Depression and Anxiety can consume your very existence, so fighting depression and anxiety can be very difficult. Your body and mind just wants to run and hide behind the problems and let the depression or anxiety take over. All your brain tells you is to shut down from the world, but you have to fight it and take back your life.

Life can be stressful and overwhelming and when anxiety kicks in it can make you feel as if the world is coming to an end if you do not get that dreaded “to do list” completed. It takes the air from your body and makes you feel as if you are strangling in worry and doubt. Anxiety makes you question every daily task you partake in. For instance, a simple conversation with another person can lead to hours of going over the conversation in your own head, making sure you did not say anything stupid or insulting.

Depression sets in when you realize you are not superwoman, and you can not do everything. When you cannot accomplish all of your daily task you start to feel like a failure and you want to bury yourself away from the world because you feel worthless. Depression can make you feel as if there is nothing in this whole wide world to find happiness about. You start to hate yourself because you cannot find the joy in life you once had.

You can fight it, I have a few steps that have helped me with fighting depression and anxiety.

ADMIT YOU HAVE A PROBLEM

Accepting that you have anxiety and depression is the first step. With all the stress on us to be “perfect” and have “perfect lives”, it can be hard to admit that we are human beings and have problems. It is best to accept it and face it so that you can fight for your own life.

Medication

Some may not believe in taking medications, but I am a firm believer in taking “happy pills”.  While I do not think you should get hooked on addictive pills, I do think that low dosed anxiety medication is good for some people. Always speak to your own doctor about what is right for your needs, but do not feel ashamed to take medication. Life is stressful, so sometimes you just need a little extra help handling it.

Take it One Day at a Time

Taking life one day at a time is always a good idea. It is not always easy, but definitely a good thing to try. You don’t have to climb Mount Everest in a day, so reevaluate your “to do list”. Find what needs to be done today and leave the rest for another day. Don’t try to tackle the future in one day. Sit back, relax and let it go.

Yoga and Essential Oils

Yoga is a great way to relax your body and mind. It releases the tension and helps you to focus on your daily tasks. Pair that with an essential oil diffuser and you have nirvana. Lavender is my favorite, while I listen to tranquil, relaxing music. Learning to take care of your mind and body will help you to release the anxiety and stress from your life. Thus releasing you from the clutches of depression.

Count your Blessings

Something that has always helped me in my darkest hours is counting my blessings. Sitting back and being truly thankful for all the blessings I have in my life. Maybe I didn’t make it to the grocery store today, but my loved ones all made it home safely. That right there is a bundle of blessings.

Fighting depression and anxiety is a hard task, but it DOES get better. Take your life back!