A Few Things That Can Make Depression Worse

Lots of people struggle with depression and their mental health, and although it can often seem like such things are beyond your control, there are some things you can do to help your situation. Of course, seeking the right mental health support and working with your doctor is key. But there are also lifestyle factors that can exacerbate problems such as depression, and we’re going to talk about some of those today. So read on to learn more about them.

Drinking Alcohol

Drinking alcohol is very common in our culture, despite the impact it can have on our health over the long term. One thing to keep in mind is that consuming too much alcohol can have both long-term and short-term implications for our mental health. It’s a depressant, so it’s not going to lift your mood in most cases, and it’s known to exacerbate depression. That’s one reason I don’t drink.

Weather and Natual Light

The weather can even impact your mental health too. Lots of people feel down and are more likely to feel depressed when they don’t get enough exposure to natural sunlight and when there’s too much rain. If you want to brighten up your mood, sometimes you need to brighten up your surroundings. Getting some sun can definitely be a good idea.

Your Social Media Habits

Doom scrolling on social media is something that most of us have done at one time or another, even if we know it’s not good for our mood or mental health. Constantly reading about bad news and negativity is not good for anyone, so if it’s something that you find yourself doing regularly, you should try to curb those habits as soon as you can. You might even want to take a complete break from social media from time to time.

Hearing Loss

Lots of people experience depression as a result of untreated hearing loss, and that’s something that most people don’t realize is possible. Unfortunately, anxiety, depression and hearing loss go hand in hand, and it comes down to the isolation that often comes with hearing loss. People can often feel shut off from social situations and become isolated when they go through untreated hearing loss.

How Well You Sleep

The way in which you sleep will also have an impact on your depression and how you feel. You want to make sure that you’re giving your brain and body the time it needs to rest and recover at night. So if you’re someone who has been neglecting their sleep, that’s something that you should probably try to rectify sooner rather than later. Sleep is something we all need and it shouldn’t be neglected.

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As you can see, there are lots of ways in which your depression can be made worse than it needs to be. It’s up to you to make sure that you’re doing what you can to look after yourself and protect yourself against worsening depression. And addressing the issues mentioned above will help with that.

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Lisa Ehrman

Lisa has been blogging since 2013, and loves sharing resources and ideas for living a simple life. To get free printables, bonus words, and more - sign up for the newsletter.