Two Simple Ways to Overcome Depression

Posted April 7, 2008 at 12:00 PM by Parth Shah

Section: His Fitness, His Health, Mental Health, Physical Health, Lifestyle Health, His Inspiration

Men rarely believe that we are depressed. Depression is a “female” thing. Next to crying, depression is like this emotion that men should run away from, right? Wrong. Every human being becomes depressed. It’s in our nature to feel down about something and to continually think about it until it begins affecting every aspect of our lives. Here are some simple tips that might be able to help you with your depression.

Principal One: Focus on the present. Guruji Shree Chitrabhanu states that, “The past is history, the future is a mystery. The present is a present. It is a gift. Take it.”

Most depressed people do not accept the gift that is in front of them. They do not realize what they are missing when they do not focus their thoughts on the present. There are some things that we cannot control and some things that we can. By developing habits formed around performing tasks, rather than thinking about the past or future, you will not only relieve yourself from depression, but also steadily develop a positive mindset.

Principal Two: Exercise Often. Research shows that as little as 10 to 15 minutes of exercise daily can improve depression. Some theories of how this exactly happens include that exercise raises the levels of certain mood-enhancing neuro-transmitters in the brain. Other theories suggest that exercise boosts feel-good endorphins, releases muscle tension, and helps you sleep better, thus making you feel better in daily life.

We know the physical benefits of exercise. But exercise as a mental stimulant is a new idea for many men. A good way to determine whether or not exercise actually does something for your mind is to start to keep a mood log along with your training log. Simply record your mood before, after, and two hours after training. Do that for a month and then take a look at your results.

Research sources for more information: [MayoClinic][theCrimson]