Depression In COVID-19 Times | The Wisdom Podcast | S2 E50

Here we are.

At the time of release of this episode,

It is almost one year to the day that the World Health Association confirmed the coronavirus as pandemic.

We are discussing a topic that is long overdue,

That you may have already been experiencing,

That we all need to shed more light upon so that you and others who are suffering in sadness and with depression can heal yourself.

This information is not intended to replace your proactive work and the medical attention that I would encourage you to seek,

Particularly if you experience any or all of the symptoms that I will describe shortly.

Something that we don't speak enough about,

Sadness has a place in your life,

Not forever,

Not as a condition that you must live each day,

But as a reminder that you have the infinite propensity to feel,

To feel for another living being.

To feel the suffering and grief of another,

Of yourself,

And for real and just reasons.

Do you continue to feel the imminent and certain origin of life's churning moments that you have already lived and that which continue to repeat?

If you have never learned how to give yourself permission to release these feelings,

To release what has happened,

To reassure your present day self and your younger self that for whatever has happened,

You no longer need to feel this depth of sadness and that you are safe,

That you are never alone,

Even when there is no one in your presence.

If I may remind you that there is a purpose to sadness,

It requires your attention and that you excavate to examine with a fresh perspective and to allow acceptance of what already is and of what is in the past.

You do not have to agree with the past in order to accept it.

To release what sadness has enveloped you,

You must first be willing to let it in,

To acknowledge it,

To say,

I feel this,

I feel sad.

To acknowledge sadness is to then have the power to do something more with it and to release the burden of needing to keep what you feel away or hidden,

To disavow how you feel or to feel lost or submerged in its abyss.

As it was once a part of you,

Now you may be ready for your release of what has caused you to feel sad and depressed.

I work with clients who experienced prolonged sadness and depressive symptoms.

Whether what they feel is a natural response to something that has just happened or if their sadness now prolonged has become some or much of the criteria that categorizes them with depression.

You,

They,

We all begin the healing first as you acknowledge the presence of what you feel without pushing it away or trying so very hard to avoid feeling its impact.

Instead acknowledge it is with you for right now for a little longer until you decide what you will feel.

In this interactive journey into what depression is and how you can best help yourself,

Let me also present another theory.

Prolonged sadness and depression is also the result of a lack of love.

Whether love beginning in childhood was conditional or if it was absent,

You can still feel loved.

It now must be because of you.

You must now learn to love yourself for yourself and to also integrate healthy self-care and self-love back into your life.

We'll talk more about this as I go through the 12 best solutions for healing depression.

And I also highly recommend that you find a caring and loving therapist that can provide helpful guidance and support as you discover what it means to acknowledge your feelings and then to be willing to release them as you decide instead what you need to feel and to be willing to do this for yourself.

We're going to begin with the big list,

The official Diagnostic and Statistical Manual or DSM-5 and the criteria that your physician or psychiatrist would use to make an official diagnosis.

We begin here because this information is the Holy Grail for what constitutes a major depressive disorder or MDD.

And it is also completely available in the public realm.

It is important that you have the accurate means to self-assess.

So let's begin with what depression is and then I will share with you a list of the 12 best solutions for alleviating and healing sadness and depression naturally.

So please join me for this valuable dive into what it means to heal yourself from depression.

There are going to be moments in which you feel sadness,

Sadness that seems to arise out of nowhere and for no apparent reason that feels like a weighted cloak that you can't seem to shed.

Sadness is worth uncovering.

It is not meant to avoid or deny or to push away because this can never alleviate what you feel.

Sadness needs to be felt.

It needs to have a space within you to look at,

To find answers for,

Which then allows for understanding,

New meaning and the ability to let the feeling be free,

To release it from you forever.

Sadness that is diagnosed as depression is a sadness that you have lived with for some time.

Caught in the space of your being,

It imprisons in its leaden form,

Seemingly unwilling to release you.

Sadness and its chronic state of depression persists when it has no recourse.

It needs to be experienced with the acknowledgement of what is,

Of what is wrong,

Of what was once damaging and hurtful.

And sadness and depression need a new home.

They need to be freed,

Released as the impending wind that furrows together.

This vacant breath.

Depression and sadness need a home that is not within you,

That is the release of what has burrowed deep within you for too long.

Finding its origin helps you to uncover the means that have kept it a part of you and then to see that it is no longer something that you wish to experience.

Your acknowledgement is what serves to free you,

To choose instead that you can let go of its hold,

You can relinquish the need to feel what is not yours.

It is time.

According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders,

Fifth Edition,

The diagnosis of a major depression episode or MDE requires five or more symptoms to be present within a two-week period.

One of the symptoms should at least be either a depressed mood or anhedonia,

Which is a psychological condition characterized by inability to experience enjoyment in normally enjoyed activities.

The secondary symptoms of MDE are appetite or weight changes,

Sleep difficulties,

Such as insomnia or hypersomnia,

A disorder of sleep that is characterized by prolonged sleep periods which typically occur at least three times a week,

And sleep that is not restorative or refreshing,

And by the presence of excessive daytime sleepiness.

Further,

Psychomotor agitation,

Which is a way of describing a slowing down of thought and a reduction of physical movements and emotional reactions,

Including speech and affect.

Next we have fatigue or loss of energy,

Diminished ability to think or concentrate,

Feelings of worthlessness or excessive guilt,

And finally,

Suicidality.

The term suicidality covers suicide ideation,

Which is serious thoughts about taking one's own life,

Suicide plans,

And suicide attempts.

These symptoms are rated in an all or none fashion,

And I will leave this complete list for you as part of the self-care package for diagnosing depression as a PDF,

And I'll leave it in the description.

I believe that the crisis of COVID has already made us more resilient and determined.

It has forced us to examine what we have always done,

To find new means of connecting and showing care and love to one another,

And it has also illuminated the distinct paradigms that need to shift.

The existing problems no longer left invisible and unattended,

The gaps in the system,

The ways in which we have as a society and also as our human being have needed to change,

To rise up for what is just and right,

To no longer do what is good enough or less than.

Like the mutations of its strain,

We are all being challenged to rise above,

To adapt in new ways that will serve us best,

And to open a dialogue and a precedent for helping each other,

For looking at your fellow human as more unlike yourself,

And for allowing your capacity for compassion to be your first response.

In this time in your life,

Thriving must be experienced internally,

Where it is less likely to be noticed except unto yourself.

This is also called resilience,

Sense of self,

Attitude,

Optimism,

Persistence,

Willingness,

Positivism,

Connection,

Care,

Love of others,

And of course,

Love of yourself.

To thrive is to take responsibility now more than ever,

To rely on yourself for autonomy,

That is,

Self-reliance,

Self-sufficiency,

And independence,

And for being courageous and brave to be self-responsible,

To align yourself as best as possible with the fierce inner grace that you can find during this time,

Because this is how you will shape your future for the better.

Depression is often experienced as a flip side of anxiety,

Even as both often occur in unison.

Depression can be a consequence of prolonged anxiety,

Fear,

Or anger,

And depression itself lends to feeling hopeless,

Alone,

And with the perception that one may not have the means or tools to cope.

Here in this episode,

I encourage you to take a personal assessment.

Use the DSM diagnostic criteria to assess whether what you are experiencing is depression,

And listen on to learn what you can do to help yourself.

If you have assessed yourself to have some of these symptoms,

Or to have them in mild form and not chronically for a period of two weeks or longer,

It's still helpful to address what you are experiencing with the solutions I'm about to share with you.

If you believe that you have major depressive disorder or persistent depressive disorder,

PDD,

Which is the experience of depressive symptoms for a prolonged period of more than two years,

Indulge in this list of solutions to help yourself.

And also,

Please seek professional medical care so that you can be sure that you are doing everything and doing what you feel most comfortable and aligned with to help yourself best.

If depression is something that your family members have had or continue to struggle with,

It is likely that there is a genetic component to your experience.

This means that you may need to be more diligent about being aware of how you feel and what symptoms you experience in order to best help yourself.

Here is a list of natural solutions and preventative care for symptoms of depression.

Any and all of these can be used as a part of a self-care plan that may also include medication.

I'm calling this list of best solutions your depression-free checklist,

And it is a part of the free downloadable PDF that I'm including in the notes here for you.

Please take advantage of this resource and share it with those whom you believe may be experiencing some or many of these depressive symptoms.

This list is inclusive of the very best and most essential solutions to rid sadness and depression and which keeps you from living a life that is meant to enjoy all wonders,

Beauty and experiences and all that you can possibly manifest.

We begin with the big three meditation,

Mindfulness and prayer.

Each of these acts as an instant conduit to the present moment.

Depression is both a state of being and a feeling that is derived from your thoughts.

When you live in the presence of now,

There can be no sadness.

That seems simple and it is.

Your thoughts begin a circuit that evokes emotion and the subsequent reactions to those emotions.

If you tell yourself,

For example,

That you have no friends or that you can't do anything because of the current lockdown rules,

These thoughts are not only untrue,

But when you say them,

Whether in your mind or aloud,

You make them your truth.

They are not truth.

They are thoughts that may or may not have accuracy that you are focusing upon.

In another solution,

I will share how to change your thoughts so that you are choosing to think what is true.

In meditation,

Mindfulness,

Which is the ability to be aware and to witness what is right now and prayer,

You engage in present moment awareness.

In meditation and prayer,

You may venture into the future in deciding and visioning what is wanted,

What is most desired,

And to focus upon this.

This directs the mind to consider the positive nature of your future moments,

As well as the question of what is wanted rather than what thoughts you may be telling yourself that keep you lodged in fear,

Sadness,

And suffering as you focus on what is not wanted.

And just to note,

I have added helpful links and resources in each of these 12 best solutions as your depression-free checklist.

This bundle of resources is designed to best help you with a most impressive list of tools that you can access right now.

The second solution that's part of your depression-free checklist is this.

Go outdoors.

There are several benefits to being outdoors in green space and nature for 15 minutes or longer every day.

Green space is defined as open,

Undeveloped land with natural vegetation,

As well as urban green spaces,

Which include urban parks and street greenery.

In going outside,

You receive fresh air and a change of scenery.

And if you can venture into green spaces and experience nature,

Even if it is a single tree in an urban park,

Standing near this natural wonder,

Grounding yourself by touching it,

Breathing in the oxygenated air in its presence,

All of which help to decompress from stress and sadness,

To feel calm and soothed,

And to help you return to your center.

Spending time in or living close to natural green spaces is associated with diverse and significant health benefits.

We feel healthier when we are in nature,

But until recently,

The impact on our long-term well-being hasn't been fully understood.

The research team at the University of East Anglia's Norwich Medical School studied data from 20 countries and more than 290 million people,

Confirming that exposure to green space reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes,

Cardiovascular disease,

Premature death,

High blood pressure,

And increases sleep duration.

More specific to depression,

People who live closer to nature and also spend time in natural green spaces had reduced blood pressure,

Heart rate,

And stress.

One interesting physiological marker of stress,

Salivary cortisol,

Was significantly reduced.

And of course,

Being in green spaces and forests lends itself quite naturally to physical activity.

Another depression solution that I will be speaking about shortly.

Something else that has also been proven helpful related to time outdoors and in nature is shinrin-yoku,

Or forest bathing.

Already a popular therapy in Japan,

Forest bathing is just that.

Spending time in the forest either sitting,

Lying down,

Or walking.

The third best solution to heal depression is to be proactive.

When you are depressed,

You feel unmotivated to do daily tasks that can help you to feel better.

This is really about parenting yourself.

To make yourself do the things that seem so difficult,

And then to feel the small but certain benefit from taking action.

Rather than procrastinate,

Which only serves to give you an excuse to avoid more,

Make that phone call that you have been putting off.

Reply to the email that is waiting for your action.

But also take care of the simple daily habits that will help you feel better.

For example,

Wash your face,

Comb and style your hair,

Change your clothes out of what you have slept in,

Wash some dishes,

Tidy your living space.

Set an alarm for 10 minutes so that any task that you may find difficult now has a specific end point,

And then see how much you can accomplish in a short amount of time.

And the fourth best solution for healing depression,

Utilize positive supports.

You need people and resources in place to call upon each day to help you uplift yourself.

To commiserate with others is not productive,

And it often leaves you feeling worse.

My clients have noted that they are left feeling empty and disconcerted for hours afterwards when they find themselves on the receiving end of listening to those who complain and rant,

And find all of what they deem to be wrong in the world.

Instead find positive people,

Whether in your life personally or through uplifting videos,

Podcasts and music,

All of which have the luxury of helping you lift your vibration,

Instill new ideas,

And offer positive experiences.

Positive support reminds you of how you are capable of feeling.

Consider what new positive habits you can integrate into your daily schedule with the ideas and experiences that you allow into your life.

And number five in the best solutions is gratitude.

Gratitude creates happiness.

The world is taking this one on by storm.

We are all experiencing firsthand the power of gratitude in daily life.

And for good reason,

Gratitude works.

When you think about what you are thankful and blessed and grateful for,

And when you receive gratitude from others,

Your brain releases dopamine and serotonin,

Two crucial transmitters responsible for enhancing your mood and causing the experience and feeling of happiness.

A daily practice of gratitude will help strengthen the neural pathways in your brain.

This means that you will improve your emotional wellbeing and it becomes easier for you to live in a positive mindset.

Gratitude works to reduce stress hormones and to manage the autonomic nervous system,

Thereby significantly reducing symptoms of depression and anxiety.

At the neurochemical level,

Feelings of gratitude are associated with an increase in the neural modulation of the prefrontal cortex.

This is a part of the brain that is responsible for managing negative emotions like guilt and shame.

As a result,

People who keep a gratitude journal or use verbal expressions of gratitude regularly are more empathetic and positive minded.

Create a five or ten minute daily practice of gratitude the moment you wake in the morning.

You will be impressed by how it helps you set up your day with a healthy outlook and positive feelings.

The next three best solutions for healing depression you will know well.

Here I share the science-based research behind why they are such an important part of the overall result to alleviating depressive symptoms.

Number six is exercise.

This well-known active habit and enhancement to a positive lifestyle activates the release of dopamine,

Noradrenaline,

And serotonin,

The three major neurotransmitters that are known to be modulated by exercise,

That heighten your sense of wellbeing,

And that directly alleviate depression.

Exercise also functions as a positive intentional behavior as you focus on something constructive and away from a cycle of negative thoughts that can perpetuate depression.

Regular exercise has many psychological and emotional benefits.

And with many of us working from home and not able to access gyms,

Yoga studios,

And other forums for activity,

It's important to schedule time in your day,

Every day,

For exercise sessions.

You can begin with ten minutes at a time and increase this,

Or have several shorter sessions built into your daily routine.

Exercise helps you cope in a healthy way.

For example,

The positive effects of exercise on cognition include improvements in most executive functions,

Such as attention,

Working memory,

Cognitive flexibility,

Inhibitory control,

Problem solving and decision-making,

And information processing speed.

And these effects are felt for a period of up to two hours after exercising.

While there is clear evidence for exercise treatment efficacy for major depressive disorder,

Your exercise regime may be more manageable to you right now in smaller doses,

Spread throughout your day,

For its most positive impact for cognitive and emotional wellness.

The research suggests that exercise does need to be a part of a long-term commitment for the rest of your life.

Even implementing a 10-15 minute stretch session or walk or five minutes of calisthenics near your desk can help so much.

Exercise doesn't have to be training for a marathon.

Begin with some small changes,

Like how many push-ups you can do without pausing or in the set amount of time.

Everything builds upon what you begin with.

As you pay attention to your body,

To your posture,

To how you move,

You engage your mind and focus in the present moment.

And of course,

Exercise helps you to think positively as the feel-good transmitters circle your brain.

And number seven of our list of best solutions for healing depression is healthy eating.

We know the benefits of healthy eating for the body,

But did you know how important eating whole and healthful foods are for your mind health,

And how these are associated with lower risk of depression?

There is fresh evidence that eating a healthy diet,

One that includes plenty of fruits and vegetables and limits highly processed foods can help reduce symptoms of depression.

There is a growing body of research that supports the connection between diet and mental health.

We now have a highly consistent and extensive evidence base from around the world linking healthier diets to reduced depression risk.

And number eight in your list of solutions to heal depression is sleep.

Because your sleep is affected when you feel a low mood,

This is also an important area to focus on to help yourself feel better.

At times,

Our bio rhythm requires that we get more sleep.

And at times,

Naps can be a useful tool to help reset and restore,

To heal our mind and body and to support a basic need that we all have.

Depression and sleep problems are closely linked.

People with insomnia,

For example,

May have a tenfold higher risk of developing depression than people who get a good night's sleep.

And among people who suffer from depression,

75% have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep.

To fix your sleep hygiene,

Cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia has been touted as a critical breakthrough for depression treatment.

It can help improve sleep for people with depression and also increases the chances of a remission of depression.

I'm going to include in your self-care resource that you can download links to some of my favorite sleep meditations and yoga nidra deep healing and relaxation meditations.

These do not require any previous experience,

Only the desire to take in my words and let your body do the rest.

And remember you also have your 30-day free mindfulness meditation app,

Aura,

To give you many other sleep meditation options.

And number nine in your list of best solutions for healing depression is this cognitive behavioral therapy as an evidence-based treatment to challenge and change the thoughts that can keep you stuck in a low mood.

CBT is focused in the here and now and with the added benefit of homework and behavioral assignments that allow clients to develop efficacy in helping themselves.

One of the benefits of cognitive behavioral therapy as the treatment of depression is to teach clients how to challenge and change their thoughts.

This means using evidence and factual information to change what they tell themselves and believe.

By holding thoughts that are true,

One is far more empowered to make a positive behavioral change and to change how one feels.

And as we round out our list of the 12 best solutions to alleviate and heal depression,

Number 10,

Acceptance.

Acceptance of what is right now and for the decision to make a positive change.

Acceptance for how your life has changed because of this pandemic rather than focus on what makes you unhappy about what has changed.

Life is in constant motion.

You will find new ways to heal and grow and to carve out a means of thriving as best as you can for what has already changed.

Acceptance allows you to look for how you can adapt and thrive rather than wallow in what is not possible.

And it is what helps you best navigate the changes that are already in place.

Acceptance doesn't mean that you agree with or prefer a new approach or an imposed change.

It does,

However,

Help you to focus on what you can control and make better because of your attitude and what action you take to help yourself.

And number 11 in your list of best solutions to heal depression,

Be of service and help to others.

As much as it may be difficult when you are feeling sad,

Choosing to think of another person's well-being is a profoundly enlightened way to help yourself.

As a practice of loving kindness,

Being of service is often overlooked as a formative means of alleviating sadness and healing depression.

It's an important strategy to look beyond yourself when you feel depressed to what you can do to help another.

This shifts the thoughts that you hold and diminishes what sadness you feel.

As you think of another,

Take a moment to imagine what you could do to reach out to them,

To show them kindness and care,

And to be of help.

This could be a text,

A phone call,

Or an email to say hello and check in.

It could be a random act of kindness,

Such as bringing them a coffee,

Clearing their driveway of snow,

Or picking up something for them when you are at the store.

Acts that let others know that you are thinking of them go far to improve your mood and incite others to feel cared for and loved.

Another way of being of service is to volunteer your time,

Your help,

Your skill,

Your love in a way that allows you to make a difference.

Being of service gives our life meaning and purpose.

We are all here to help one another.

To offer help,

Think of someone that you know,

Someone that you care about,

And imagine what you can do to offer kindness,

To connect with them in a simple and yet meaningful way.

This is how you feel helpful and how you realize the importance of your place in the world.

As others are thankful for your kindness and help,

You receive the important outcome of gratitude that you in turn feel uplifted from.

And finally,

Number 12 of the best solutions to alleviate and heal depression.

Be love.

Love is within you to give and receive.

By being of love,

You live the deeper meaning of life.

When you act in loving ways,

Kindness flows readily.

And this kindness that you are,

In turn,

Is what allows you to feel your goodness as comfort,

Love,

And the inner awareness that you are here to be love.

From a state of loving kindness,

You set in motion feelings of positivism,

And your kindness helps you to feel engaged with others and with life.

And last but not least,

A bonus solution for curing the feelings of sadness and depression.

Set up a daily schedule,

A routine that includes the activities that you enjoy,

That you can look forward to experiencing each day,

As well as any or all of these 12 best practices,

Solutions for alleviating and healing depression.

Think about what aligns best with you and what would help most,

And insert this into your schedule together with the best time of the day to experience this healthy practice.

It's best if you can set up a time and a gentle alarm to these healthy activities,

And to take a short break to honor the importance of making time for what is also so important for yourself.

When you plan simple fun and activities that you look forward to,

As well as the healthful practices that will become a part of your life,

And as you parent yourself to do these things,

Happiness,

A sense of accomplishment,

And self-pride will follow.

When you enjoy the experiences of what you love,

You shift your mindset,

Because your brain releases the neurotransmitters of serotonin and dopamine,

And you experience the feelings of contentment,

Calm,

And also happiness and joy.

And this is how you begin to hold a positive perspective,

And to be encouraged and optimistic.

To experience each day the activities you enjoy and what mental and physical wellness practices you need to nourish and care for you is both motivating and comforting.

Changing your habits can make all the difference.

Healthy behaviors become new habits when you make them a part of your schedule,

And allow them a chance to grow into something that you enjoy and that you know helps you to feel mentally well and positive.

I hope that in listening you have so many more options and insights now to help yourself and to garner the right help and positive support so that you may thrive in the absence of depression,

And in a state of contentment,

Ease,

Joy,

And self-love.

Please do download the PDF and your free resource and self-care guide to a depression-free life,

And the 12 best natural solutions to heal depression.

Know that I am always here to help in any way that I can.

Please reach out to me and to the other positive supports that you now have in place.

Use your experiences of sadness and depression to learn from,

To grow beyond what you once knew,

And to rise up from the ashes of what once was,

And to always trust in the beauty of who and what you are,

And what you are on your way to become.

If you enjoyed this episode,

Please share it out with those you care about and to whom this can help.

And I always appreciate hearing from you.

If you have any topics that you would like me to cover in future episodes,

Just drop me a note.

Thank you so much.

This is Dorothy.

Namaste.

Thank you so much for joining me in this episode of the Wisdom Podcast.

To hear more,

Please check out the other episodes here,

As well as my guided meditations,

Including my signature prose meditations,

And I Am mantras,

And as well the meditations to guide you into a deep and restorative sleep.

Please also visit me on social media and say hello.

And a special thank you to Insight Timer for this beautiful space to share all of my love.

Allow yourself to go within,

To access your inner wisdom,

And to live this.

Awaken your authentic power,

Live your truth,

And be love.

Namaste.