Ok so the best way to totally get out of a depression is walking outside. Look around at the trees and sky. One hour a day. Don't stare at the ground. Engage with looking at nature and whatever is around you. Eating the right foods, like lots of fruit. Anything with vitamin B1 will help it is a mood lifter.
It is indeed a wonderful thing to get out and get the stink blown off when you’re feeling down. I kind of have been lately, and while it’s sometimes difficult to muster the energy for a power-walk or jog/hill sprint session, it’s always worth it. Great little mood boost. Better yet if I change the scene and go to a park or beach.
Yes yes and yes! Going out to walk or run clears your mind, gives you energy and makes you focus on your tasks. If you are feeling depressed, go to a park and just walk a bit. The greenery is sure to relax and calm you.
I have found that it can help to get any kind of exercise, not just walking. I have just started swimming regularly, and have found that the effect it can have on your mind is really quite stunning, to be honest with you. It can just help to get into a rhythm - whether that is pacing or doing swimming strokes - and just enjoy the time that you have on your own. It can certainly get rid of a lot of pent-up energy that you need to get out of your system, so if you struggle with your mood sometimes, you should definitely try to get into exercising, as it gives you a fantastic chance to change your life and health.
So.. trying to be positive and do positive things? lol exactly. Mind over matter. Choose to be happy every day and then make the effort. These are just words to those suffering, but it's truth (and no, not just my own experience, though it was true for me too). Lightening the load with healthful foods and moving around (which is far more than for weight or engaging.. there is a reason we feel so good when we move.. our every cell needs it. It's mandatory for health and your brain needs health too). Waiting for happiness is a promise to stay unhappy.. it's in ourselves only; up to us alone.
I absolutely agree with the thread title. Exercise is one good way to battle depression and doing it outdoors gives it more teeth. Although I don't have depression, I sometimes go to the park for the weekend exercise where I do it with hundreds of other people. I may go for more than an hour without feeling tired whereas at home I easily get tired. And there are times that people in the park would be conversing with you while doing exercise.
"Ok so the best way to totally get out of a depression is walking outside" Well that seems like a big statement for what is essentially an opinion. Best way? TOTALLY get out of depression? Big claim there. Might be more helpful in preventing depression than treating it. People I've known with it just cannot bring themselves to have this attitude you speak of -- they want to, they try to, but they just cannot. And it might work for some, but let's not guilt those who just can't into thinking that it's their fault if they cannot get their "mind over matter".
Exercise is great and can really help mood. But suggesting anyone with depression can cure it that way suggests little respect or knowledge for what can actually be the cause of this very common kind of mental illness across all the people who suffer from it. A walk in the park is not going to cure someone in the throes of clinical depression.
It's extremely difficult and nobody is to blame for not being able to get out of it, but saying we're powerless is enabling and insulting. It won't take a walk in the park or just a decision to be happy, but most people don't even understand what "try" means in this case.. they think they are, I get that for sure. The chemical imbalance is a cop out.. great for big pharma, terrible for those who don't get how strong they actually are.
I was thinking this same exact thing! I'm glad someone said it. I'm curious if the OP is a doctor or a medical researcher or just thinks their opinion is fact? Not trying to be ugly just pointing that out. It's important to share advice without sounding judgmental or like a know it all. Agreed! It can be a help, a prevention from things getting worse, a good way to start new habits, etc but isn't in most cases going to CURE depression. While chemical imbalances and hormonal imbalances are real and some need prescriptions for their issues, they are not neccesary for ALL cases of depression. I totally agree that saying or implying that those who are depressed are powerless is enabling and insulting though.
I would guess OP may have been referring to a temporary, mild depression and not clinical depression. Exercise alone does not cure the latter, I agree with you all; it’s just one remedy of many that can help when used in conjunction with other options. And even then, said options usually seen more as coping strategies than they are actual cures.
People are always comparing depression with other illnesses to make a point (I get it, not criticising). All issues are their own and do not translate another. If a chemical imbalance were the issue, depression wouldn't be the issue it is today, but many people are more harmed by treatment than helped. Blaming a chemical imbalance also chips away at (or most often, steals completely) that strength I mentioned earlier. People don't believe it's in their control as it is.. tell them there is something wrong with their brain and depression can only be made worse. People give into it, dive in, lose hope. It's not safe to tell people it's something it isn't.. but drug money, so....... It's human to be depressed.. it's not ok for them to give responsibility to something that drags the attention away from the real issues and the power we do have over ourselves. Just my opinion of course, before someone reminds me I don't wear a white coat lol.. and for what it's worth, I did suffer from severe depression for many years. I still don't buy what they're selling. I found my way out on my own.. so I do get how hard it is, but I don't agree the way out is outside of us or needs to be taken in the form of a pill.
Maybe, maybe -- and the same has been studied of addiction. Neuroscientists start to move away from the idea of "Addiction is a disease against which we are powerless, and is treated like a disease in rehab/AA" -- which they came up with themselves twenty years ago -- because of neuroplasticity and because, even if this method works great for tons of people, some people need to be empowered rather than feel to be a victim. No "one size fit all" and all. Nevertheless, this stage of "addiction = disease" probably was essential to move away the prejudices and stigmas ("Only low minds with no mind power become addicted! Look at us, we're fine, they aren't, something is obviously wrong with their personality!") One could argue that this same stigma is still hanging upon it today, because people are still in many places very narrow-minded. And this same stigma also affects people with clinical depression: people who have no idea how it feels keep telling them that they have no motivation or mind power, that they should just get over it, etc. Maybe it is not the best way to pretend that treating depression is out of the own person's control, you're right. But we should also stop pretending that people who make sweeping statements about "it's all in their control" (the same kind of guru-talk as "just visualize happiness in your life and it will happen") are actually helping the current stigmas who actually do pose a mental burden to many really depressed people (I say "really" and don't mean to be insulting; I'm French, the word "depression" refers for us to clinical depression, and the "blues" people get and call depression too, we call "déprime").
Yes, I agree for the most part. We'd have to separate those who are told they have depression, but don't actually, from those who have something "beyond their control", if there is such a thing. That won't happen. Everyone is lumped and treated together.. it's wrong. No blanket statements here; I'm talking about a massive chunk though.
Studies do show that walking in the forest reduces anxiety and depression. The physical activities does the same too, doesn't have to be "hardcore" even just an hour walk will do you good.
I intermittently suffer from depression. It usually appears when I am overloaded and haven't had a chance to be outside in nature as much as I would like. You mention looking at the trees. It also helps to check out the shells and pebbles on a beach. Exercise definitely lifts or shifts the mood and focus. Even when you are in one of your darkest moods, you will be stimulated to a certain degree by what is going on around you. And gradually, there might appear a little light on the horizon again...
True, I definitely agree with you on that. There's a dual purpose when you exercise outdoors. First, being exposed to external scenery and seeing people living their lives just as you are can dilute the feeling of isolation. Second, exercise removes toxins and regulates your blood circulation. Studies show that poor circulation and an unhealthy disposition can actually affect one's thinking negatively. So when you invest in your health, you also save yourself from stress and depression.
I have always found the outdoors great for the soul and mind. I enjoy walking and hiking through the many nature trails around here. It is my alone time to sort through live's problem and to get refocused. I always feel so much better once I get back. This time of year is beautiful for getting out and enjoy all that nature has to offer. I, also, enjoy camping. Sleeping under the star, breathing in the fresh air is so refreshing. There is nothing quite like it!
It is scientifically proven that exercise releases feel good hormones that can drive away depression, so it's really advisable to get moving when you're depressed. As for me, I always feel hyper and extra chatty after taking a brisk walk.
Also.. I think it's 90% (?, I'll have to check on that) of your serotonin is produced in your gut. You really are what you eat and there is tons of proof out there that those with depression would benefit greatly by being more mindful of what they put in their bodies. I know when I ate a highly processed diet, I was very unhappy. Cleaning it up really cleans up the brain.
