If you feel depressed, what is your coping mechanism?

[Sushan Ekanayake]

When I feel stressed or depressed, I often turn to a mix of activities to help manage these emotions. Exercise, especially yoga or long walks, helps me a lot. The physical activity releases endorphins, which naturally boost my mood, and the rhythmic nature of these exercises helps me find a sense of calm. I also find writing in my journal to be therapeutic. It's a safe space where I can express my feelings without judgment. Lastly, I make it a point to connect with friends or family. Just a casual chat or a shared laugh can do wonders to lift my spirits. Of course, these are just coping strategies and can't replace the need for professional help in more severe cases.

[SelenaRomero]

I do different things when I notice I'm depressed or down. First I try to internally motivate myself by reminding myself of the good things I have in life, family, love and friendships. I also express myself better with art so I draw different works and come up with beautiful paintings. I also take walks at night; it's so therapeutic.

[Sarah Sonbol]

Ok, don't judge me until you have tried it, but here is my stress remedy. I go into the woods behind my house and scream as loud as I can until I am almost hoarse. I wouldn't advise this if you have any close neighbors.

There are no woods nearby where I live, so I don't know how someone would feel by doing so. I'm not sure whether this could work with me, but it seems that it works for you

[Sarah Sonbol]

Praying has a great effect in uplifting me when depressed. I also try to remember all the blessings that I have and that many people have more sufferings and mine may sound trivial compared to them.

[Sarah Sonbol]

Walking also helps a lot to relieve stress. I used to walk a lot when I was younger, but now it's getting harder as I'm always busy with my kids and my work. I hope I could find any slot of time to walk alone.

[Leonie Vermaak]

I'm honest if I say I don't know how to cope. There is nothing I can do that can clear my brain from the 'voices' in my head. When I was younger music helped, lately not even that works. I must say some of you here have excellent ways in coping, well done on that. I'll definitely will try the screaming in the woods part, that feels like a 'me' solution . Then I must say to sit and count my blessings after seeing what other people go through is also good advise, definitely trying that too.

[Kaylyn_Marie]

This is amazing. I am so glad you have different coping strategies. I really relate to the night walking one- I find when everyone is sleeping and off the roads, the world is so peaceful and quiet. I love that feeling and sometimes it helps me to imagine that I'm the only one left in the world.

I do different things when I notice I'm depressed or down. First I try to internally motivate myself by reminding myself of the good things I have in life, family, love and friendships. I also express myself better with art so I draw different works and come up with beautiful paintings. I also take walks at night; it's so therapeutic.

[Kaylyn_Marie]

Yes thank you for mentioning therapy! There is such a huge stigma about therapy and especially for men seeking therapy. But therapy isn't just for your problems, it is a great tool at your disposal for coping, healing, motivation, communication, and much more.

When it gets too much I usually zone out in front of the tv or listen to music. I used to write but it has gotten a bit too difficult to continue. I will also just like to emphasize the importance of professional help. For those who are able to access it, therapy works.

[Okoye Chinonso+]

When depressed or feeling down in general, I don't like communicating or interacting with anyone, so I watch anime and eat. I have a fast metabolism, so no matter how much I eat, I remain fit. And if I'm in a place where I can't do any of those, I go to Instagram or TikTok to watch funny videos that elevate my mood a bit.

[Fred Newman]

Mine works this way I always talk to my self. I tell myself this is just a phase that will come and go I can't remain like this forever. It works for me.

[AvishaJain_13]

I don't know if it's a coping mechanism but staying around my loved ones and resting really helps me a lot. It gives me the strength to deal with my problems.

[Chandana H N]

There was a time when I was struggling to handle my emotions. I tried various things like journaling, listening songs, sketching (even though I was bad at it) or random long walks. Basically I tried anything that would calm my rage. Now that I think, I don't even know what was I so angry about. I scribbled out my raw emotions in the form of poems (I exaggerate when I write it down), which really helped.

[Salah bourouba]

I get closer to go by reading the quran, and deeply emerse myself in it's words, then I remind myself that others are going through much worse than I am which makes my problems turn into a much smaller and trivial issues, and recently i discovered that writing does help me deal with my feelings and get them out of my chest especially if I don't feel comfortable talking o anyone about them,

[Storm+]

When I feel depressed, I like to write, create art of various types (drawing, painting, and cross stitching especially), go hiking, and spend as much time as possible with my loved ones. I also like to read, which is my main coping mechanism lately.

[Timothy Rucinski]

I was diagnosed with clinical depression a number of years ago and went through a rigorous bout of counseling and medication. Therefore, I was able to identify with Allison and her adventures with the counselor. Thankfully, those days have gone, as have the meds. Since that time, I developed a strong affinity for hitting the gym religiously and lifting weights. A number of injuries have plagued me in the past few years, but the drive to keep at it, primarily because I know what it would do to my head if I stopped, keeps me going, even if less rigorously at times. And as I near the end of my seventh decade, it keeps me focused on health and happiness while holding depression at bay.