Many folks confuse sadness with depression. Sadness is a natural state, a necessary part of living. Friendships end. Death steals loved ones. Life provides us with plenty of reasons to feel sad. Feeling sad is appropriate at such times — and indispensable. The need to mourn, to feel sadness, is an essential part of what it means to be human. When we honor sadness, it provides us with essential space for self-reflection, and greater empathy and compassion. It also may compel us to recognize difficult truths or inspire us to make better choices.

Depression, however, offers no solace. It brutally assaults us and promotes hopelessness. This is because depression is not a pure feeling but an effort to ward off a complex mix of unwanted ones. Anger, frustration, irritation, and grief are feelings we tend to find intolerable; we don’t want to feel them. When we’re depressed, we’re engaging in a psychic battle to blot out these unwanted feelings. Common psychic defenses against painful feelings include denial (ignoring feelings), projection(transferring feelings onto others), rationalization(downplaying feelings) or binge eating (attempting to fill the emptiness we feel inside).

Unfortunately, as long as the true causes of our depression remain unaddressed, it will return again and again.

Battling Depression

To loosen the grip of depression, you’ll need to take action—lots of it. Confronting depression is like going into battle. Here’s a list of areas in your life that may need attention:

Body

• Exercise. A 30- to 40-minute cardio workout three times a week can reduce depression symptoms. Walking or running is also a great way to clear your head.

• Sleep. Too little or too much sleep can trigger depression symptoms; shoot for 7 to 8 hours per night. Try your best to be consistent.

• Diet. Research has shown a correlation between high sugar/high fat diets and depression. Try to avoid foods that make you feel sluggish as this might bring about negativity.

Mind

• Creativity. Stimulate your imagination with new experiences; enjoy poetry, art, theater, music, or try to reconnect with talents you’ve neglected.

• Psychotherapy. Invest in understanding yourself and breaking self-defeating patterns.

• Education. Challenge yourself by acquiring new skills; take classes or attend lectures.

Well. I hope this article teaches how to cure Depression that mostly common problems facing today.

Thank you for reading my first article.