Mike Marino, PhD

Tips for Battling Anxiety & Depression

by Mike Marino, PhD

Just do what’s in front of you.  Break large tasks into small ones.  Set some priorities and focus on what you can do, not what you can’t.  Don’t expect too much from yourself too soon, this will only accentuate feelings of failure.  Avoid setting difficult goals or taking on ambitious new responsibilities, this is not the time for added pressure.  Doing what you can, as best you can, is just fine for right now.

Avoid isolation.  Depressed and anxious people tend to pull within, building an imaginary “pain-proof” wall to keep out life’s bad parts.  Unfortunately, that wall also keeps out life’s good parts.  Isolation tends to feed depression and anxiety like gasoline feeds a fire.  Work toward building a safe, sane community of support – people who know you and have earned your trust.  Once you begin to experience “safe” people it will be easier to talk about your feelings and thoughts openly.  You’ll need sane voices in your life for those times when your own thoughts and feelings aren’t trustworthy.

Move.  Exercise affects your body chemistry, including your brain chemistry.  Research shows that 30+ minutes of aerobic exercise, done 5 times a week, is as effective in combating depression and anxiety as the best medications in use. Walk, jog, take an exercise class or even something simple like cleaning your house will force you to move and put in motion your body’s natural anti-anxiety and anti-depression mechanisms. If you can just walk 10 yards and then add 10 yards every day … in a year you’ll be walking over 2 miles!  Assuming your doctor gives you the OK, exercise is essential to your recovery. The American Medical Association, the American Psychiatric Association, and the American Psychological Association now list exercise as a “first-line” treatment for depression and anxiety.

You may feel like spending all day in bed, but do not.  While a change in the duration, quality and timing of sleep is a core feature of depression, a reversal in sleep cycle (such as sleeping during daytime hours and staying awake at night) can prolong recovery.  Give others permission to wake you up in the morning.  Schedule “appointments” that force you to get out of the house.  Do this scheduling the night before; waiting until the morning to decide what you will be doing ensures you will do nothing.

Try not to make major life decisions (such as changing jobs or getting married or divorced) without consulting others who know you well and who have a more objective view of your situation.  During a depression and anxiety struggle your thoughts and feelings are not trustworthy.

Don’t expect to snap out of your depression/anxiety on your own by an exercise of will power.  This rarely happens.  Lasting recovery involves more than just wanting to be better, you have to attack your struggle from biological, psychological, social connection and spiritual perspectives.  Many churches and communities have depression/anxiety support groups.  Connect with people who understand the recovery process.

Negative thinking is part of depression/anxiety and can, in fact, contribute to it.  And, positive thinking alone won’t be enough.  The goal is accurate thinking, which is so often affected during depressive and anxious episodes.  Challenge your thoughts.  Your thoughts lie, especially when depression and anxiety take over your thinking patterns.  You don’t have to believe every thought you have.  Learn how to talk to yourself in a constructive and rational manner.  Run your thoughts through an internal “truth filter” and don’t be afraid to run them by trusted friends – they’ll likely be more objective than you, especially when you’re depressed and anxious. 

Breathe.  Many people find that when they’re anxious they breathe shallowly, from the upper chest.  When breathing is shallow and fast, the body responds with an increase in heart rate, blood pressure and stress hormones.  In bad moments, you may even be holding your breath.  When anxiety occurs, take a few moments and simply notice your breathing patterns.  After a few breathing cycles, take a deep breath.  Let your belly be soft and relaxed, and breathe from your lower abdomen. 

Meditate and pray.  Meditation and prayer trigger a relaxation response, helping calm the mind and body.  Scripture tells us to focus our thoughts on good things.  Even the simplest of prayers or affirmations can help you let go of worry and put everyday problems into perspective.  Memorize the Serenity Prayer…

God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; the courage to change the things I can; and the wisdom to know the difference.  Living one day at a time; enjoying one moment at a time; accepting hardships as the pathway to peace; taking, as He did, this sinful world as it is, not as I would have it; trusting that He will make all things right if I surrender to His Will; that I may be reasonably happy in this life and supremely happy with Him forever in the next.  Amen.

Watch the Toxins.  Many people use alcohol, caffeine or nicotine as short-term solutions for their anxiety and depression.  The difficulty is that self-medicating with these substances only creates more problems in the long run.  Similarly, be careful with comfort food – it’s usually high in calories and/or sugar which exacerbates your struggle.

Manage your visual and aural intake.  What you watch and hear has an effect on your anxiety/depression level, both negatively and positively.  Loud dissonant music can raise anxiety levels while soothing music can calm you.  The same is true for visual intake.  What you see, on television, in print or in every day living has an effect on your mood.  You have control over much of what you see and listen to, exercise it!

Get a complete physical.  The human body is so complex and interactive, that one disorder often triggers others.  Make sure your physical includes a complete blood panel, which includes thyroid, hormone and sugar levels. 

People around you may notice improvement in you before you do.  You may still feel just as bad inside, but some of the outward manifestations of depression and anxiety may be receding.  Don’t be afraid to ask for feedback from others about your struggle, in the context of your safe community or structure of supporters.

Learn to “sit” with your emotions, feelings and actions.  Listen to them, embrace them – don’t run from them.  It’s one of the hardest parts of your recovery process but one of the most important.  Embracing the realities of your emotions, thoughts and feelings shines a light on the roots of your struggle.