4 Self-Care Habits That Can Help With Depression

This is a continuation of a series that started after I asked nurses on TikTok about their biggest barriers to self-care. Among the top 10 answers given was depression. The sad thing about this answer is that we all know that self-care can actually help with depression. It’s certainly not a cure, but it can help.

At the same time, depression can make one wonder if the effort is even worth it. Or, make one struggle to even have the initiative to do the self-care we know we all need.

Before I get into this, let me say, if you are struggling with depression, see someone. You may need counseling. You may need medication. There is no shame in either treatment. The habits outlined in the Restoring Nurses Framework can provide some help, but they are not a substitute for professional treatment.

Now, here are 4  ways self-care can help with depression

1 – Have a routine

Having a routine is going to help with self-care in a few ways. First, it’s going to make it easier to actually do the self-care habits that you want to do. Making them a part of your daily, weekly, or monthly routine means you don’t have to build up the initiative to do it. It’s just something you do.

The second way it helps is by helping to ensure that these self-care habits actually get done. As I said above, you don’t have to think about them, you just do them. For most of us showering or brushing our teeth are habits that we don’t even have to think about. They are such a part of our daily routine that they are automatic. Building self-care habits into your daily routine will have the same effect.

One final way that having a routine can help with depression is the satisfaction that comes with completing something, especially something you know is good for you. My wife hates to go to bed with dirty dishes in the sink. She takes great satisfaction from them being completed. Having a routine that includes self-care habits will allow you to look back on your day and know that you completed these things.

2 – Exercise Regularly

It’s well known that exercise is good for your physical health. The truth is that it is also good for your mental health as well. This is not to say that we all need to go out and become gym rats, or marathon runners. The goal of the entire Restoring Nurses Framework is not to encourage drastic changes, but rather to make small, achievable changes that grow as we do. Even adding small amounts of exercise to your weekly routine can help.

One of the benefits of regular exercise that helps across multiple of the Domains of Self-Care is that it makes you less tired. To those that have experienced any degree of depression, you understand that a consistent feeling of tiredness often goes with it. Adding to that actual, physical fatigue just makes it work. Regular exercise can help you feel less tired.

Endorphins… No, that isn’t the strange version of the aquatic mammals we see at SeaWorld. Endorphins are chemicals that have a great influence on our moods and emotions. It is no secret that people who exercise regularly experience a greater release of endorphins. However, we tend to only associate this with extreme athletes. Even regular people like you and me can experience an increase in endorphins when we add even a small amount of exercise to our routine.

3 – Eating Well

Overeating makes you feel bad. Not eating enough makes you feel bad. Eating things too high in sugar make you feel bad. Basically, food has the potential to make you feel bad when you are not intentional about what you eat. Eating well can help you have more energy. Eating well can help to better regulate your glucose levels. Eating well has many potential effects that can help with depression.

4 – Be With People

Ok, I know, you are with people all day at work (or all night for my night shift peeps). The last thing you want to do is spend MORE time with people. I’m not suggesting you spend time with random people. Rather, I’m telling you to make a habit of spending time with the people you love. This time with the most important people in your life can help immensely. Here are some samples of ways to do this:

• Regular date nights with a spouse or partner.
• Date nights with your kids.
• Work on a hobby with your kids, spouse, partner, or friends
• Play games with family/friends
• Have coffee, lunch, or a drink with a friend

Conclusion

While this barrier is completely understandable, it is still a bit ironic. Most of us know that taking better care of ourselves can help.  Still, we struggle somedays to find the energy to do it. We struggle to get the initiative to get up and do the things we know we need to do. Hopefully, knowing that self-care can help with depression will help you to take the initiative to learn to take better care of yourself.