All of these factors can have an impact on our emotional health. Some people cope well with these types of challenges, and may even seem to thrive, but others find it much more difficult and for this reason, the prescription of anti-depressants has seen a marked increase over recent years.

As you can imagine, many people are reluctant to rely on medication as a long-term solution, or are concerned about the potential side-effects. If this is you, then you will be pleased to learn that there are many natural options that you can try to help you cope with your condition.

General health
 

Taking care of your general health can go a long way towards starting to alleviate feelings of depression, and this is all too often ignored or missed when depression hits. In fact, every one of the methods listed below ties into this over-arching principle. Really be honest with yourself and ask questions such as “do I feel physically well?", “am I active?", “do I sleep well?", “do I eat well?", “do I have a balanced diet?", “do I get out and about most days?", “do I have a good social life?" Once you have this basic and honest assessment of your current state of well-being, you can start to tackle the condition.
 

Sleep and circadian rhythms

The relationship between sleep and depression is complex – depression may cause sleep problems and sleep problems may cause or contribute to depression. Either way, it can only be of benefit to try to get plenty of high quality sleep on a regular basis.

It's worth knowing that there’s a section of our brain which synchronises our body to a 24-hour cycle and releases hormones to regulate our bodily functions, such as: appetite, energy levels, mood and sleep. These daily cycles are known as circadian rhythms and they are really important for our physical and emotional wellbeing; they help us to keep a stable mood and maintain good physical health.

Your body is very clever and can usually tell when to prepare for certain events. For example, when the sun comes up your body releases cortisol to give you energy, and when the sun goes down you produce and release melatonin, a hormone which makes you sleepy. If we ignore this, then these cycles get messed up and that can wreak havoc on both our physical and emotional health. When our circadian rhythms are disrupted and our bodies produce hormones at the wrong time of day, it can increase the chance of depression or worsen existing symptoms.
 

I know that it is not always easy to achieve, because life is never that simple is it, but aim to get between 6 and 8 hours of sleep each night, ideally including between 10pm and 4am, which is deep and uninterrupted; so lights out and screens well away from the bed. To help things along, also try to avoid caffeine and alcohol (especially within 4 hours of bedtime).

There is a short, but very informative video by Diary of a CEO that I would strongly recommend you watch, which gives an interesting insight into the effects of losing quality sleep.

Physical activity
 

The sad reality is that, nowadays, most people in the UK spend the majority of their time sitting down indoors. That is depressing in itself, so don't let it happen to you! Make sure that you spend at least 30 minutes a day outside, enjoying the fresh air, going for a gentle walk, etc.

One benefit of this is that our skin can make vitamin D when it is exposed to sunlight and researchers are now discovering that this so-called “sunshine vitamin" can play a role in mood. Vitamin D receptors have been found in many parts of the brain, including areas that are linked to the development of depression.

If enjoying the sunshine and fresh air is important, so is keeping active. Not only will it help to keep you physically healthy and promote body detoxification, it can also help to deplete stress hormones and release mood-enhancing chemicals in the body which help us cope better with stress.

These chemicals, called endorphins, are often referred to as the “happy hormones"; I suspect that many of us have heard of them as the release of these feel-good neurotransmitters are sold as one of the rewards of physical exercise. The increase in endorphins in your body leads to a feeling of euphoria, modulation of appetite, the release of different sex hormones and an enhancement of immune response. This all helps to combat the negative effects of stress.

Don’t think that this exercise has to involve regular trips to the gym or Saturday morning Park Runs, because studies have suggested that activities such as dancing can be just as effective and probably more enjoyable, (unless you have been unfortunate enough to have seen me dance).

Diet
 

Diet can have a huge impact on the onset and ongoing symptoms of depression, but it is easily and often overlooked. However, when you stop and think about it, doesn’t it make perfect sense? Just as our physical health can suffer when we fail to provide our bodies with the nutrients they need, so too our emotional health can suffer. This is because a range of biological processes which control our mood, nervous system and the chemical reactions in our brain rely on certain nutrients to work efficiently. Hormonal balance is one such example.
 

At Halcyon, we stand by the belief that you should try to get everything you need from a well-balanced diet before resorting to supplements, so if opportunity allows, opt for natural, whole foods (preferably organic) that feed the brain, promote hormonal balance and fuel the body with the broad spectrum of vitamins, minerals and other essential nutrients that it needs on a daily basis. Whole grains, oily fish, fruit, vegetables and plenty of pure, filtered water are all good examples.

In contrast, avoid acid-forming “anti-nutrient" foods, which drain the body. These include the obvious junk foods, refined sugar, saturated fat, nicotine and alcohol. Foods like these can cause blood sugar and emotional spikes that can end up making you feel tired, as well as exacerbating feelings of depression.

Supplements for extra support – that’s where Halcyon can help

Some of the more popular nutrients used to promote a healthy frame of mind and help combat depression include: Omega oils, L-Glutamine, vitamin D, lean protein, high-fibre complex carbohydrates and antioxidants. Of course, there are many more, so do your research and take your pick. Hopefully, the Halcyon Shop will provide you with some inspiration!
 

In summary

So, the good news is that you may not have to turn to medication to combat the blues. Of course, if bouts of depression continue for weeks at a time, see a healthcare professional and work out a treatment plan. But for occasional down days, adopting some simple lifestyle and diet changes and making them part of your daily routine can naturally boost your mood.
 

And why not use the ARK (Act of Random Kindness) principle? The Mental Health Foundation suggests that helping others can be good for our mental health. Personally, I try to achieve this daily through simple actions such as letting a car out in front of me, letting someone go first at the supermarket if they only have one item, (I was on the receiving end of this ARK a couple of days ago and it really did make me smile), contacting someone I haven’t seen in a while and arranging to meet up or saying a friendly “good morning” to the neighbour you don’t really know. The list is endless, ARKs needn’t cost you anything and chances are you will benefit from them as much as the recipient… go on, I dare you….

Hannah at Halcyon Wellness