care isn't confined to solitude. As Song of Solomon says, "two are better than one" (Ecclesiastes 4:9).

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3. Take Each Day as It Comes

Another step for how to deal with depression is to take each day as it comes. Jesus tells us, “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own” (Matthew 6:34). Each day has its own troubles, so there is no point in worrying about what tomorrow will bring. Instead of overwhelming yourself by thinking about overcoming depression each day, choose to take each day as it is. 

As cliche as it sounds, just try your best today and let that be all that counts. Even if you mess up, give yourself grace and try again. Fighting against the face of a mental health struggle like depression is a tall, impossible order if we are on our own. However, with Jesus' example of grace, we are called to invite Him to walk alongside us each day, extending grace to ourselves and others when we don't handle depression without flaw. 

You are human and God expects nothing more than a human who looks to Him for guidance, even in the face of depression and all its ugly mess-ups. 

Again, take each day as it comes, and don’t worry about tomorrow. Consider starting a reflection journey, a space where you can write down the small victories of each day. Allow this to become part of your nightly wind-down routine. And when the next day threatens to overwhelm you, pull out the journal and remind yourself of God's daily provision.

If God has already overcome the world, you can bet He has tomorrow taken care of.  

4. Set Doable Goals

Setting doable goals is another way to deal with depression from a measurable, attainable perspective. With depression, it can feel like it is next to impossible to be able to do anything. Since this is how depression tends to make a person feel, it is best to set doable goals for oneself. Examples of doable goals could be taking out the trash, cooking a healthy dinner for yourself, or taking a stroll through the park. Each of these goals is doable even if it might feel overwhelming when you are in the midst of depression. 

On the flip side, our depression can make unfortunate strides if we try and fail at unreasonable, unrealistic goals. For instance, you can't claim that your goal is to heal yourself of depression in the next week or to get off your medicine by Friday. Though these seem like they would be victories, these are not measurable, timely goals, and in return, leaping into giant feats like this can create setbacks and more depressing episodes. 

The challenge is getting up to try one of these things. The motivation won’t come before you do the activity, but after you take that first step. Maybe a doable goal for you could be taking a 30-minute walk. Maybe your doctor or therapist recommended taking a 30-minute walk each day to help alleviate some of your depression. I can speak from personal experience that going for a 30-minute walk in the deep days of depression is extremely challenging. But I can promise you that you will feel better after you take a walk or do one of these tasks. It can be hard to do things when you are in the deep recesses of depression, but if you try to set doable goals for yourself, you will feel much better after completing the goals. 

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5. Celebrate Little Wins

Celebrating little wins is another way to deal with depression. Whenever you have a little win, celebrate it. Whether that be getting out of your bed and facing the day or choosing to talk to a friend when you don’t feel like it, celebrate the little wins. Celebrate the little win of reading this article! It is a great accomplishment to read through an article and apply its teachings to your daily life. It is also a huge win that you got out of bed today. I know how much you want to stay in bed and hide rather than to face the world. I’ve been there and I’m still currently experiencing the struggle. Trust in the Lord and live each day for Him. Celebrate the little wins and praise God when you accomplish a task, goal, or challenge.

Then, once you celebrate yourself, take time to reward yourself. This doesn't mean you should take a selfish approach to overindulgence, but if you got out of bed today, brushed your teeth, combed your hair, and put on a fresh set of clothes, maybe it's time to treat yourself to a coffee at the new local cafe. If you took time to phone a friend, maybe it's time to ask if they want to come over and have popcorn and a movie. It's not selfish to celebrate and reward yourself for wins so long as the rewards remain reasonable, serving as realistic, healthy incentives as you fight through depression. 

Meanwhile, it's definitely time to consider the daily reflection journal, as this is an easy, creative way to celebrate these wins (even if your budget doesn't allow for coffee splurges).

6. Try Being Creative

Trying to be creative is another way for how to deal with depression. Artistic endeavors, whether painting a picture, writing a poem, or taking acting lessons, channel your depression into something positive. Getting out some paint brushes or colored pencils are great ways to express your feelings on paper through art, yet rather than gray, lifeless colors that fill your mind, pinks, blues, and greens show up in a fresh, positive way. Writing and journaling are also healthy creative outlets to get your feelings out on paper. 

Recently, I have started writing a book to help me express my own depression. This creative outlet provides me with a realistic, yet encouraging avenue of how to express my grief without being self-destructive. Maybe taking on a larger feat, like writing a book, could be a good avenue for you as well. The creative outlet is entirely up to you. Try out different creative means and see which ones resonate with you best. If one creative means doesn’t work, try a different one.

On the same note, don't be afraid to sign up for local art lessons. See if the local community college has a poetry course you could take. Ask a friend if they want to try out for the local play with you. Finding ways to be creative while stepping outside the home and surrounding yourself with healthy friends and community is a dynamic duo for forcing depression to take a backseat. 

Whether you grab a pencil, a paintbrush, or a script, it's time to welcome positive, creative elements to your routine! 

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7. Talk to a Therapist

Talking to a therapist is one of the best ways of dealing with depression. Therapists are trained in helping those who struggle with depression to develop proper coping mechanisms and have access with the right resources. There is nothing wrong with going to see a therapist as God has placed therapists and doctors in our lives to help us. Going to a therapist is nothing to be ashamed of as many Christians go take part in therapy, myself included.

Unfortunately, it's common to hear that if you had a better prayer life, read your Bible more, etc., you wouldn't have depression. You wouldn't need a therapist. In some rigid Christian perspectives, therapy is seen as a lack of trusting God. These accusations are lies from the enemy, words meant to tear down and not build up. 

On the flip side of the naysayers' opinions, what if seeing a Christian counselor is one of the miracles God places in your grasp? What if this is a stepping stone towards mental, emotional, physical, and even spiritual healing? Just as you seek the godly council of trustworthy family, friends, and church leaders, a godly counselor offers compassion and the scientific knowledge to help you better understand the physical and mental happenings surrounding depression. Meanwhile, they supply you with the truth of Scripture and God's great plan for your life. 

Consider therapy as an additional tool to aid you in accepting the goodness and hope God has for your life. Most consultation appointments are free, so take some time to pray, research, and reach out to Christian therapists who specialize in helping treat depression. 

8. Consider Medicine

A final way of how to deal with depression is to consider taking medicine. There are many medicines you can take to help with depression because there are times when self-care measures and therapy alone are not enough to alleviate your symptoms. Depression isn't merely a sad feeling, but it's a scientific malfunction of neurotransmitters indie the brain. Just as someone with diabetes must take insulin to aid their pancreas, a person with depression sometimes needs medicine to aid the neurotransmitters in their brain. 

As with therapy, there is no reason to be ashamed of taking medicine. I have personally been on depression medicine numerous times and there is no reason to feel embarrassed by making this a part of your health routine. Sometimes depression medicine can make a world of difference and significantly improve the quality of your life. If you have tried other means to deal with your depression and they don’t seem to help, looking into medicine might be the best route to take in your care. Talk to your primary care doctor and ask their recommendations for depression medicine management.

Depression is extremely common in our modern-day society. Suffering from depression doesn’t make you less of a person nor does it mean you are an unfaithful Christian. As Christians, we can still suffer from depression even if we have great faith in God. Depression is a serious mental illness that a person cannot simply “get over.” If you are struggling with depression, these 8 suggestions are worth trying in your own life. If you are somebody who knows a loved one struggling through depression, be kind to them and don’t stereotype them. Check in with them, ask how they are doing, and pray for them. Depression is a complex mental issue that is hard to alleviate; however, following these steps can be a huge game changer in your life to help you have a happier life, seeing God's goodness despite circumstances. 

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