Living with depression can be a challenging and isolating experience. Whether you’re facing chronic low mood or sudden depressive episodes, finding effective coping strategies is essential for your mental health. It can feel overwhelming to know where to start, but try picking just one or two things off of this list and see if you find them useful. If not, move on to another tactic until you find ones you can stick to.

13 Healthy Coping Skills for Depression

Coping with depression involves finding strategies that work for you. While some of these tips are pretty standard, think through ways that you could personalize them to your needs, when you could slot them into your current routine, and who you could ask for help or accountability.

Here are 13 coping skills to help you manage your depression:

1. Practice Mindfulness & Meditation

Mindfulness and meditation can help you stay present and manage negative thoughts. By focusing on your breath and being aware of the moment, you can reduce stress and improve your emotional well-being. A regular practice can help you better cope when depression symptoms flare, as you can have a toolbox of grounding techniques or meditation mantras ready to go.

2. Engage in Physical Activity

Regular movement positively impacts your mood and energy levels. Aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise most days, such as walking, yoga, or swimming.

3. Get Outside

Even if you don’t have the energy for moderate exercise, just being outside in the sunlight and around green plants has been proven to boost mood. Spend a few minutes sitting in your yard or take a short walk in your neighborhood.

4. Establish a Routine

Creating a daily routine offers structure and stability, making it easier to handle depression symptoms. Limiting the decisions you have to make in a day can give you more energy for other self-care tasks.

5. Tend to Your Sleep Hygiene

Depression can often make sleep difficult, either involving insomnia/waking up during the night, or causing someone to sleep too much. To counteract this symptom, it’s important to develop a strict bedtime schedule and make your bedroom as calm as possible. Also, limit your screentime before bed, and try to keep your phone in another room while you sleep.

6. Nourish Your Body

Do your best to incorporate nutrient-rich foods into your diet. Instead of thinking in terms of restriction, try considering what you could add to your diet to boost your protein, fiber, and vitamin intake.

7. Connect with Others

Reach out to friends, family, or support groups to share your feelings. Building a support network of people who allow you to share how you’re really doing can provide comfort and lessen feelings of isolation.

8. Learn How to Challenge Your Negative Thoughts

Depression can put a negative spin on your life, with one of the main symptoms being a feeling of hopelessness or helplessness. When these thoughts occur, it’s best to be prepared with go-to statements that challenge the negativity and bring you back to reality.

Start examining the actual evidence to determine whether these thoughts hold weight, and what your patterns and triggers are. Then, ask yourself if you would say your negative thoughts to a friend who was dealing with a similar situation. If not, consider what you might say instead.

9. Watch Something Funny

Sometimes, coping just means getting through a difficult few hours of low mood or intrusive thoughts. When these thoughts start to spiral, it can be helpful to counteract them by turning on a comedy or a silly movie you know you’ll enjoy. If you’re tempted to doomscroll on your phone, try watching silly videos on YouTube instead.

10. Pursue Creative Hobbies & Interests

Engaging in activities you enjoy can distract you from negative thoughts and help you feel a sense of accomplishment, no matter how small. Consider gardening, painting, pottery, writing poetry, or picking up an instrument. The more you practice, this can help create a positive upward spiral.

11. Start a Gratitude Journal

It can be difficult to notice the good things in your life when you’re depressed, so it can be helpful to actively focus on them and write them down once a day. Don’t overthink it, just jot down three things at the end of the day that you’re grateful for.

12. Do Something to Encourage Others

Depression can make your world feel very small and insular, and it’s easy to focus on the negatives. By volunteering or doing something nice for someone else, you’re actively showing your brain that life is bigger than your depression. Plus, doing a good deed actively boosts feelings of well-being.

13. Ask for Help

The symptoms of depression can often lead to isolation, keeping you stuck in low mood and thoughts of hopelessness. You can actively challenge these thoughts by asking for help from a loved one. Maybe you need support cooking healthy meals or with some basic housework. Having a loved one over or utilizing their help can remind you that you’re not alone, and that your loved ones want to support you.

Tips for Living with Depression

Living with depression requires ongoing effort and self-care. As you choose which coping mechanisms work best for you, don’t forget to give yourself grace and practice patience. Healing will take time.

Here are some tips to help you manage depression:

• Set realistic goals: Break tasks into smaller steps and celebrate your achievements, no matter how small.
• Monitor your thoughts: Challenge negative thinking and replace it with positive or realistic thoughts.
• Take breaks: Allow yourself time to rest and recharge; avoid overwhelming responsibilities.
• Practice self-compassion: Be kind to yourself; it’s okay to have bad days. Treat yourself like a friend.
• Seek professional help: If your depression feels overwhelming, contact a mental health professional. Therapy and medication can effectively manage depression.

How Depression Treatment Services Can Help

While coping skills can help, many people need professional depression treatment to mitigate symptoms. If you’re struggling to complete your everyday tasks or simply feeling down and unsure how to bounce back, it could be time to talk to a therapist.

Here’s how our depression treatment services can help you start to feel better:

• Comprehensive Evaluation & Diagnosis: We begin with a thorough evaluation to understand your symptoms and identify the causes of your depression, allowing us to create a customized treatment plan.
• Evidence-Based Therapies: Our therapists utilize cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), and other evidence-based methods to help you develop coping skills and improve your emotional well-being.
• Medication Management: For some, medication is a crucial part of managing depression. Our psychiatrists collaborate with you to find the right medication and dosage, monitor your progress, and adjust as needed.
• Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS): TMS is a safe procedure with few side effects, using magnets to stimulate areas of the brain that have been underactive due to depression.
• Spravato®: The first FDA approved nasal spray for difficult-to-treat depression, Spravato® is a nasal spray that can boost neurotransmitter production and processing power in the brain.
• Supportive Environment: At Northeast Health Services, we provide a supportive environment for our clients. Our team is here to guide you through your mental health journey, offering encouragement and understanding at every step.

Connect with Northeast Health Services & Start Depression Treatment in Massachusetts

Northeast Health Services is committed to helping you find effective coping skills and top-quality depression treatment. If you’re living with depression, know that you’re not alone and help is available.

Call 508.794.8711 to begin your journey toward better mental health, or schedule your first appointment now. For existing clients, find your office location to contact your office directly.