8 Ways I Cope with Depression
While I was in college visiting my primary care provider for a general visit, he asked me about how I was doing emotionally, and I expressed myself honestly about the way that stress was impacting my life. After our conversations, he unofficially diagnosed me with depression and referred me to a psychologist for a formal diagnosis.
I ignored him.
After a few years of denial, depression put me in a chokehold like I had never experienced before. I spent one week debilitated both mentally and physically, in my bed with nothing but suicidal ideations.
Being a first-generation Latina-Americana, mental health wasn’t something that was spoken about during my upbringing, but that season of my life challenged everything that we thought we knew. That was the first time that my family and I considered that I might actually have a problem. We then scheduled my first visit with a therapist.
Since then, I’ve accepted that I am just one of millions of Americans that have depression, and that just means that my self-care looks a little differently than others. I’ve been living life day by day, learning my symptoms and their patterns, and creating healing rituals that cater to cultivating healthy bonds for my mind, body, and soul.
In this video, I’ve detailed a few of the ways that I cope with my depression symptoms. (Watch it, and like and subscribe for more wellness videos like it!) Below, I’m offering deeper support through resources and links that might help you or someone you know on their battle with depression.
Please share this post at large or with anyone you think could benefit from hearing my story or the information I’ve provided here. This is what true mental health awareness is about.
Self-Awareness
The first thing that I was presented with during my first therapy appointment was a Mental Health Pain Scale. I use the scale every single day to gauge my mental health, record my mood numbers and any symptom details in my journal, and share the number with my husband and loved ones so that they know exactly how I’m doing and how they can help me if necessary.
I’ve remixed it and made it available as a free download for everyone because I think it’s that much of an important tool to use.
Click here to download your own FREE mobile-friendly Mental Health Pain Scale!
Talking to the People You Trust About Your Mental Health
This wasn’t always easy for me. Mental health is extremely stigmatized, but even more so in Latinx communities, and communities of color in general. I grew up thinking that nothing was wrong with me, that mental health disorders meant someone was “crazy,” that therapist was for only those “crazy people,” and that prayer could fix any ailments someone was having.
It took years of suffering, fighting denial, therapy, research, and awkward conversations with family and friends to get where I am at today – comfortable with who I am, and doing my best to thrive with the mental health disorders that I just happen to have.
Resources for speaking to your family and friends about your mental health:
Talking to Your Family About Mental Health | Via Mental Health First Aid
A Therapist’s Guide to Talking About Mental Health | Via Talkspace
Seeking Help from a Professional
I am not a mental health professional, but as someone who has battled with mental health disorders and dealt with finding therapists for many years, I have some experience here. I’m answering as many frequently asked questions as possible in a separate blog post soon, but in the meantime, my friends at Healthline have an amazing resource for getting started finding a therapist where they answer many FAQs.
Mindful Eating/Balanced Diet
Gut health = brain health. I love a good cheeseburger as much as the next person, but there’s no way around this. It took me a very long time to learn how to eat mindfully, completely challenging everything I learned in my upbringing. I came to terms with the fact that healthy eating doesn’t have to be expensive or bland, that I don’t need to have a meat and a starch with every single meal, and that plant-based eating isn’t only “for rich, white people.” (STIGMAS GALORE!)
Through my exploration, I’ve learned that eating a well-balanced, plant-forward diet makes me feel great from the inside out, in turn, pumping me with nutrients necessary for a powerful body and brain, shifting my energy and elevating my vibration, and lessening my depression symptoms.
What my plant-based diet consists of:
I’m largely dairy-free because I’m slightly lactose intolerant, and dairy is very inflammatory for the body and mind. Inflammation is said to be one of the main causes of poor health, including mental health. I’ve replaced cow milk for non-dairy milks (almond and oat are my favorites), yogurts and ice creams for non-dairy options, and cheese for my three favorite vegan cheese brands to date, Follow Your Heart, Chao, and Violife. I give myself a couple of dairy cheat days a month so I can indulge with my family.
I am also mostly meat-free, except for seafood – I love me some fish. Although too much is not good, I do partake in the occasional meat replacement (Lightlife, Gardein, and Trader Joe’s make my favorites). I’ve also grown a liking for tofu, so that’s always an easy option to turn to when cooking or even eating out.
And of course, dark leafy greens, bright fruits and vegetables, seeds and nuts, and legumes.
If your physician agrees it’s a good idea for you, I recommend trying a plant-based diet for 40 days to see how your body transforms, what your likes and dislikes are, and how you can implement more mindful healthy habits. I call my 40-day plant-based challenge Whole Glow 40, and you can find all the details here, and six weeks worth of YouTube vlogs here.
Vitamins and Supplements
I get many of the nutrients I need for a healthy brain from my diet, but because I’ve opted out of taking prescribed antidepressants, I incorporated neurotransmitter supporting supplements into my daily regimen years ago. Clinical depression is a chemical imbalance that sometimes requires a treatment plan with medication. In my case, medication isn’t a requirement, so I chose to advocate for trying to cope with natural alternatives first.
Here are links to the mental health supplements I vouch for that I either currently take or have taken in the past:
Always take a multivitamin!
Ritual Multivitamins – I took these for years with no complaints. They have a subscription option where you pay a fee every month and it gets delivered to your door without having to order it yourself.
New Chapter Every Woman’s One Daily with Probiotics – Since recording this video, I’ve switched over to these multivitamins because they incorporate probiotics without having to take a separate capsule. They’re non-GMO verified, vegetarian, Kosher, gluten-free, and best of all there are no synthetic fillers! (A problem with MANY vitamins.) So far, I love them. I’ve seen a positive shift in my digestion, my energy level, and even my hair and nail growth.
5-HTP – 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP) is an amino acid that your body naturally produces as a precursor to serotonin, a neurotransmitter (helps carry signals through your brain and into your body) widely known as the “feel-good chemical” that helps regulate our mood.
St. John’s Wort – An herbal mood supplement that comes from a plant that grows in the wild. It has been used for centuries for treating symptoms related to mental health conditions.
SAMe – S-adenosyl-L-methionine (SAMe) is a compound made naturally by the body that helps produce serotonin, melatonin, and dopamine.
I’ve been taking adaptogens for over three years now and they’ve been a game-changer for me. Adaptogens are herbs that help humans adapt to the stressors of life. I currently take this one for hormone balance and these for mental health support:
Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) – Proven to help reduce depression and anxiety symptoms, cortisol levels, and inflammation, as well as improve brain function, memory, and libido.
Tulsi/Holy Basil (Ocimum sanctum) – According to the Journal of Ayurveda and Integrative Medicine, holy basil has antidepressant and anti-anxiety properties comparable to diazepam (anti-anxiety drug) and antidepressant drugs.
Always speak to a medical professional before stopping a medication and/or implementing vitamins and supplements into your regimen as they can interfere with certain medications or treatment plans.
Listening to Music
Music is everything to me. Besides it feeling healing for my mind, body, and spirit, time and time again, science says it actually is. Studies have concluded that music changes the structures of our brains, making it an effective tool for mood regulation.
Depending on where I am on the mental health pain scale, sometimes I want to listen to sad music, and sometimes I want to listen to empowering music. Lucky for you, I’ve created two playlists for when you’re at either end of the depression spectrum. If you don’t have a Spotify account, get a free one, and indulge in my Songs to Vibe Low to and Songs to Raise Your Vibe playlists whenever you want. Wishing you peaceful listening.
Moving my Body
“Aerobic exercises, including jogging, swimming, cycling, walking, gardening, and dancing, have been proved to reduce anxiety and depression. These improvements in mood are proposed to be caused by exercise-induced increase in blood circulation to the brain and by an influence on the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and, thus, on the physiologic reactivity to stress.” – The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry
Moving your body for at least 30 minutes a day can cause a significant decrease in your depression symptoms. I’ve felt this first hand and continue to do so when I’m consistent with my workouts and/or are mindful of moving as much as possible each week. Just yesterday I felt a slump in my mood so I decided to walk through the city until I couldn’t walk anymore. Result: I made it six miles through a heatwave with tons of water, my daughter in her sport stroller, and one headphone in my ear with motivating music. Today, I feel accomplished and am still reeling with endorphins.
Here are some of my favorite workout links:
ClassPass – ClassPass makes mind, body, spirit self-care easy, even for those that don’t have time or can’t leave the house because of work or little ones…like me. Available in 2,500 cities around the globe, the membership allows you to book indoor or outdoor classes at the best studios and gyms near you, take a rest day and book wellness appointments like massages, haircuts, nails, and acupuncture, and try on-demand and livestream classes from the comfort of your home. Click here to try it free for yourself and keep up with my #ClassPassPartner adventures on my Instagram.
FitOn App – It’s free and it won’t ask you to pay for more than a week’s worth of exercises. It’s for real, for real free and features tons of professionally-led workouts catered to your physical wants and needs and your lifestyle. Oh, and the best part? Workouts for EVERY body and no equipment required.
Because we’re in the middle of a pandemic, tons of fitness companies are offering free resources. Here’s one long PDF with a ton of free exercise links.
@xojordanleigh – Jordan is one of my closest friends and an amazing trainer. She’s my go-to for quick at-home workouts. Check her out online for all types of wellness at xojordanleigh.com.
Killer Bodies Dance Classes – Meliza Fernandez created Killer Bodies to prove that every body is killer. After taking Killer Beats, just one of her killer movement classes set to the sounds of some of my favorite genres of music, I can say that everybody needs to take one of her classes at least once. Check her out online at killerbodies.com.
Taking Magnesium Baths
We already know that baths are great for relieving stress and relaxing our bodies, but incorporating a cup or two of Epsom salt, or magnesium sulfate, into my baths has changed the game for me for more reasons than one.
Epsom salt is comprised of magnesium and sulfate (salt), but magnesium is the star of the show here. Magnesium is the fourth most abundant mineral in the human body and plays several important roles in the health of our body and brain. In fact, it’s involved in over 600 reactions in the body including energy and protein formation, muscle movement, and what we’re really here to learn, nervous system regulation. Studies suggest that 50% of Americans don’t get the recommended amount of magnesium they need which is dangerous because magnesium deficiency is linked to an increased risk of depression.
So salt up your warm bath with two cups of your favorite Epsom salt (if you have the coins, get yourself some magnesium flakes, but it’s not necessary), and throw a few drops of a muscle relief essential oil blend in there.
Making Decisions to do Things that are Healthy for Me
I know firsthand how difficult it can be to get out of bed and do anything, let alone take a bath, talk to a loved one, or pick up the phone and make an appointment with a therapist when you’re in the middle of a depressive episode. Taking things one day at a time has been key to coping with my symptoms as they come, along with making sure to surround myself with the things, people, and places that support me on my mental health journey.
Things to remember:
You are not alone.
Depression and its many symptoms are completely normal and treatable.
There are people in the world you can trust and speak to about the way you feel.
Always consult with your doctor about making changes to your wellness regimen.
Every day is a new opportunity to choose yourself first.