These healthy behaviors can improve depression recovery success rates: regular exercise, improved sleep, and good nutrition.
Exercise and Depression
Numerous studies have shown that exercise can alleviate depression and improve mood. One review of 14 studies, for example, found that aerobic exercise (walking or running three times a week for at least five weeks) was more effective than a placebo pill at relieving symptoms of mild to moderate depression and was just as effective as psychotherapy. The benefits of exercise in these studies lasted up to a year, especially among those who continued exercising. Exercise was also shown to be more cost effective than other treatments.
No one is sure exactly how exercise relieves depression. An increase in aerobic fitness may play a role but cannot be entirely responsible because non-aerobic exercise, such as weight training, can have similar effects. Some researchers have theorized that exercise, like most antidepressant medications, increases the activity of serotonin and/or norepinephrine. Exercise also stimulates the release of endorphins, which are hormones that reduce pain and can induce euphoria. Exercise may provide an outlet for pent-up anger and frustration as well. In addition, it may improve disturbed sleep, which can be a symptom of and an aggravating factor in depression. Finally, there are some reports that even brief exposure to natural daylight—as with a walk outside during the middle of the day or other outdoor exercise—helps people with SAD.
Some of the effects of exercise may have more to do with psychology than physiology. For instance, exercise may give people a sense of self-mastery or control over their depression or anxiety, which can lead to a reduction in symptoms.
To increase your level of physical activity, begin by making small changes in your daily life. Try parking your car further away from the store or mall to increase the amount of time you spend walking. When possible, take the stairs instead of an elevator. Also, try to decrease the amount of time you spend in sedentary activities, such as watching television. Your goal should be at least 30 minutes of moderately intense activity, such as swimming, bicycling, gardening, raking leaves, or brisk walking on most days of the week; however, any increase in activity can be beneficial.
Sleep and Depression
Most people experience mild irritability or mood changes when they have insomnia, but sleep deprivation can have an even greater impact on those with mood disorders. Chronic sleep deprivation and irregular sleep habits not only worsen depression but may also interfere with its treatment. Sleep disturbances can even trigger a manic episode in some people. Focusing on getting regular, adequate sleep is a crucial part of controlling symptoms and increasing the benefits of other mood disorder treatments. (In some depressed people, controlled sleep deprivation may result in very brief, temporary improvements in depressive symptoms.)
Nutrition and Depression
If you suffer from depression, one of the most important things you can do to help yourself is to avoid alcohol. There is no question that alcohol exacerbates depression; it is, after all, a chemical depressant. As for general nutrition, some individuals with mild depression or dysthymia report that they feel better when they eat more foods containing omega-3 fatty acids (such as salmon and other fatty fish) or complex carbohydrates (such as beans and whole grains). However, the interplay between food and mood is not well understood. Malnutrition, particularly folic acid and vitamin B12 deficiencies, has been associated with depression in older people. Eating a well-balanced diet will help provide the full range of nutrients your body needs to stay healthy in general.
