Discouragement and sadness are moods that are characterized by presenting in those who suffer them a state of dejection and unhappiness that causes a deterioration in relationships with others, in leisure activities that previously caused pleasure and in health in general.
The World Health Organization estimates that around 350 million people in the world suffer from mood disorders. In some cases, these disorders end with the suicide of the sufferer.
Being depressed for most of the day and having some of the following symptoms present can be an indicator of having a depressive disorder, but it does not necessarily have to be..
Decreased interest and pleasure in almost everything
Poor appetite or overeating
Low self-esteem
Fatigue
Insomnia or hypersomnia
Lack of concentration or difficulty making decisions
Feeling of hopelessness
Feeling worthless or excessive or inappropriate guilt
Recurrent thoughts of death and / or suicidal ideas
Symptoms significantly interfere with the life of the sufferer
The professionals of Clinical Psychology and Psychiatry are the only ones authorized to diagnose this type of disorder, so it would be serious for you to self-diagnose a depressive disorder for meeting some of the criteria that we have shown.
Incorporating regular physical exercise into your day-to-day life is one of the first steps you can take if you want to improve your mood..
There are many ways to exercise your physique, so finding the one you like best will only be a matter of time. Maybe you like going to aerobics classes at a gym, running in a park, cycling on a mountain near your home, joining a league in your favorite sport a couple of days a week, etc..
If you are constant, whatever activity you do will help you improve your mood thanks to several sources of gratification.
First, because you will see how your performance improves day after day: each time you will be able to run longer without getting tired or it will take less time to do your bike route, for example. That will increase your motivation, your self-confidence and your satisfaction..
Your own body will also be an important source of gratification, because whatever level you are in at the moment, sport will tone your muscles and thanks to this, those small discomforts that you may have in areas such as the back will be reduced. Also, who doesn't take satisfaction from seeing their muscles tighten?
At the brain level, changes also occur during and after physical activity that will help you improve your mood. Thanks to exercise, the release of endorphins is stimulated, a substance generated by the body itself and that produces a feeling of well-being and an analgesic effect..
Having a balanced diet is essential if you want to have good health, both physical and psychological.
There are foods that promote the secretion of certain substances that can improve your mood such as tryptophan, magnesium, folic acid or different vitamins, which in turn are related to other chemicals in your own body such as serotonin, dopamine or noradrenaline, largely responsible for your mood.
However, the objective of this article is not to carry out an analysis of the precursor foods of this type of substances, but to become aware that you should try to eat a healthy and varied diet that includes fish, red meat, vegetables, nuts and legumes and that is as far away as possible from the junk food we are so exposed to today.
Another reason why you should eat a healthy diet is to maintain control of your body weight. A poor diet can make you gain weight, which can affect self-esteem and confidence. Also, if you get used to eating unhealthy, it will be much more difficult to eat a healthy diet later..
Taking time to enjoy doing the things you like can go a long way in improving your mood. Go to the movies, go out with your friends to have a good time, watch a competition of your favorite sport, etc..
It is normal that, when you are in a very low mood, even doing what you like becomes an extra effort, because in those moments you do not feel like doing anything. In this regard, one of the many psychological tools that can help you is goal setting, explained in detail in point number 7..
At first you may have to make an extra effort to take the step of dedicating time to some of your hobbies, but it will soon become an important source of well-being.
Many people who are having a hard time make the mistake of not asking for help. Sometimes they do it out of fear of making their fears, insecurities or discomforts known to other people; on other occasions, all the stigmas that still exist today in relation to mental illness do their job and prevent these people from asking for help.
If so far you have not asked for help, either for the reasons we have given in the previous paragraph or for others, it is time for you to do so. Starting with someone close to you is a very good step, although it will not be the only one.
Your loved ones will always try to help you and their words and advice will go in that direction. However, in most cases, psychological work with a qualified professional will be necessary..
Try to stay close to those with whom you have a greater relationship. Your support and esteem are necessary to improve the state you are in.
With them you can share time enjoying hobbies that you have in common, you can distract yourself by spending a pleasant time in their company and you can relax and share your feelings and experiences when you need it..
Although it is understandable that in many moments what you want is precisely to be alone, we must encourage you to make an effort to share your time with the people who love you.
What you should stay away from as much as possible is from those people who make you feel bad and who do not bring you anything positive. Generally they are people that you have been close to for a long time because one day they were considered friends, although now the relationship is not beneficial at all.
In other situations it will be much more difficult to get away from these types of people, for example, in the case of having a boss who treats you with contempt and makes you feel undervalued or from co-workers with whom you do not like to be because there is bad atmosphere and very little companionship.
Learning to face situations and people that cause you discomfort will be very beneficial throughout your life, since it is something that you can use repeatedly. A good job with your psychologist will guarantee you success in this regard..
All the points that we have explained so far can help you improve your mood, but it is normal that if you are going through a bad time you do not feel like doing sports, or dedicating time to your passions or loved ones or others activities that could help you.
We know that this is one of the main difficulties you may encounter; That is why the last point of this article is intended to explain, in a very summarized way, what the goal setting technique consists of..
Goal setting is a psychological tool that allows you to set the most appropriate goals for each situation. Setting specific goals will give you the motivation you need to do things that will help you feel better..
In addition, as you achieve the objectives you set for yourself, your self-confidence will increase and you will enter a very positive dynamic with which you will begin to function in a much more effective way..
As with any psychological tool (and as we have highlighted in one of the previous sections), it is very important that you use it under the guidance and supervision of a specialist. However, we leave you 6 tips so you can start experimenting with the use of goal setting.
They must be specific
It is important that you ask yourself what your goal is, why you want to achieve it, and what you need to achieve it..
The objective "I want to be better" would not work for you, as it would not be specific enough. An example of a specific goal that could be of use to you is "I have to force myself to go to the gym a couple of times a week, because although I know that at first I feel lazy, later I feel very good".
They must be measurable
That the objectives you set are measurable is essential, since it is what allows you to objectively verify whether or not they have been achieved..
For example, instead of setting yourself the goal of "exercising more" (which would not be a specific goal), you should set yourself the goal of "I'm going to go to the gym 3 days a week" (which it is).
They must be achievable
If you set unattainable goals, in addition to not achieving the goal you are looking for, you will damage your self-confidence and your motivation to achieve it..
Continuing with the previous example, it would not be appropriate for you to consider doing physical exercise 5 days a week; this is very difficult for you, either because of your work, other responsibilities or because it is too much for you. Set achievable goals and, as you overcome them, you will increase their difficulty.
Reaching them must depend on you
Your goals should depend exclusively on you. It would be of little use if you set out to achieve a goal that depends on other people.
A very clear example of this can be found in the field of sport, where many athletes set themselves the goal of “being the starters”, when that does not depend on them, since it is the coach who decides. In this case, it would be much more appropriate to set the goal of "doing my best in all the exercises that the coach sets for me.".
They must be relevant to you
The goals you set for yourself must be truly relevant to you. It is not enough for you to know that you should get it for your health, for example, but you must really want it.
Thus, it would be useless if you wrote "I want to be able to quit smoking because it is very harmful to my health" on your list of objectives if you know yourself that you will not do it because you want to continue smoking.
They must have a deadline
Setting a deadline to meet your goals will help you not procrastinate ad infinitum. Of course, you must be realistic and set your goals at the right time: not too early and not too late.
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