Depression can lead to things like weight gain, divorce, alcoholism and drug addiction, and very sadly, even suicide. It is a serious illness which should be carefully treated. Talk to your doctor if you suspect you are depressed. This article can help you to feel happier in the meantime.

Avoid sugars whenever you are feeling depressed. This kind of sugar enters the bloodstream more rapidly than the more complex versions of carbohydrates, like whole grains. These fast-burning sugars produce a quick jolt of energy, but the crash following after causes fatigue and tends to exacerbate the symptoms of depression.

Don’t underestimate the importance of proper sleep, exercise, and diet to keep depression at bay. Exercising releases endorphins which help you to feel good, so when you feel depression creeping in go for a walk or to the gym. Over a period of time, the right exercise, eight hours of sleep and a diet without processed foods could help you more than you think.

If you know what’s making you depressed, you have to work on changing things around in your life. When negative thoughts bring you down, start doing something physical. Develop an exercise plan that will get you moving again.

Understand that you aren’t crazy. Depression is an actual mental illness that should receive similar respect to other diseases. Depression is often a sign of some chemical imbalance or unresolved emotions. Feeling depressed is often your body telling you that you need help.

If you own your own home or your apartment lease allows, decorate your place with bright, happy decorations. Bright surroundings cause you to feel brighter as well.

When dealing with your depression, you need to remember that you aren’t alone. Don’t forget this; if you constantly feel that you are alone, it can cause your depression to worsen. Somebody out there is either dealing with the same thing or will help you manage your issues.

When you are depressed, you should take extra care to nourish yourself. People who are depressed may not eat sometimes because they are feeling upset. Make sure to eat enough food to keep you healthy, even if you are not hungry.

To overcome depression, you have to remain realistic. Review all of your inner expectations and what you have made a priority in your life, and then adjust them according to what is realistically possible. If you have expectations that aren’t real, then you could be setting yourself up to fail, which may lead to even deeper feelings of depression because you couldn’t reach them.

Keep a daily journal. Writing down your thoughts each day is a great way to understand what affects your mood and how you could change things. The more you can recognize when depression is going to strike, the more you can do to counteract it.

Dress for success. Frumpy, torn, and tattered clothing can make you feel depressed. If you look unkempt, this contributes to those sad feelings. Try dressing nicely each day. Put on your make up and really take care of your physical appearance. You will soon start to feel you are nowhere near as unappealing as you may have believed.

Negative Thoughts

Make sure to eliminate bad thoughts. This isn’t easy because the mind defaults to negative thoughts more than positive ones. Try jotting down the thoughts you have so you can put down what makes you feel bad into words. Sometimes negative thoughts will evaporate if you put them into words.

Depression is something millions suffer from each year. However, you don’t have to go through it forever. After going through this advice and using it to your advantage, you won’t have to be depressed because you’ll start to recover.