Thriving with Major Depressive Disorder: 3 Essential Coping Strategies
Major depressive disorder (MDD) can be challenging to manage, but there are a variety of coping strategies that can make management easier. This article considers 3 coping strategies that make living with MDD easier for me. These strategies include exploring creativity, setting realistic goals, and self-care.
Depression coping strategies
1. Exploring creativity
My creative expression started when I was a teenager. My first choice of personal expression was poetry. Currently, I have a 5-inch binder of poetry that I have written. I also started drawing and took drawing classes at a local Hobby Lobby. As I became older, I became a health advocate. This allowed me to be creative in a whole new way.
My creativity, especially my writing, allowed me to express and release my emotions. It quickly became my go-to cathartic experience. This helped me in many ways, especially when my emotions ruled the day. Additionally, I have also been able to connect with other people by sharing my poetry and advocacy writing.
Creativity can look different for everyone
There are so many ways to utilize creativity to cope with major depressive disorder, even for the non-artistic person. Activities such as cooking a meal, decorating a living space, or performing scientific studies are also types of creativity.
2. Setting realistic goals
The way we set our goals can have a drastic effect on our mental health, which includes our depression levels. I have relearned the importance of setting realistic goals from a friend, especially when managing housework while living with MDD.
Instead of looking at my housework and thinking of the bigger goal of cleaning entire areas of the house, I look at the smaller goals. I make a list and break down what needs to be completed in each room, for example, the dishes, clean counters, etc.
This allows me to focus on each smaller goal and feel accomplished as I cross these individual tasks (goals) off my list. Those larger goals like cleaning the entire kitchen, can make it seem overwhelming and eliminates my motivation. Setting realistic goals helps keep me motivated with confidence and accomplishment.
3. Practicing self-care
When I first started hearing about self-care, I thought there was no way it could be beneficial to managing my MDD. Over the years, I have learned that self-care is about prioritizing yourself and your health. It can improve mental, physical, and emotional health.
The first thing that comes to mind when I think of self-care is a hot bath with Epsom salts and essential oils. I have physical health issues in addition to my MDD, which makes a hot bath soothing on multiple levels. A bath allows me time to decompress from the world around me.
My therapist taught me about guided meditation and I have started to combine it with a face mask. This creates the double benefit of relaxing my mind while my body is pampered. These two activities are part of my sleep hygiene steps since I step away from electronics and start mentally preparing for bed.
Self-care also includes setting boundaries
A tougher version of self-care includes setting boundaries and saying no when needed. It is tougher because to become comfortable with these elements can take practice. Learning to set boundaries and to say no has allowed me to stop being a doormat for other people. My family was bad about expecting me to do everything and now they have learned I am not everyone's assistant.
Coping one day at a time with depression
The challenge of managing life with MDD can seem daunting and overwhelming, but finding a few coping strategies can drastically change how you look at your life with MDD. These kinds of coping strategies can positively improve your situation.
Your coping strategies may be completely different than mine. The ones that I talked about are what I have found helpful. There are others I am practicing and even more to learn.