Natural Solutions to Boost Mood and Reduce Depression

In this episode Mr. O will cover the topic of natural ways to boost mood and reduce depression. General information about depression will be provided along with criteria to meet a depression diagnosis. Specific strategies and techniques will be discussed to improve mood and reduce depression symptoms if traditional therapy and medication is not accessible.  Topics include increasing physical activity, eliminating the automatic negative thoughts, sleep hygiene, limiting screen time, diet and nutrition, supplements, gratitude, and mindfulness meditation. The skills and techniques can be adapted and used for anyone looking to improve their mood and reduce depression symptoms.  

Transcript

Intro: Welcome to Mr. O’s Podcast episode 4: Natural Solutions to boost mood and reduce Depression

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Hello and welcome to Mr. O’s podcast!  I am Doug Olszewski, School Social Worker at NHSD. As a licensed social worker, I have provided over 20 years of counseling supports to students in grades K-12, with the majority of my time being spent in the high school. 

Thank you for being here today. In this episode, I’ll be talking about a number of natural solutions to increase mood and reduce depression symptoms. The idea for this episode came about after I released the podcasts on school-based strategies for anxiety, and I was asked by a few people if I could provide information about depression.  Specifically, they asked what I would recommend for someone who was feeling depressed and wanted some strategies to improve their mood, if they couldn’t access traditional therapy or medication.  When I gave it some thought, multiple strategies came to mind, so I wanted to put together a list of options that someone could choose from to start and focus on improving their depression. 

With that said, let me take a moment and briefly talk about depression and what it is exactly. 

I think most people have a pretty good idea about what depression looks like and how it can present itself. Depression is a common and serious mood disorder where the person experiences persistent feelings of sadness and hopelessness, and they lose interest in activities they once enjoyed. This depressed mood along with the loss of interests must be present for at least two weeks for someone to be clinically diagnosed with depression. Along with this, individuals can also have physical symptoms, chronic pain and digestive issues, and experience multiple symptoms at the same time or fluctuate between them. Some of the other common symptoms can include: 

1. Weight loss or weight gain
2. Fatigue or loss of energy 
3. Feelings of worthlessness or excessive guilt 
4. Difficulty thinking or concentrating
5. Irritability, obsessive negative rumination, and complaints of physical pain
6. Possible thoughts of death or suicide.

●        So before we go any further, I want to mention that there is a suicide risk associated with depression because the person may continue to feel helpless and hopeless, that their circumstances will not change, and that nothing can help them ever feel better.

●        If you know someone who is suffering with depression, it is important to recognize the warning signs of suicide and to take suicidal statements seriously. An active statement by someone with suicidal ideation might be something like, “I’m going to kill myself,” but other passive statements such as, “I wish I could just go to sleep and never wake up,” are equally worrying. 

●        Besides verbal expressions, other warning signs can also include sudden changes in behavior, drug and alcohol abuse, stockpiling pills or purchasing a weapon or if there were previous suicide attempts. If someone with depression exhibits these signs, encourage them to consult a mental health professional immediately. They should call or text 988 for the National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, call the National Suicide hotline at 1 800 273-8255, or go to a local crisis center.

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Back to the discussion, if we were to think about a character who meets the criteria for depression, most people would agree that Eeyore from Winnie the Pooh fits the description accurately. He has a depressed mood, extreme sadness, zero energy and a dark cloud seems to follow him everywhere he goes! Perhaps you or someone you know may have felt this way. It’s likely that we have all felt depressed, sad or down in the dumps from time to time, but fortunately most of us only feel this way for a little while. Other people struggle emotionally and physically with these symptoms throughout their lives and their depression can be a longstanding and difficult struggle.  They also might not have the time, energy, motivation or means to get effective depression treatment, and may not seek it out regardless of how bad they feel.    (Pause)

Before I get to the list, I need to mention that traditional talk therapy and medication, along with holistic and alternative treatments can be very effective in treating symptoms of depression for many people. Often times, therapy alone is helpful with improving depressive symptoms, but for some people, a combination of therapy and medication may be recommended depending on the severity of the depression. Antidepressant medications can also be a useful treatment option, but there are some people who report that they receive little or no benefit from meds. Those people with severe or treatment resistant depression have seen improvements with various alternative and holistic approaches including herbal remedies, acupuncture, reflexology, yoga, ketamine, psilocybin and Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). 

I would recommend someone to consult with a primary care physician, psychiatrist, mental health provider or a holistic practitioner if possible, to discuss both traditional and alternative treatments for depression.

Getting back to the initial question, if someone came to see me and wanted to address their depression in leu of traditional therapy or medication, under normal circumstances I would certainly want to understand the basis for their depression. I would want to know how it presents itself, when did it start, how long they have had it and if there were any pressing event or life changing situations that may be causing the depression. But if they didn’t want to discuss the details of their depression and only wanted strategies, I would recommend that the following list would be a good place to start. I would also encourage them to try and incorporate at least 1 or 2 strategies initially, but then add others when possible to see which combination may have the most impact. 

So, let’s get started. In no particular order, the first suggestion I would offer is to:

●       Increase physical activity - People who are depressed often report that they lead a somewhat stagnant lifestyle. Whether it is a lack of desire or low energy level, they can become sedentary and reduce or stop doing any physical activity. There is overwhelming research on how regular physical activity can reduce depressive symptoms by increasing endorphins, which are natural brain chemicals that can improve one’s mood and sense of well-being. Increasing activity level doesn’t mean you have to join a gym or that you need special equipment, it can be anything to help get you moving.  Studies have shown that just walking at a hurried pace, for 45 minutes 4x’s per week has been proven to be as effective as antidepressant medication! If you can walk outside, surrounded by nature, that is even better for you. If you have the ability and means to join a gym, then certainly go and work out 3-4 times per week. Weight training, aerobic exercises, yoga, ect., will all be beneficial for your mental health., but at minimum, go for a walk!

●       The next suggestion I would recommend is to Eliminate the ANTS - Automatic Negative Thoughts - I have discussed ANTS in detail during my previous podcasts about anxiety and talk about how to eliminate them.  The same strategies can be used and directly applied with depression. A significant amount of depression is maintained by negative thoughts or ruminations about oneself, their situation or their circumstances. Identifying negative thoughts, catching them, determining if they are true and what we can do about them is tremendously powerful in reducing depressive thoughts. Addressing the ANTS will directly shift from a negative thought pattern about life or one’s self, to a more accurate and realistic view, one that people can accept and effectively deal with. 

●       Next I would suggest proper Sleep hygiene - I would encourage someone with depression to look at their sleep patterns, specifically how late they stay up and how many hours of sleep they get.  Oftentimes someone who is depressed has a dysregulated sleep patterns and stay up all night and may only get a few hours’ sleep. As we all know, sleep deprivation by itself can significantly impact our level of functioning in so many ways, including our physical, mental and emotional wellbeing. It can certainly magnify any negative issue that we are experiencing such as anxiety, depression or physical illness and actually make it worse.  One way to improve sleep health is to start by setting a consistent nighttime and waking schedule. Set times that allow you to get a full 8 hours sleep regularly and be sure to limit or remove any electronics or distraction in the room during the time you are supposed to be sleeping. And if you are thinking about taking naps during the day to help supplement your sleep, unfortunately that won’t work since napping can dysregulate your sleep even more! Sorry, no more naps! Initially it may be difficult to stick to a regular sleep pattern, but after a week or so, it will become easier and your body will respond favorably to a stable and consistent sleep schedule. 

●       Moving on, I would also strongly recommend that someone Limit screen time and increase social time – people who are depressed often report withdrawing from friends and family and the activities they used to enjoy. They may remove themselves from the real world and deliberately avoid social interactions with others, often spending many hours per day online or on social media sites. Limit phone use, social media exposure and scrolling endlessly on the internet to a maximum of 2 hours per day. Yes, I know, I hear you gasping in shock already! Yes, limit the social media exposure! Replace that doom scrolling behavior by talking with a family member or friend and do something together with them. Go outside for a walk, do a craft, play an instrument, read an actual book, develop a hobby or do an activity you used to enjoy. Join a social event like a book club or become involved and volunteer with a community organization. Do something that does not involve a device or phone! Limit your screen time!

●       Another suggestion I would make is to look into current eating habits and Diet and nutrition.  I’m not saying diet as a calorie reduction technique, but rather pay attention to what food is being eaten. Most diets in this country are often comprised of fat, refined sugar, and processed foods full of chemicals that saturate our meals and can have a significant impact on mood and mental health. Reducing some of these processed foods and substituting with colorful fruits and vegetables along with leafy greens can have a significant impact on mental health. If you need to, start small and supplement 1-2 items per day as you get more comfortable paying attention to the food you eat. I am not saying you need to remove all the French fries and ice cream out of your life, just have them in moderation and add in some healthy choices.  

●       Supplements are another topic that I would recommend. There are many clinical studies have shown that certain supplements do have a positive effect on mood and reduce depression symptoms. I would encourage someone to talk with a nutritionally informed health care provider when considering if supplements are right for you.  Vitamin B12 and Vitamin D have been identified as important nutrients for regulating mood, along with Omega 3 fatty acids, St. Johns Wort, SaME, zinc, and probiotics. There are a large variety of supplements available to increase mood and promote overall wellness, and many people have received positive benefits by taking supplements for depression.   

●       The next topic I would suggest is to focus on Gratitude – Gratitude is an expression of appreciation or thankfulness for the good things in someone’s life. This can include such things as acts of kindness from others, or it can also be a feeling of thankfulness for the many things we have in life, like having a place to live, food, family and friends. When someone is depressed it is often difficult to think of anything that is positive or meaningful. I would encourage someone to try to identify 3 meaningful or grateful things in their life daily to help shift attention towards the positive thoughts. Sit with them for a few moments and really appreciate the positive areas in your life. Write down those things that you are grateful for in a gratitude journal and after a week read it and reflect on what you wrote. You may be surprised by how many things in your life are actually good or going well.   

●       The last suggestion I would make is to consider Mindfulness/Meditation activities – When some people hear the terms mindfulness or meditation, they assume that it has to mean either a prolonged and intensive self-exploration process, or that is some type of profound spiritual practice.  This is not what I mean.  What I refer to as mindfulness meditation is simply paying attention to what's happening in the present moment, such as your breath, your thoughts, any physical sensations you may have, and the feelings you may be experiencing. Engaging in regular meditation and mindfulness activities daily has been shown to greatly improve our overall mental health and wellbeing. Our minds have only one job to do and that is to think, but people who are depressed often focus most of their attention on their negative thoughts.  But it doesn’t have to be this way. Over time you can develop skills to be more mindful of your thoughts regardless of what they are, without feeling the need to dwell on them or overly focus on them, including negative thoughts as well. With mindfulness mediation practice you can learn to accept your thoughts as they are without judging them or condemning them and just let them pass. Remember, we don’t have to believe every negative thought we have!  

So those are the suggestions I would recommend to someone if they wanted natural options to boost their mood and reduce their depression, without starting traditional therapy or mental health treatment.  I want to acknowledge that most of these strategies may be difficult to incorporate, and some can be downright hard to do at first.  Depression symptoms are typically supported by multiple and ongoing combination of habits that may have been in place for quite a while, so it is going to take some time to change them.  But as you continue to implement these strategies on a regular basis, they will become easier to do, and they will likely have a positive impact on your mood and reduce your depression.  

So, this concludes the discussion on natural solutions to boost mood and lower depression. I hope that you found the information to be helpful, useful, and easy to implement. 

I am Doug Olszewski, school social worker as NHSD and I want to thank you for listening to

 Mr. O’s podcast. 

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