The second important way to positively impact your mental health and alleviate symptoms of depression has to do with diet. I’m not talking about diet in terms of, “going on a diet.” I’m referring to diet as what you regularly eat. Care should be taken to consider what food a person puts into their body because our food is our fuel. Many have heard the analogy, “Well, you wouldn’t put cheap fuel in your car and expect it to run, would you?” If gas prices were lower, maybe this phrase would be more impactful, but it’s a fairly apt analogy.

I’d like to avoid focusing this blog entry on weight. At this point we all know that extra weight isn’t good for our bodies. It seems the same as telling people that smoking is bad for them…we all get it now. However, healthy bodies do come in multiple shapes, sizes, and weights, and I’m not convinced that the scale is always the best indication of health. I’m also not a dietician, so I don’t care to steer too far out of my lane. My focus is strictly related to the concept of food as fuel.

If we think of food as our fuel, we can still love, love, love the fuel. We don’t have to starve ourselves, and we don’t have to deprive ourselves of anything tasty. We just need to be smart about how we view the fuel we’re putting into our bodies.

Ideally, we should focus on eating the right amount of fuel. This is harder to figure out than it has any right to be. Too much fuel is stored for future use. Too little doesn’t give our bodies the necessary amount in order to run properly. What is the right amount for you? That is a conversation to have with your doctor. For the most part, remember that your stomach is supposed to be roughly the size of your fist, and try to eat accordingly.

Now, to the part I’d like to emphasize, the type of fuel. Our bodies are an incredibly complex set of systems that seek to work together in harmony. We have nutrition needs that are met when we consume a variety of certain foods. We need vitamins, minerals, proteins, fiber, and other nutrients in order to have a balanced diet, and this balance is good for our minds too. Don’t forget that your brain is a physical part of your body, just like any other organ. Focus your diet on as much fresh food as possible, and try to avoid processed foods. Pre-made meals and high preservative foods can be less nutritious. “But I can’t cook,” you say? Understandable. Many find cooking to be intimidating until they get started with a couple of small things. I promise that you can find a recipe for anything using a quick Google search, and there are a ton of how-to-videos out there too.

Small steps that you can take to change your diet:

Limit your fast food intake, and when you do have to grab a quick meal on the road, try to focus on the healthier choices on the menu–grilled chicken is probably healthier than fried nuggets.
Switch out junk food snacks for healthier snacks–those chips and sugary snacks don’t actually have any fuel in them, and all you are consuming are calories.
Increase how often you cook or prepare food at home–fewer frozen boxed dinners.
Look at your diet to see if it is balanced with different foods that have nutritional value, and if it isn’t, think about how you can make adjustments.

Any adjustment that you make with your health is a win. Even small changes that add nutrition to your diet are important. It can be overwhelming to think of what is necessary to overall an unhealthy diet. Start small; make a few little changes to gain some confidence. Consider adding a new healthy change to your diet every week or two. Also, be patient. Changes take time, and sustainable changes don’t happen overnight. Remember, you aren’t just fueling your body, you’re fueling your thoughts and feelings. Give your brain some healthy fuel too.

Depression affects people in many different ways. Some people feel angry and irritable, while others feel more sadness or simply feel numb. Some people eat more, some eat less. Some people have trouble sleeping, while others feel like sleeping all day. Almost always, though, I hear people tell me that they just don’t feel like they have the motivation to do anything, and they struggle to find joy. Everything, even the small things, feel like they are undertaking a colossal task. Medications and counseling are helpful in alleviating the symptoms of depression, and both should be given serious consideration because depression is, potentially, a very dangerous disorder. In addition to professional assistance, people want to know what they can do to help themselves. This blog series will concentrate on sleep, diet, and exercise.

First, get the right amount of sleep. Elementary school children should get 9-12 hours, teens should get 8-10 hours, and adults should get 7-9 hours of sleep. This is what is recommended, and it varies based on the quality of sleep a person gets as well. I frequently hear people tell me that they can’t sleep. This problem goes beyond feeling tired. Sleep helps regulate our blood pressure, heal and repair our bodies, increases our metabolism, strengthens our immune system, and decreases inflammation. People who get too little sleep have increased chances of high blood pressure, dementia, diabetes, heart attack, and stroke. It has a big impact on our moods too, and depression symptoms are worsened by a lack of sleep.

The first things to figure out are what might be causing or contributing to a lack of sleep. For children, teens, and young adults screen time is often a major factor. If left to their own devices (pun intended) many young people will stay up very late playing games, watching videos, or interacting on social media. Staring at screens, they often don’t feel tired or ready for bed. The blue light can trick a person’s brain into thinking that it isn’t dark enough to be ready for sleep. Social media, videos, and video games are stimulating enough to make people feel less tired than they really are. For many people, gaining control of screen time is an important step, so shutting off screens at least an hour before the ideal bedtime is a good idea.

It is important to have a consistent bedtime. This can be hard to establish at first, but be patient. Most likely, your body will need a period of adjustment, and it may be hard to drift off to sleep for several nights. Limit caffeine and alcohol, especially late in the day. Consider practicing mindfulness. There are a lot of definitions for mindfulness. I think of it as specifically and intentionally focusing on something in the present. This is most commonly done by focusing on the breath or on the body. There are many mindfulness apps and resources, and many of them also have exercises that are specific to sleep.

Too much sleep is also a problem. Depressed individuals will often say that they don’t feel like getting up, or that they could sleep all day. If your sleeping exceeds the recommended number of hours, set an alarm. It will probably be excruciatingly difficult to get out of bed with the alarm, but this will become easier after a week, and easier still after 2-3 weeks. Related to this topic, how do you use your bed? If a person uses their bed only for sleep and being with their partner, tiredness will naturally be associated with laying in bed. If a person lays or sits on their bed frequently throughout the day, the bed becomes another place to park the body, not a place associated with sleep.

Think about your sleep patterns. Science hasn’t fully unlocked all of the mysteries of sleep, but we can say with confidence that it is vital for people to get the right amount of sleep in order to be healthy. If you feel the need to make some changes to your sleep schedule, you may not get the results you want right away, but stay persistent. Once you create a new pattern for yourself, it will get much easier. If nothing helps alleviate sleep problems, it might be time to talk to your doctor.