How to Overcome Barriers to Self-Care & Depression

Self-care includes important personal hygiene-related activities like brushing teeth, combing hair, getting dressed appropriately in clean clothing, eating well and exercising. Depression affects self-esteem. According to "The Antidepressant Skills Workbook" by Dr. Dan Bilsker, R.Psych. and Dr. Randy Paterson, R.Psych., depression patients often criticize themselves excessively. This can lead to a cycle of neglecting self-care, feeling guilty and becoming more self-critical. Self-care and other lifestyle factors like having a good social support system can help people recover from depression and set a good foundation for avoiding a relapse later in life.

Instructions

• 1

  Pay a visit to your physician or a licensed mental health professional for a diagnosis of depression. It is important to seek help from a professional before trying to engage in self-care, because depression is not easy to diagnose and treat alone. According to "The Antidepressant Skills Workbook," it is difficult to diagnose depression without consulting a physician, since depression changes the way people see themselves.

• 2

  Make a commitment to recover from depression. Depending on the severity of depression and your particular situation, a number of treatment options may be presented to you. People with clinical or major depression may require antidepressant medications. Mild depression, however, may not always require medications. Counseling and/or psychotherapy may also be required.

  According to MayoClinic, it is important to follow the treatment plan as closely as possible. Try to miss as few counseling sessions as possible. Do not skip antidepressant medications or cease taking the prescribed dosage without consulting a physician, since drastic changes in medication may worsen depression. The medications will need to be reduced over time when they are stopped, according to "The Antidepressant Skills Workbook."

• 3

  Get enough exercise. Exercising can increase energy levels and help you get back to feeling like yourself. Exercise is also an important party of day-to-day self-care that should be integrated into your lifestyle even after recovery. According to MayoClinic, it might be helpful to integrate active hobbies you already have like biking or gardening into your daily life to lessen the effects of depression with ease.

• 4

  Set goals for yourself that are "realistic" and improve your well-being and self-care. According to "The Antidepressant Skills Workbook," setting unrealistic goals will only encourage the negative thought patterns that keep depression going. Part of recovering from depression means focusing on the positive. Set attainable goals, like eating more fruits and vegetables every day or talking to a friend or family member at least once a day.

• 5

  Identify barriers present to your self-care, once you have established a bit of a routine. If your morning schedule, for instance, does not permit you to get dressed, brush your teeth and eat without rushing, try to wake up a little earlier in the morning to decrease that barrier of time and stress. Another example might be realizing you need to change another habit to accommodate your new habit of exercise. Try to cut out barriers to an active lifestyle like excess time spent watching television, rather than eliminating important lifestyle components of recovery like time with friends.