If you're struggling with depression, cutting back on just three things is unlikely to make any noticeable difference to your long-term mental health.
Sure it can help, but if you want to solve this long-term problem, you will need to take a more holistic approach to repairing your brain.
When I was depressed, I had to change almost everything in my life, from the people I spent time with, the food I ate, the shows I watched, and the way I structured and lived my days.
In this answer, I will share FIVE things I have removed from my life that have had the biggest impact on my mental health.
This alone may not be enough to banish your depression. But I promise you, it will lighten up.
1. Social Media
Social media is literally the worst activity you can do if you are depressed.
Thousands of peer-reviewed studies have shown an inseparable link between social media use and anxiety/depression.
The more time you spend navigating the "gram", "book" or "tube", the more depressed you become.
Not all social media is bad. In fact, I think social media can be a healthy and refreshing part of life.
But when you're depressed, it's very tempting to fall into the trap of comparison and "it'll never be like this"; therefore it is best to eliminate social media altogether.
It's easy to watch perfect lives filtered through social media and get depressed because you're not "so perfect." But guess what?
90% of social media is bullshit.
A few days before they committed suicide, my friends posted selfies of how excited they were about their life and the projects they were working on.
You never know what goes through someone's head. You can't see the pain behind their eyes. You never know what's REALLY going on in someone's life when you just see the highlights.
Take a break from social media for a few months and I promise it will help you reset your brain and break out of the comparison trap.
2. Sugar, processed foods, and other unhealthy junk foods
Malnutrition makes depression worse.
This reduces your body's ability to produce feel-good hormones and pleasure chemicals such as serotonin, dopamine, and epinephrine.
These foods hijack your brain, increase inflammation in your body, make you feel bad and spoil your physical appearance…
This is not conducive to a truly happy and healthy life.
If you want to beat depression, start by changing your diet.
Eat only ground-grown foods or foods that have a face (i.e. real food) and immediately eliminate ALL sodas and sweets from your diet.
The healthier you eat, the healthier your brain and body will be, allowing you to attack depression from a strong position.
3. Toxic people
Quite simply, if you're spending time with people who make your depression worse, you need to get away from them and EXPRES.
Misery loves friendship, and nothing makes depression worse than a bunch of depressed people getting together and rolling in their ailments.
I know you probably have "close" friends who have been with you for decades and likely share your depression.
I'm not asking you to cut them out of your life completely, just limit your exposure to them until you are mentally stable and healthy, no longer driven by their depressive tendencies.
Spend time with healthy, happy, fun and positive people who lift you up and encourage you to grow.
Surround yourself with people who make you laugh and lift your spirits.
The more time you spend with happy people, the happier you will be.
4. Sitting still
If you want to beat depression once and for all, you have to be obsessed with movement.
While most of my depressions are in the past, recent circumstances have made her raise her head.
But today I am ready.
When I feel a depressive episode begin, I IMMEDIATELY go outside and sweat as much as I can.
Whether it's a 10-mile bike ride, 90-minute weightlifting, or a long swim, I do something that gets me out of my depressed mood and helps me "sweat the negativity."
If you sit all day, you will become depressed.
Period.
I don't care if you don't have a history of depression, stagnation feeds depression like plain water bacteria (which is funny considering we're 70% water).
So get up and move. Lift, run, bike, swim, dance, jump. Do something that lifts your mood and keeps you from feeling so bad.
5. Emotional vulgarity
Okay, maybe I just wanted to show you a new vocabulary word, but what I mean here is that you MUST STOP living life in the same old boring way that disappointed you in the first place.
If you can, move to a new city, start a new job, start living an exciting life.
If your options are currently limited,Find a way to add excitement and adventure to every day.
Try something new, sign up for improv or dance classes, go for a walk, get lost in the countryside, do something that excites and scares you every day.
It will take you out of depression and bring you to life.
I promise you.
I hope this helped you.