Esperanza Hope To Cope: Men: Do These Everyday To Help Depression

by bp Magazine

For men dealing with depression, here are a few day-to-day ideas to better cope:

 

Go easy on yourself

There are both cultural and personal expectations for men to be strong, deny pain, vulnerability and act like they have no emotional fragility. This is a dangerous thing for so many reasons, but the best thing for your emotional health is to go easy on yourself and try to distance yourself from the societal expectations and get help with what your going through.

 

 

Get your feelings out

According to many men, it’s extremely helpful to let out the feelings of hopelessness, frustration or anxiousness. By writing it down (either typing in a private online diary or taking pen to paper) the actual act is the first step in understanding your feelings. Many men find it easier to make voice recordings at the end of the day, or once a week and it’s something they can do while maybe doing something else i.e. while stopped at a traffic light.

 

 

Find healthy distractions

It’s important to find a way to interrupt the loop of negative rumination. One way is to stop for a minute and notice five things around you, suggests Margaret Chapman, LMSW. “The song on the radio, the temperature of the air, the color of the room, the sounds of birds, other people. … It’s such a simple thing and you can do it anywhere.”

 

 

 

via Esperanza – Hope To Cope
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