Depression in Young Adults
There’s nothing fun about depression. It is a very negative feeling. When going through depression, you feel sad and tired all the time. So when depression occurs for young adults, it can occur for a variety of reasons such as the ending of a relationship, the loss of a loved one, feeling alone, etc. According to WebMD, depression is a mood disorder that makes you feel constant sadness or lack of interest in life. It can be overwhelming, especially if you are a young adult trying to navigate your own life.
What to do About Depression in Young Adults
Depression is a painful feeling to experience, but there are ways to overcome it. It may not be easy, but it can help and pay off in the long run. You have to push yourself and keep in mind that you don’t have to be alone to get out of it. Depression in young adults can occur at any time (especially if you’re going through a crisis that is having a global impact, i.e., Covid).
Also, to keep in mind, you have a lot on your shoulders as a young adult. Going to high school, college, trying to find a job after graduation, trying to pay bills, basically anything that requires you to adult and takes on responsibilities that come with living life as a young adult.
Being in your late teens or being 20-something can be a fun time of your life, but it can also be stressful, and sometimes that stress can lead to depression. I know because I have been there. My senior year of college was the toughest. I was pulling all-nighters, writing papers, studying for finals, and trying to graduate. I did all of that while dealing with an auto-immune disease, and it wasn’t easy, and a lot of times, it made me seriously depressed and lonely. But some of the things I did to get myself out of that rut was trying a variety of things to relax and help me overcome my depression.
So if any of you are looking for ways to overcome your depression or know someone dealing with depression and you want to help them, check out the list of ideas below.
Keep Yourself Busy
When dealing with depression, you often feel tired, and you probably want to curl up in a ball and go to bed. DON’T DO THAT!
Keeping yourself busy is a surefire way to distract you from the depression and to keep you focused on your current task at hand.
There are so many things you can try to keep yourself busy:
Be Active
Keeping yourself busy means your being active. Get up out of bed or off the couch and get some energy. It may be easier said than done, but it does help. It also helps if you go outside and get some fresh air. If you feel adventurous, you can also hike or go to a park. Doing either exposes you to beautiful scenery and the fresh air and sun you need to boost some feel-good vibes.
Another way to be active is to get some exercise. Again, this can be done outdoors if you want to go on a hike or just a brisk walk. You can also get some exercise by going swimming in a swimming pool (or a lake or ocean, depending on where you live). You can also go outside and play a sport of some kind such as basketball, tossing a football, or even riding a bike.
Whatever you prefer to do when it comes to being active, please do it. It can do wonders for you physically and mentally, and you won’t feel as depressed as you did before.
Do Something Fun
You cannot get rid of depression without doing something fun. You get filled with joy and excitement by doing something fun that the depression subsides. Do something that brings you fun and leisure. It can be anything like a DIY project for something in your home, some arts and crafts, or something you consider a favorite hobby.
Whatever you like to do that is fun and brings you solace, do it. It’s a guarantee to get you feeling better.
RELATED ARTICLE: 5 Impactful Benefits of Art Therapy and Why You Should Try It
Be Around People
Another way to keep yourself busy is to be around other people.
To any of you who are not dealing with any depression but know someone who is or might be, reach out to them because you can be doing so much for that person. Call them up and check on them. Invite them out to lunch or visit their house to ensure they’re okay and do something for them.
And to those who are dealing with depression, reach out to a friend or relative who you can confide in and talk to them. They more than likely want to hear from you, and if you’re in some form of emotional pain because of your depression, talk to them. They are there for you because they love you, and people don’t like to see their loved ones hurting.
Also, keep in mind that it’s okay to ask for their help, and don’t be afraid to do so.
So for all of you who are dealing with depression or know someone who is, don’t be afraid to reach out because you could be doing so much good for them too.
Lifestyle Change
A lifestyle change is something else to try when overcoming depression. It does require a lot of changes with how you’re currently living your life. Some of the things that I already mentioned, such as being active and being around people, do fall into this category of lifestyle change. You want to eat healthier meals along with being active because doing that will not only give you the nutrients you need, but you’ll also feel good about yourself and want to keep up the positive vibes.
If you happen to drink alcohol and/or smoke, STOP!
If you feel depressed or any negative emotion and consume alcohol, it can result in adverse side effects that can harm you emotionally and physically. And if you’re a smoker, try quitting because it is terrible for you, especially vaping. Smoking is how people have been diagnosed with lung cancer and other health conditions that decrease their life expectancy.
If you feel the urge to have a smoke or a drink, find something else to try to keep you busy (remember #1).
Also, something else to try is making sure you get some form of exercise daily and go to bed at a decent hour, and make sure you get at least 8 hours of sleep when doing so.
Set Small Goals
One way to stick with your lifestyle change is to set small goals you can try to meet daily, weekly, etc. Setting small goals can be very helpful and can serve as a long-lasting benefit in the long run.
Small goals are better to have over big goals, at least in my opinion. The reason why is because if you set some big goals and set a short deadline for meeting that big goal, you would be setting yourself up for disappointment. So it’s easier to set small goals when you reach them; you can have yourself prepared for the big goals you want to meet and succeed with.
The most important thing to consider when setting goals is to believe in yourself and know that you can do it, these goals may not be easy at first, but if you stick with them, no matter if it’s a weight loss goal or a goal to save up money for your place or vacation somewhere, it will be worth it in the long run for your well-being.
Animal Therapy
I’ve mentioned animal therapy in a few of my previous blog posts, but it is helpful when dealing with depression. Animals are so adorable, and they love unconditionally, especially dogs. If you have a pet, give them a lot of love and attention, and they will make you feel so much better in return. If you don’t have a pet, you can always visit someone you know who has a fur baby and give them attention when you see them.
You can also watch cute and funny pet videos on youtube because watching them can make you feel good vibes. One of my favorite YouTube channels I love to watch is Cashew the Frenchie. The channel follows Cashew, a French Bulldog, in his funniest moments, and his owner will have conversations with him, and when you watch it, you can see his personality.
Cashew really acts like he understands everything his owner says. One of the things he does that I think is funny in his videos is if he’s hungry or wants to go outside, he will go upstairs to bark louder, or he’ll go to the air vent and use it as a microphone to be as loud as he can until he gets what he wants. It’s worth checking out, and you’ll get some animal therapy from this little guy if you want your depression to go away.
Animal therapy is the way to go if you want some quick cheering up, depending on your preference. Trust me, animal therapy works.
Write In A Journal
I’ve mentioned writing in a journal in my post 10 Creative Ways To Stay Motivated During Hard Times. I discussed in that section how writing in a journal can be therapeutic and be very beneficial to your personal well-being, but writing in a journal can be used for much more than that.
Sometimes when dealing with depression, some individuals, especially young adults, would rather keep a journal or a diary to write down their feelings rather than talk about what’s going on with them. While privacy is a boundary to understand when dealing with depression, it is also essential to know that keeping a lot bottled up is not healthy for one’s well-being, depending on their emotional state.
Besides using a journal to cope with depression, a journal can also be used for other silver-linings.
For instance, if you are going through a lifestyle change, as mentioned above, a journal can be used to record your signs of progress and track the goals you have set for yourself. You can also use a journal to record other things, such as your favorite mantras you use for motivation and encouragement, famous quotes, happy memories you have in your life, or even lyrics to your favorite songs.
No matter what it is, you can use a journal for anything to help you overcome depression, as well as a tool to inspire and encourage you to feel some good vibes.
Final Thoughts on How To Overcome Depression in Young Adults
Depression in young adults can be tough to bear. Whether it’s you experiencing the overwhelming feeling or it’s someone you’re close to that is. The bottom line here is that depression is an issue that we all come to terms with somehow, and it’s not easy to do so. However, it is possible to cope with depression and overcome it, as I mentioned in the ways I listed above.
Remember, things cannot be bad forever; there’s a light at the end of the tunnel somewhere and a silver lining to getting you out of the depressing feeling. Just stay strong and try the things I mentioned because they do help and if any of you have any thoughts about this post or wish to add something, feel free to leave a comment. Peace and Love! 🙂
Articles Related to Depression in Young Adults
10 Things to do to Stay Hopeful During a Pandemic
Stress and 9 Incredible Ways to Handle It
50 Positive Affirmations You Should Tell Yourself from the blog The EveryGirl