The very first step to fight back depression: Quality SLEEP

I was just asked what is, in my experience, the very first step to fight back depression. I have a very clear answer: QUALITY SLEEP.

When you realized you are clinically depressed and you need to start taking some actions to fight back or you will really take your own life, the first you need to do is to control your BODY. I have learnt (no genious here, it has been published many times) that you can use your body and routines to start fighting back depression, since depression is a black hole of chaos and lack of energy…

The very basics are:

1.- SLEEP WELL

2.- EAT WELL

3. EXERCISE WELL

So the first step is GOOD SLEEP. I don’t mean (at all) spend a lot of time in bed. I mean SLEEP when you are in bed, sleep 8 hours a day (night).

I used to go to bed tired, exhausted, and then turn the light off and start tossing around, moving, thinking over and over my own misery. Then, at night, all my fears came free and ate me alive, inside out. So next morning I woke up cranky, tired and even more depressed. I understood bad sleep was a big problem so I began fighting it back. I still doit, my nights are not prfect or even good, but I now I can reach at least 4 good hours (and growing). How? Well, there are different ways. I discard taking sleeping pills, they are the very last resource for me since, in my experience, even when they make me sleep 8 hours, I am quite a zombie next day. Also, I CANNOT DREAM when I take them, so no more sleeping pills for me. In a very bad situation, I can exercise a lot (A LOT) during the two hours right before going to bed, I don’t have a big dinner and I don’t drink a lot of water (or I will get up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom). I exercise a lot, like a maniac, with no music. Then I take a hot and long shower, as hot as I can and at least for 30 minutes. Then I go to bed and turn the light off. I don’t use my cell phone or laptop during at least the 3-4 hours before actually getting into bed, for me it is very true what they say about it. I have also learnt that turning the AIRPLANE MODE on 3-4 hours before I go to bed helps a lot because I am not just nervous about bad news coming by email or a bad phone call, all triggered by anxiety.

If you can, meditate for 10-15 minutes after the shower and before getting into your bed. Meditation really helps me too. I am still a begginer but the key is to control your breathing so your heart relaxes and its rate goes down. Anxiety increases heart rate and you will never sleep if you go to bed with a crazy drum inside your chest.

Always keep in mind good things take time, effort and patience, so never expect all to be OK the first night. You might need 1-2 weeks before you can reach 4 good hours of sleep.

Once you have your sleep under control, you can work on your diet and eating habits. For me, it is better to eat 4-6 times a day in small portions than fewer times and more food. Also, I need to have a light dinner and 2-3 hours before I go to bed, as I said before. Every once in a while treat yourself; in my case I go for a big, juicy and greasy cheese burger but I can also cook a big meal (stew, paella, steak…) and then eat with some wine. I cannot do this every day, of course, but, say, once every 2 weeks or so works for me.

When you control your sleeping and eating habits, then you need to work on your exercise habits. Regularity is a must. You can practice a sport or hit the gym or weights or whatever works for you. The key issue here is regularity, make a habit of it. Do it the same week days at the same time, it will help your mind a lot, not only your body.