The ability to fight depression may well be within you. The tendency to be depressed is linked to low serotonin levels. Serotonin is a hormone your body makes.
You can Increase serotonin levels in your body with some relatively painless methods. Here are the main natural remedies supported by research:
Sunlight - Lack of sunlight in the winter is the culprit for people who have SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder). The days are shorter, the sun is lower, and people often stay inside when it's cold and icy. If you ski, snowshoe, snowboard, or walk in the wintertime, you'll get a good dose of sun. Summertime, in converse, brings everyone outside. The days are longer. The sun is higher. People start gardening in spring, so by summer people have already had natural light treatment. An hour a day of sunlight is recommended by researchers.
Sleep - Serotonin is made during stage 3 and stage 4 sleep. A complete sleep cycle is about 90 minutes long, so a cat nap of 15 minutes isn't enough to get you to the deeper stages where the body heals itself and creates natural hormones.
Exercise - Depression manifests as a lack of vitality. Walking is a good exercise for all body types and ages. Walking in sunlight gives you a two for one, light and exercise. You can start small, just walk to the garbage can. Then increase your walk to the corner. Then next time go around the block. Try to walk a half hour a day or more. A low impact exercise and load bearing exercise, like walking, helps builds strong bones and isn't hard on joints.
Use Your Senses - While out walking, listen to the sounds of nature and people in activities, look for interesting or beautiful things to capture in art or photographs, smell the air. Mindful walking keeps you paying attention to your senses. Inside, use candles or essential oil diffusers for scents. Listen to soothing music. Pay attention to the texture of fabrics or pet your cat.
Be more social - You can find walking/hiking groups to add to your walking treatment. Social activities can be sports, music, art, games, or educational. Find something you are interested in and find a group already doing that. Or create your own golf foursome, neighborhood game groups, or bowling club. Look for groups at the library, like genealogy meetings. Volunteer at your community theater. The ideas are endless so make your own list. Then make it happen. Positive social interaction also increases serotonin.
Vitamins B and C and Omega 3 - These supplements are known to boost your mood. Vitamins B and C are also good for stress and immunity. They are water soluble so, if you don't need them, you'll just pee out the excess. Vitamin D also is important for mental wellness, but it is fat soluble. It stores in your fat. Have Vitamin D checked by your physician before taking any, so that you don't overdose.
Positive attitude - I write a blog post every week about positive activities. I invite you and others to join my journey to experience a happy life. Together we can focus on positives and thinking positively and thus increase the joy in our lives.
Let's all spread the joy!
(Photo is my warrior princess granddaughter who has a wonderful sense of humor and would join me in fighting off bad moods and dark clouds)
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