With the number of people who claim to be depressed at near epidemic proportions, it’s time to take a step back and ask ourselves: Why are so many people are depressed and why are women significantly more depressed than men? Better yet, if you’re depressed, or know someone who is, what is the best course of treatment to beat the blues so you can begin to lead a happier, more productive life? 

There are different factors that contribute to depression. Too many challenges in life (and not enough coping skills) are certainly factors. Un-related health problems, such as hypothyroidism or a vitamin D deficiency, can also make you feel depressed. And a chemical imbalance within the body can lead to depression. 

Although many cases of depression are treated with medication, drugs alone rarely get to the root of the problem. Anti-depressants attack the symptoms of depression from a chemical perspective. But if you don’t address the other factors that contribute to depression, you may end up being medicated for a very long time. That’s why the best defense against depression is a wellness plan that takes a body, mind, spirit approach. 

Body 

If you’re taking medication for depression, you’ve begun working on the Body part of the whole person approach toward wellness. But there are other aspects of your body that you should address. Diet is a huge defense mechanism when fighting depression. Proper nutrition - including plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables and adequate amounts of lean protein - are critical to the optimal functioning of your body. Filling your stomach with fast food and refined sugar will only increase the chemical chaos in your body, making it more difficult to reset the balance. Consider taking a high quality vitamin supplement each day to support adequate vitamin and mineral intake. 

Exercise is another important aspect of the Body equation. Studies have shown that 30 minutes of light aerobic activity like walking can help your body product natural antidepressants, called endorphins. Getting some sort of exercise every day is very important if you’re depressed. 

Mind 

Next up in the fight against depression is the Mind. Negative, self-defeating thoughts are learned over time. And with hard work, they can not only be un-learned, but they can be replaced with positive, nurturing attitudes. 

Although immersing yourself in self-help books can help (Hay House and TUT have great selections), re-training your mind often requires outside assistance. A therapist or personal coach will have many skills, tips, and tricks to help you overcome the internal mind games that we all play. It’s important to find someone you can trust so that you can be honest about your thoughts and feelings without feeling judged. Because of this, you probably shouldn’t fill this support role with a friend or loved one. The people you are close to often can’t be objective in this role and may not tell you what you need to hear. 

Spirit 

Finally, it’s vital to feed your Spirit when fighting depression. Although taking a more active role in religious activities can help some people, feeding your Spirit goes well beyond this structured environment.  

There are countless ways to bring more spirit into your life. Here are just some examples: 

• Take a class
• Read an uplifting book
• Take up meditation or yoga
• Do volunteer work
• Practice random acts of kindness
• Get a massage
• Take a long, hot bubble bath
• Hug your children or spouse more often
• Call in sick and take a “mental health” day

Feeding your Spirit simply involves taking action or doing activities that makes your soul feel good inside. 

Not an Easy Road

Taking a proactive, mind-body-spirit approach to fighting depression is not an easy road to follow, especially when you can’t even bring yourself to get out of bed in the morning. But if you truly want to heal yourself from the inside out, you really need to address all aspects of who you are: body, mind, and spirit. 

Begin by taking baby steps and incorporating a little bit of each aspect into each day. And be sure and reach out to your health care provider and other trained professionals to ensure that you get the loving support you need as you begin the road to recovery.

Have you ever said to yourself, a friend, or a loved one, “My life is great. I have nothing to complain about, but I just feel so sad!” Everyone experiences feelings of depression, anxiety, and sadness once in a while. Although most people can pinpoint the cause of their blues, such as experiencing hard times, needing more money, receiving bad news, living with rainy weather, or even having hormonal changes, some people feel sad or depressed without really knowing why.

I recently had lunch with a friend and when I started listening to the negative stories I was telling her about the current state of my life, I had an epiphany: I was stuck in a sad cycle that was creating a steady stream of negative thoughts in my mind!

When feeling sad leads to day after day of feeling blue, it’s time to take self-help action before full-blown depression sets in. So I created a plan for breaking my sad cycle in just three days.

Day 1

One Day 1, I decided that, instead of being sad, I was going to be wealthy! In a small notebook, I wrote down a list of the many ways that wealth touches my life:

• The money in my bank account
• My beautiful family
• My lovely home
• My home-based business
• My generous clients
• My just-for-emergencies credit line

Throughout the day, every time a negative thought crept into my mind, I stopped what I was doing and read through my wealthy list. By the end of that day, my veil of sadness was beginning to lift.

Day 2

On Day 2, I decided that, instead of being sad, I was going to be wealthy and grateful! In my notebook, I wrote down a list of the many things that I’m grateful for.

Just like Day 1, every time a negative thought crept into my mind, I stopped what I was doing and read through my wealthy and grateful lists. By the end of Day 2, I realized I was no longer wallowing in sadness. In fact, I was beginning to feel hopeful about my future again.

Day 3

On Day 3, I decided that, instead of letting sadness creep back into my life, I would focus on sharing joy with everyone I came in contact with. In addition to reviewing my wealthy and grateful lists, I looked for ways to spread joy to others. Here are some things I came up with:

• I waved to the neighbor getting her morning paper and to the kids waiting at the bus stop by my house
• I held the door for an elderly woman at the post office
• I smiled randomly at strangers (and they smiled back!)
• I hugged my kids and told them I was happy to be their mom
• I answered the phone with, “Good morning!” and “Happy Friday!” instead of simply, “Hello.”

By the end of Day 3, I actually felt lighter in my body, as if the weight of the world was no longer sitting on top of my shoulders. I was also eating healthier because I didn’t crave comfort food.

Each day since then, I choose another positive aspect of my life to focus on and look for new ways to uplift others. Sure, the bills keep coming in and the housework still needs to be done, but worrying about them only makes me feel sad. And I would rather feel wealthy, blessed, abundant, and grateful! Depression is a serious illness that should be treated by your doctor. But if you’re feeling blue, try my 3-Day plan for breaking the sad cycle - before depression sets in!

Hay House and TUT are two great resources for books and DVDs that can also help you break the sad cycle. And if you need a little one-on-one mentoring to put this 3-day plan into action, the personal life coaches over at 5 Minute Self-Help are awesome. the cost is only $5 and they can help you stay on track and truly beat the blues forever.

In any given year, an estimated 13 million to 17 million Americans will suffer from some form of depression. Women are twice as likely to be depressed as men. And, in fact, one in every five women is expected to develop clinical depression at some point in her lifetime.

With startling statistics such as these, it’s no wonder that the drug companies continue to pump countless resources into developing new drugs to treat depression. But with a myriad of side effects, prescription antidepressants aren’t always the answer for people suffering from sub-clinical depression.

Although it’s always best to seek appropriate medical treatment when you’re depressed, for symptoms of mild to moderate depression, which is sometimes characterized as “the blues,” there are several self-help steps you can take to feel better fast. By focusing on these things each day instead of your sadness, you will be better prepared to battle the blues.

Step 1: Get a Complete Physical

Sometimes an underlying health condition, like hypothyroidism or a vitamin D deficiency, can induce or mimic feelings of depression. That’s why it’s important to get a complete physical with comprehensive blood work before you begin a depression self-help regimen.

Step 2: Exercise at Least 30 Minutes a Day

Exercise is your body’s built-in antidepressant. Just 30 minutes of mild to moderate activity a day (such as a brisk walk) will prompt your body to release hormone-like chemicals called endorphins. Endorphins create a feeling of euphoria and well-being in the human body and can even mask mild pain. If you’re feeling particularly blue, instead of wallowing on the couch, get up and get some exercise!

Step 3: Eat Healthy Meals and Snacks

Fluctuations in blood sugar can intensify feelings of depression. Because of this, nutrition is an important component of your depression fighting self-help system. To give your body the energy it needs to feel good and face life’s daily challenges, eat three small meals and two or three small snacks each day. Make sure you get plenty of lean protein and at least seven servings of fresh fruits and vegetables each day. If you need a sweet treat, dark chocolate (in moderation) has been shown to have depression-fighting characteristics. Hate to cook? Consider a food delivery service such as NutriSystem or Bistro MD to ensure that you’re getting healthy, balanced meals.

Step 4: Take Dietary Supplements

No matter how well you eat, it’s hard to get the recommended daily requirements (RDA) of all vitamins and minerals. At a minimum, take a high quality, high potency multi-vitamin each day. You may also want to take extra vitamin C and consider taking additional nutritional supplements that are known to have mood stabilizing properties (St. John’s Wort and 5-HTP are two examples). Not comfortble talking to your local health food store about supplements that fight depression? Online resources such as Swanson Health Products let you shop in the privacy of your own home.

Step 5: Avoid the News

If you’ve watched the news lately or checked the headlines on CNN.com, then you know there’s enough negativity in the world to make even the happiest person sad. If you’re battling depression, the news will only make you feel worse - so avoid it! If you need to check the weather report, try one of the online weather agencies because they don’t give you a helping of doom and gloom along with your forecast.

Step 6: Get Fresh Air and Sunshine

Depressed people tend to hibernate, shutting themselves off from the world. But this only makes them feel more sad and isolated. A great antidote to feeling blue is spending time with Mother Nature. Go to the park, the beach or your backyard. But get a little fresh air and sunshine each day.

Step 7: Get a Daily Dose of Spirituality

Doing one thing (or more) each day that lifts your spirits is essential when you’re fighting depression. Need a few suggestions? Watch your favorite feel-good movie, laugh out loud during a half-hour sit-com, read a few pages from a spiritually uplifting book, listen to a spirit-based instructional CD or DVD, spend 30 minutes playing with your pet or call a friend to catch up. Choose an activity that feeds your soul and leaves you feeling joyful. Two great resources for all-things-spiritual are Hay House and TUT.

Although severe depression should always be treated by a qualified health care professional, only 20 percent of depressed people actually receive the treatment they desperately need. By following the simple, self-help steps outlined in this article, you may be able to turn around your state-of-mind before clinical depression sets in.

The steps outlined in this article are the just the beginning when it comes to self-help for depression. To get more tools and resources designed to help you beat the blues naturally — and gain access to a personal life coach 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, visit 5 Minute Self-Help.