Depression and Your Weight by Janice Taylor, Life & Wellness Coach, Author, Syndicated Columnist, Seminar Leader and 50-pound Big-Time-Loser.
I know from first hand experience that depression can move someone toward food. (Yes, this ‘happy idiot’ has had bouts of depression.) And I know – again from first hand experience – that ‘eating for depression’ is counter-productive and counter-intuitive. Gaining weight only serves to intensity the depression and add to feelings of worthlessness. So, I put together a list of relatively simple things that help to alleviate depression. Woo Hoo! Let’s MOVE (literally) past depression, NOW!
1. Sleep. Lack of sleep magnifies the effects of depression. Log in 6 to 8 hours each night, and try 15 – 30 minute catnaps throughout the day. Feeling rested, alert and awake is so important for feeling good. It is the foundation of a vibrant, dynamic life.
2. Move. If you are feeling low, move. Just the act of moving from one place to another creates ‘movement,’ and ‘movement’ can help to move feelings of depression out!
3. Exercise. When we exercise or are physically active the brain secretes chemicals, such as endorphins, which make us feel so much better.
4. Meditate. Meditation reduces stress, helps us to sleep better, thus alleviateing depression. Consistency matters. So if you can only ‘sit’ for 5 minutes a day, that’s all right. Do what you can. Hint: when you meditate the same time each day you are creating a positive habit, which will anchor the positive mood that is activated by meditation.
5. Wear Red. Bill Blass says, “When in doubt, wear red.” What great advice!! Dark clothing tends to increase the effects of depression. Color can stimulate positive feelings and red is a real energy color. Reds and oranges are traditionally worn by spiritual seekers in India and Asia: they understood that vibrant colors create a vibrant energy field around the wearer of these wonderfully bright clothes.
6. Eat Healthfully. You’ll feel lighter. Isn’t it a great feeling to know that you’re taking care of yourself? Rather than doing yourself in??
7. Drink Water. Studies show that dehydration can be a cause of depression. So bottoms up!
8. Light. As the season changes from summer to autumn, so goes the light. Research shows that getting 20 minutes of sunlight per day, even by sitting at a window, helps fight depression. Don’t we all feel so much better waking up to the sun’s smiling rays?
9. Smile. What came first, the smile or the good mood? It’s hard to tell. Famed spiritual teacher Thich Nhat Hahn has advised that smiling leads to Godliness….and don’t forget the mind-body connection. Our body often affects our mind. Just try this experiment: smile and see if you don’t feel happier. The mind is conditioned to experience smiling with feelings of joy and happiness. Ha ha ha!
10. Breathing. Breathing helps release stress and anxiety which are components of depression. Focusing on the breathing and releasing tightness in the body and worry in the mind lifts the spirit. Breathing exercises have always be an important part of stress reduction programs. Take a few moments throughout the day to just exhale the tension out and breathe in some calm.
11. Pamper yourself. Take the time to see a movie ( a comedy of course!), go to a show, buy some flowers ( the color and scents provide color therapy and aromatherapy which lifts the spirits), talk to a friend–embrace life! You deserve it!
Spread the word, NOT the icing!
Janice
Write Janice for free ‘life’ consult!
Follow Janice on Twitter! Food facts. tips and motivation throughout the day!
Workshops! Come, play with me!
Free Our Lady of Weight Loss E-Cards! Spread the FUN word!
For more motivation and inspiration, join the Kick in the Tush Club: Beliefnet Chapter.
Pick up a copy of Janice’s latest: All Is Forgiven, Move ON ~ Our Lady of Weight Loss’s 101 Fat-Burning Steps on Your Journey to Sveltesville!
” . . . . kooky genius ~ see if her idiosyncratic diet plan will work for you.” ~ O, The Oprah Magazine
about Janice
posted September 17, 2008 at 11:04 am
I hate to be picky, but these aren’t solutions for depression. These are solutions for feeling low or having a bad day. While some of these solutions can help some people who are clinically depressed in some situations, real depression can’t be solved by smiling or wearing red.
I know that’s not what you were meaning to deal with in this post anyway; it’s just that when the word “depression” is used for situations like “feeling down”, people who have real depression have a much harder time expressing what they’re going through. When they tell someone they’re depressed, that someone is far more likely to say, “Toughen up and get over it” or “So what?” or “Just cheer up”. That’s not just an annoyance for depressive people; it has real-world consequences. I can’t pay my rent anymore because my boss doesn’t understand the difference between clinical depression and “just feeling bad”, and she took away almost all my working hours. So when everyday bad moods and actual clinical depression get conflated, I take it pretty seriously.
All that aside, I think your suggestions are really good, though. These are some of the things I do when I’m in the very early stages of a depressive bout, and they can help avert disaster. Step 11, I find, is key. I like reading, long aromatherapy baths, crafts/creative projects, and watching favourite movies/TV shows on DVD. Podcasts are great as well!
posted September 17, 2008 at 1:04 pm
Weight loss industry will focus on the way people should feel while doing it, in order to achieve better results and stay healthy all the time. Being healthy and thin is not a dream, it should be something, that is a reasonable and easy to be done.
As you already know – women and men are not built the same way, and this is more than normal.
posted September 17, 2008 at 10:08 pm
These are all good moves when feeling low. Clinical depression won’t be cured by them, unfortunately, but a case of the blues may be. All of the suggestions are free (or at least inexpensive), there are no side effects, and as my dear old Dad used it say…”it couldn’t hurt.”
posted September 18, 2008 at 1:29 am
I am very happy to see your article and I suggested to my dear ones to read it because it explores all facts which people ignores. Thanks for the info.
http://www.easywaytoreduceweight.com/
posted September 18, 2008 at 5:43 am
I am teaching sixth graders all day and going to graduate school full time. I think these are wonderful tips. Sometimes, mid-week, I get to feeling rather low.I think these will help me avoid that Wednesday slump. I am going to print this and hang it on my refrigerator!