How to Fight Depression After Something Bad Happens

Bad things happen to everyone, so why is it that when bad things happen to me, I feel like my world is rapidly spinning out of control? Not only does it feel like it is spinning out of control, but bad things just continue to happen. It’s like you can’t sleep, but all you want to do is sleep; everything feels hopeless; energy is non-existent, and you literally want to crawl into a pit and vanish.

An image of a woman is a depressive state.

If this is you, you are not alone. Depression is the leading cause of disabilities in the United States in a wide age group of people 15 to 44. If you are like me, you know how hard it is to fight depression after something bad happens. But, we can’t let this bring us down! Here are some tips for fighting depression when life seems to bite you in the ass!

Get Up!

I don’t care how you do it but get up. Get out of your bed! The first thing you have to do is get yourself out of this hopelessness that surrounds you. Get up from your slumber because that is the first step to fighting this depression. Roll out. Put one limb out at a time. Crawl out. It doesn’t matter how you get up, just do it. Once you have managed to get up, you have made the first step in fighting the depression.

Take a Shower

If you are fighting depression, between you and me, you probably haven’t showered in days. So, put that phone down, get up, and take a shower. You will feel better not only about yourself but about the whole situation. In fact; studies have shown that taking a cool shower is a powerful way to combat depression.

Taking a cool shower is called cold water shock treatment. It literally shocks your body into activating beta-endorphin and noradrenaline in the brain. These are used in various antidepressant medications.

Color An Adult Coloring Book

Coloring gives you something for your mind to do while you heal. Maybe you can’t talk to anyone. Maybe you can’t get out of bed. Or, maybe trying to fight depression is too much to bear right now. Instead of wallowing in your own sorrow, pull out an adult coloring book. Here are 4 ways coloring helps fight depression after something bad happens:

It relaxes and calms you.
The time and focus that adult coloring takes helps you to focus on the positive instead of the negative.
It takes you out of your present stresses and worries
Coloring utilizes both hemispheres of the brain to promote balance in your life.
In addition to coloring, consider supplements like Nootrogen or Cogniultra to further support your mental well-being and cognitive health.

An image of a woman undergoing counseling.

Talk to Someone

I know it is hard to talk to anyone especially if something really bad happened. I know all too well how one terrible mistake can change the rest of your life. However, getting through something bad can’t be done alone. Speak to a friend, a coworker, a counselor, or even a stranger. You don’t have to talk about what happened, what is happening, or what is going on. Just talk about whatever you can talk about.

Stop Thinking About It

Yes, I know this is easier said than done. I am not telling you to push it down, never talk about it, and pretend it never happened. Please Don’t Do That! What I am saying is stop thinking about how you could change it, make it better, or avoided it. There is literally nothing you can do about the past, but you can control your future.

Remember that You are Strong

It can be easy to self-doubt, feel hopeless, and defeated when something bad happens, but remember that you ARE STRONG! You are here and alive. You are important. And you matter. You are a strong person and you will get through this.

Don’t forget there are tons of people that are there for you and want to help you. If you need help, don’t be afraid to reach out to someone in the resources below: