Is your depression getting worse lately? If in spite of doing all the things you need to do, your depressive thoughts are overpowering you, you might want to take a look at your daily habits.
We know that to tell someone who is suffering from depression, that their habits are the contributing factors to their depression getting worse, might feel like shaming them for their condition. But that is not what we mean to do.
We are simply trying to bring your focus to some activities that might be keeping you stuck in a depressive mood so that you can be more aware of what’s working and what’s going against you in your quest to live your best life.
Read: 4 Causes Of Depression
What Is Depression?
Depression is a common yet serious mental health disorder that adversely impacts how we feel, the way we process our thoughts, and how we act. A persistent feeling of sadness with a loss of interest in everyday activities are symptoms of major depressive disorder.
Depression can develop owing to various reasons that include genetics, unfavorable social environment, trauma, abuse, regular stress (mental and physical), or even any adverse childhood experience.
Only a mental health expert can diagnose and identify the reasons for your depressive disorder. While you need a proper treatment plan to counter this mood disorder, there are some habits that can have a significant impact on your condition and lead to your depression getting worse.
Do you want to know what are the most common things that make depression worse? Dig in!
Why Is My Depression Getting Worse?
Here is the list of the most common habits that make depression worse:
1. You Often Avoid Daylight
Missing the sun on a regular basis is making your depression worse. We need a good load of Vit-D daily to boost our moods. We absorb Vitamine D from the sun which spikes our happy hormones and enhances our overall well-being.
It can be difficult to push yourself out of the bed and get some sun when the dark clouds of depression are looming over your mind. But remember that if you want to climb out of this pit of depression, you need to make some hard choices.
Read: Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD): How Seasons Can Affect Our Mood And Life
2. Irregular Sleeping Habits
Irregular sleeping pattern is another reason for your depression getting worse. This is a vicious cycle that you need to break with your sheer determination. Depression can cause our sleep schedule to go haywire, keeping us awake at night, and groggy during the day.
It’s also not uncommon for people with depression to feel the weight of the world on their shoulders that they try to dodge by sleeping through the day.
But unfortunately both undersleeping and oversleeping can be detrimental to your mood and your mental health.
When depression is messing with your sleep and your willingness to face the world, you have to resolutely choose a self-care to-do list and a proper sleep schedule should come at the top.
Things That Might Help To Curb Your Irregular Sleeping Habit:
- Avoid caffeine
- Go to bed at the same time every day
- Use an alarm clock to get up on time
- Plan some fun activities to do in the morning
- Practice yoga or meditation
- Consult a mental health care provider for better sleeping habits
3. Isolation And Avoiding Social Interactions
People struggling with depression often isolate themselves from their loved ones and completely avoid any kind of social interaction. They might feel that they are a burden to others, unnecessarily occupying their time, or sometimes they just do not feel the urge to talk to anyone.
But this self-imposed isolation is one of the reasons for your depression getting worse. We are social beings and some amount of social contact is necessary for us to feel good about ourselves.
If you’re still struggling, you might try out the following:
- Make phone calls
- Text your friends
- Join a local peer support group
- Volunteer for your community
