Human life is full of ups and downs. It is difficult to find a person who would vouch that he or she has never faced lows in life. There are times when a person feels about having been victimized, or faces unexpected failures or losses. Such situations result in depression. There are medical, clinical, or psychological tools to overcome depression. Individual willpower can come handy to raise fighting spirit. There are many mental tricks, which if followed properly can reclaim mental health and cheer.
- Avoiding loneliness, is the key to repel depression. Visiting a friend, little window shopping, relaxing in a public garden will certainly raise the mood.
- In case of inability to move outside the house, the next best way is to keep busy in an activity that can consume attention and can alleviate the causal effect of depression. Preparing a cup of coffee, watching a funny cartoon, or even cleaning and tiding a room would prove effective.
- Looking at the world through realistic eyes is one trick. As situation changes, so are the bad days. Thus the sense of loss is temporary. Tomorrow is definitely going to be brighter and cheerful. Positive thinking helps tide over pessimistic approach.
- Diversion of recursive painful thoughts can help in fighting depression. The influence of depressing thoughts would evaporate, if not allowed to linger.
- Remaining connected to people is a sure success to drive away depression. Even a small talk to neighbors, some conversation to shopkeeper or even telephonic encounter to an old friend would invariably result in lifting the spirits.
- Freeing oneself from the shackles of the past is another successful way to thwart gloomy and despondent thoughts. What has happened is a past and cannot be changed by any force. This realization must be accepted with open arms.
- Acceptance of gray areas is a way to understand and eventually overcome dejected feelings. The inclination to accept that thinking, behavior, or results need not lie only on one of the two extremes, goes a long way in aligning own thoughts in the right direction.
- Use of positive language about self will bring about affirmative results and would drive away pessimistic thinking patterns. Such an approach opens up new cheerful avenues in life.
- Case studies have shown that boasting about oneself or even sporting an artificial smile on the face does result in energizing feel good sensors in the brain. The brain in turn restores self esteem and develops a mental firewall to protect from the incursion of gloomy thinking.
- Setting small achievable goals is another mental trick to ward off depression. Once small goals are consistently achieved, harder goals can be set. The whole process of setting goals, striving to meet them is satisfying.
- Working of charitable causes is another way. Many people can be located, who are less fortunate. Nobody can remain blessed with happiness all the time. This wisdom, when dawned, can reduce gloom.
- The virtue of forgiveness produce wonders. The best policy is to forgive others as well as self for any past wrong doing.
There are many more similar ways to fight back the depression. All these methods and their structures are collectively called cognitive behavioral therapy. This therapy puts emphasis on needs to change behavioral patterns to achieve desired results. If followed religiously, these methods will certainly conquer the depressive thoughts and usher into the life of cheer and hope.