4 Tips for Coping with Depression
Everything feels harder when living with depression. You drag yourself out of bed and force yourself to get through the day. Friends invite you to go out, but you find yourself preferring to stay in. You try to participate in your usual activities, but they no longer spark joy. Around you, everyone seems to know where their life is heading, and what it all means. You feel empty, as if life is meaningless.
Depression can be tough to live with, but the good news is that there are ways to manage symptoms and improve your life.
Get active
Emotions and behaviors are related. For example, when you’re feeling depressed (i.e., emotion), you may prefer to isolate from friends and family (i.e., behavior). In this way, emotions can lead to behaviors. However, the opposite is also true. This means that engaging in behaviors and positive activities such as spending time with friends, can lead to improvements in mood. Try it out — create a list of positive activities to do when you’re feeling depressed, and get active.
Improve Sleep
Research demonstrates strong associations between sleep and mood. For instance, depression is linked to insomnia and sleep disruption, and individuals with insomnia are at higher risk for depression. Improvements in sleep hygiene can thus help, including having a regular sleep routine, turning off electronics an hour before bed, and implementing regular sleep and wake times.
Increase Social Support
Depression can make you want to isolate from others, but the opposite — spending time with friends and family — is what can actually help. Spend time developing stronger connections with others and get help and support.
Challenge Negative Thinking
Negative thinking is a hallmark feature of depression. Oftentimes depression can cause you to believe these thoughts and over identify with them. It is thus important to begin identify negative thoughts, to challenge and replace them with more balanced or positive thoughts. This can be tough to do since depression can color your thoughts and mood. However, treatments such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) or Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) can help either manage negative thoughts or form new perspectives on them.
Therapist in mclean, tysons corner, merrifield, falls church, arlington and vienna
Victoria Chialy Smith, PhD is a licensed clinical psychologist serving the Falls Church, McLean, Great Falls, Vienna, Arlington, Alexandria, and the greater Washington DC region. She provides individual therapy to children, teens, and adults with stress, anxiety, and depression. Our practice provides Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), mindfulness and acceptance based therapies, and other top, premier evidence-based treatments. Call, email, or schedule an appointment with us online today. We’re happy to help!
1. What drew you to the field of psychological and neuropsychological assessment?
"I was diagnosed with ADHD later in life, while I was in graduate school, and that experience really shaped my passion for assessment. After my diagnosis, I was able to look back at pieces of my childhood that I had previously viewed through the lens of anxiety or “I just didn't try hard enough” and recognize that, in reality, my brain just worked differently.
That's one of the things I love most about testing. So often, people know that something feels different or that they're struggling, but they don't necessarily have the words to explain why. This can be especially true for high-achieving individuals. They may be doing well academically or professionally, while the difficulties show up elsewhere (relationships, work performance, anxiety, self-esteem, effort to mask, etc).
Receiving a diagnosis can be incredibly validating because it gives someone a framework for understanding their experiences. Instead of wondering, “Am I just not trying hard enough?” or “Is everyone else struggling this much too?”, they can recognize that their brain genuinely processes certain things differently. For many of my adult clients, an evaluation is the first time they feel truly understood.
That's also why I tell people that it's never too late to pursue testing. That feeling of validation and being understood is powerful and invaluable, no matter what age. And for providers, if you suspect that there may be something more going on for a client, referring them for an evaluation can be an incredibly helpful next step in their journey."