Treat depression and mental illness like any other kind of illness
Just because you experience depression, doesn’t mean you are depressed. Know what I mean? If you think about it as an experience, rather than something that defines you, you can make it less personal and help you take care of yourself.
Second, make an appointment and go see a psychologist or a psychiatrist.
If you don’t have money or insurance, there some NGOs in Nigeria who offer free services from time to time. Reach out to them
Stop “should-ing” yourself
Should is honestly the worst word ever. It’s fraught with guilt. It implies that you can’t change things. It’s whiney and nagging and basically just says that you wish things were different.
“I should have made this much money by now. I should be on the Forbes Under 30 list. I should be bigger than Facebook.”
Screw that. Nothing good comes from “should.”
Take care of your body
Your body is where you live. What you do to it will impact your state of mind.
When you exercise, your body releases endorphins that flood your brain. Endorphins trigger positive feelings, hence the term “runner’s high.”
You don’t have to run. Any exercise will do. But do it for at least 20 minutes a day, ideally longer, and try to get outside. Go for a long walk, lift weights, or take a free online yoga class if you don’t have the time or money to do one in person.
Eat well.
There are a million opinions on how to eat. But cutting down on sugar and processed foods and eating more fresh food usually helps people feel better in their body. Drinking water also helps, a lot.
Sleep.
Although insomnia can result from depression, it can cause it too. People with insomnia are 10 times more likely to develop depression, says The National Sleep Foundation. Sleep apnea, which sometimes accompanies intense snoring and poor sleep was also linked to depression.
Simple things like not checking your phone for a half hour before you go to sleep can help.
Spend time with people you love
This might seem REALLY OBVIOUS, but check this out. In a study called “Would you be happier if you were richer?” behavioral economists Alan Krueger and Daniel Kahneman found that the best indicator of happiness was the frequency of eating with friends and family.
Express gratitude
Ferriss suggests taking a minute every day to call or email someone and express gratitude about something.
I know other people who have a gratitude journal where they write down three to five things they’re grateful for every day.
Other people write things they’re grateful for in the moment they feel happy about them, then put the pieces of paper into a jar that they can pull from later to remind themselves how many good things they have in their life.
Stay strong, hustlers. And be nice to yourself and each other.
You never really know what people are going through.
