Practical Advice for Anxiety and Depression Before Considering Therapy or Drugs
If you struggle with anxiety and depression, you’re spending too much time in your head. Anxiety wants us to believe that if we think everything through and execute a perfect plan, we can avoid pain. While depression wants to identify all the reasons why we are powerless to make meaningful change in our life. Both are lies!
We cannot think our way out of mental stress and despair. The solution is found in other places. Therapy is expensive and prescription drugs should not be taken lightly.
Thankfully, there are things we can do to significantly reduce anxious and depressive symptoms. Things that any good therapist or psychiatrist will assess for and encourage you to do before they can be of any real help to you.
Here is some practical advice for anxiety and depression you should consider before you invest in therapy or consider pharmaceutical intervention:
#1 Exercise Vigorously for 30 Mins a Day
When our mind convinces us we are weak and incapable, physical exercise allows our body to remind us how strong and capable we are. Research has continuously shown that exercise is as good or better than every single medication for anxiety and depression available!
In the short term, there are numerous mental health benefits to exercise:
Releases endorphins which are neurotransmitters that improve mood and reduce stress.
Increases mental alertness so you can think more clearly, beyond the fog of anxious and depressive thoughts.
Helps you focus on something other than negative thought patterns; literally getting out of your head, and back into your body.
Furthermore, consider the physiology of anxiety and depression. Anxiety gets our heart racing, and wants to make us do things. Voluntarily and regularly participating in vigorous exercise not only releases pent-up stress carried in our bodies, it also trains our body and mind how to tolerate the physical feeling of anxiety. So when anxiety does arise unexpectedly, we don’t panic.
When it comes to the physiology of depression, our body is stagnant with shallow breathing. Taking deep, full breaths, and feeling the exertion of our muscles makes the physiology of depression impossible! It’s like trying to frown while laughing.
There are also long term mental health benefits to exercise:
Improved sleep; deep and REM sleep are where your brain and body have truly restorative rest at night.
Development of our self esteem; that we can do hard things, and that our efforts can elicit positive change.
This is why I emphasize “vigorous” exercise. I know it’s tempting to set the bar low; people like to say “movement” instead of exercise these days. I’d like to push you towards something more difficult. Do any form of exercise you reasonably enjoy, and aim for a difficulty of about 7-8 out of 10. Where you’re exerting yourself without risk of hurting yourself.
Many people struggle with anxiety and depression because the comforts of modern life make small things feel like big things. Our ancestors survived inconceivable struggle and our bodies and brains were literally bred for that. Engaging in regular physical difficulty can give you perspective of what you’re actually capable of, not what anxiety and depression tell you you’re capable of.
#2 Clean, Fix, or Make Something
Small wins provide momentum for bigger ones! You may notice you naturally do this at times, but call it procrastination. And maybe it is procrastination some of the time.
However, when we are in the depths of anxiety and depression, this isn’t the time to encourage judging ourself. What is most important, is to see the result of our work. A clean space encourages a clear mind. Fixing things reminds us of our resilience and agency. Making things awakens our creativity and vision for what is possible.
Choosing to clean, fix or make something doesn’t have to be impressive or profound. If cleaning a room is too much, clean a section of the room, or thoroughly clean a singular item. When was the last time you cleaned your headphones or your keyboard? If you don’t know how to fix something big, get a screwdriver and tighten loose screws in your cabinets. You don’t have to be a craftsman to make something; you can bake, cook, or create a system that will help improve your daily life.
Simply look around wherever you are, and pick the first doable thing that comes to mind. Not the “best” thing — the first doable thing. There is always something to clean, fix, or make, so don’t approach this with an expectation of getting every possible thing done. This is only meant to be a jumpstart for you.
#3 Do Something Meaningful for Someone Else
Anxiety and depression make us self-obsessed. When we are too focused on our internal world, we lose touch with the external world.
Making a deliberate choice to focus on others and plug back into society is like tethering yourself to something sturdy in a storm. Pouring into people in our life pulls us out of our heads, and reconnects us with the hearts of others. Furthermore, when we invest in our relationships, they tend to improve. When our relationships improve, we experience less anxiety and depression.
Doing something meaningful for someone else reminds us of our collective humanity and the value we can bring to others. You can even combine the former suggestion and clean, fix or make something for someone else! Call the person you’ve been meaning to call. Return an old lady’s shopping cart for her. Thank a veteran for their service. Scratch your pet a few moments longer. It feels good to make others feel good. Trying to make ourself feel good is often more complicated.
#4 Prioritize Nutrition & Sleep
I love the adage: “If you feel like you hate everyone, eat something. If you feel like everyone hates you, go to sleep. If you feel like you hate yourself, take a shower.” This is perfect advice for those who struggle with anxiety and depression!
While I am not a nutritionist or dietitian, research has shown how food and mental health are linked. What we swallow impacts how we think and how we feel. Our bodies are like a chemistry set, where various combinations of foods cause mood-altering neurochemicals to release. Furthermore, the brain is an organ; inflammation in our organs can lead to mental distress. This is a topic I encourage you to look more deeply into, as this is outside of my current scope of competence, but is absolutely worth mentioning in this blog.
Sleep is even more necessary than food for our survival. Humans can survive about a month without food, but only about 11 days without sleep. Not only is sleep necessary, but a consistent sleep schedule is essential for our basic cognitive functioning and well being. People with inconsistent sleep schedules die about 15 years sooner than people with consistent sleep.
Before you believe you actually have an anxiety or depressive disorder, make sure the cause isn’t rooted in an unmet biological need.
#5 Connect with a Higher Power
Humans are not just flesh and bone; we’re also spiritual, energetic creatures. The mental and physical realm are not sufficient for our health and wellbeing.
Whether you believe in a religious higher power or in the greater power of nature, we cannot exist outside of this reality. Anxiety and depression make us feel separate, not only from other people, but also a higher power. Anxiety wants us to believe that we have to control everything — which is an absolute impossibility! We cannot control the forces of nature or the greater universe. Anxiety makes this fact feel scary, rather than humbling. When we believe in a higher power, there is an acceptance of our limited capacity, and faith in a bigger plan that we don’t have to be responsible for.
Depression wants us to believe that we have no power at all and no significant place in nature. Humans are the only beings sophisticated enough to question our significance! Trees and fish don’t do this! When we understand our place in nature, or understand our connection with God, we can tap into a greater purpose. Purpose is the thing that makes the stress and trials of life worthwhile!
This is your reminder that you are not as disconnected as you feel sometimes. You cannot control everything, and you don’t need to. You are not insignificant. You are a necessary part of the bigger picture, regardless of what you believe that picture is.
Still Anxious or Depressed?…
After one to three months of utilizing these practices, if the anxiety and depression doesn’t go away or isn’t significantly reduced, reflect on aspects of your life that seem to agitate the anxiety and depression. At this point, anxiety and depression are trying to tell you something needs to change in your life. You can potentially do this process on your own, though this is where therapy can be of assistance to you.
Notice if the symptoms tend to flare up around certain relationships in your life; perhaps there are negative people that your mind and body are reacting to. Or there’s an imbalance in your professional or personal life. Maybe you lack a meaningful purpose in your life or goals that inspire and excite you. Perhaps you’re carrying unprocessed pain from the past that is distracting you from your present, and making your desired future seem impossible.
I believe pharmaceutical intervention should be the last option to be explored. Yes, they can be helpful for some people, some of the time. But they are not a magic bullet! All drugs come with intended purposes, and side effects. Anxiety and depression medication were not meant to be taken forever, but rather as temporary supports until trauma treatment and lifestyle changes can be made.
I also don’t believe most people should be in therapy forever! Do what you can on your own, then utilize professional help when needed. Your time and money can be better spent on living the best possible life you can!
Where Can I Find More Help?
If you’ve completed steps 1 through 5 and need additional support — therapy can be a great resource for you!
Maybe you aren’t fully ready for therapy yet — That’s okay too! Click the button below to subscribe to my YouTube Channel, Tips from a Therapist, where I offer some of my best tips on how to improve your relationship with yourself and other people.
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The more you know, the more you grow!
