How to deal with Anxiety and Depression Without Medication

Alpana Deo – Mothers Gurukul

In my opinion, depression or anxiety starts with baby steps, but if it is not addressed in time, then it can get bad. The first step for anyone suffering from this state is to realize that yes, there is a problem. Until and unless that realization not there, no-one can help the person.

Second is the readiness to make a change. If they go into their shell, it gets tough to take them out, and for that, they have to talk. That’s the third point. Talk, share they fear, feeling with anyone they feel comfortable with.

By sharing their problems, they will not become weak. In fact, when someone has a strong support system, then things don’t look that bad and can be handled with double force.

And if, after taking every possible step, there is no change, seeking professional help in must. Because there is always a difference between dealing and treating.

Amritha Srinath – The Mumma Startup

In the times we live in, we often hear the word anxiety and depression around us. But as judgmental as a society we are, we tend to ignore the pleas or look down upon the person suffering from it. Many-a-times, the suffering patient also tends to ignore the medication and ends up having a severe condition too.

So here are some steps by which we can help a person deal with depression or anxiety without consuming medications:

1. Find out the reason: If you are a person who can get the blues easily and don’t know why, the first step is to ponder deep inside. Talk it out with your close ones and write it down in your dairy. Head to step no. 2

2. Mindfulness and Meditation Technique: Mindfulness Based Cognitive Technique(MBCT) refers to a therapy where one is being constantly aware about his/her thoughts, speech, actions and surroundings. These techniques help us to understand the various scenarios around us and our reaction to it. The simple techniques used here are meditation, three minute scenarios, yoga poses, stretching activities and yoga nidra among others.

3. Move your body: Once you are completely aware about your body and mind, it is advisable that we keep our body fit by regularly going for a jog (morning jog is preferable, as it starts the day on a positive note), running or by exercising. A healthy and awake body paves way for a fresh mind.

4. Food & Nutrition:

a. Include a variety of vegetables, fruits and nuts in your diet. Eat the greens like spinach, kale, fenugreek leaves and asparagus.

b. Consume coconut water, citrus fruits, kiwis and berries in your diet.

c. Have a bowl full of melons at least twice a week.

d. Consume prebiotic foods, like garlic, onions, artichokes, bananas, barley, oats, apples and flax-seeds.

e. Consume probiotic foods, like active-culture yogurt, kefir, pickles, and fermented foods.

f. Avoid smoking, drinking alcohol and reduce the intake of caffeine. Most importantly, have a balanced meal comprising of all the nutrients required for a healthy body and mind.

g. Have herbal teas that helps one to relax.

5. Sleep: A good night’s sleep works wonders and helps you attain a peaceful mind and energetic body. Your body must get 6-8 hours of sleep during the night. So sleep early without any distractions around. Keep your devices away at least one hour before your sleep time. Power naps during the day is also recommended.

6. Visualize your day and plan things to make it successful. If things don’t go as planned, don’t fret but adapt to the situations and aim to end your day on a happy note.

7. Go out to meet your friends and family. Take an active interest and be genuinely concerned about their lives. Meet new people who have similar interests as you and exchange ideas or concepts.

8. Cultivate new hobbies or enroll for an art & craft course – trust me it’s therapeutic!

9. Adopt a pet or visit a petting zoo. Having a pet around the house is very rewarding experience and also instills a maternal feeling.

10. Exploring nature by going for nature trails or hiking is found to be very satisfying experience.

11. Volunteer for a cause or an organisation and take up different responsible roles.

12. A good music can soothe an ailing heart. So listen to music or play your favorite instrument.

13. Practice gratitude: Genuinely thank the people around you who comfort you, pamper you with their love and care and all those who contribute to your wonderful day.

14. Go for aromatherapy or spa sessions. They help you calm your nerves and relax your senses. Even at home, you can use lavender oils in a diffuser or in your pillows to get a sound sleep.

15. Reward your efforts with occasional treats & yes it’s not a cheat day. You deserve the celebrations.

Remember it is necessary to celebrate the good things in life so that gradually you are surrounded by positivity.

Anshu Bhojnagarwala – First Time Mommy

Firstly, understand that anxiety and depression are not your fault, but having said you are the only one who can overpower them.

Be organized – Make lists and schedules and stick to them. Having control over things help you manage your anxiety better.

Work out – Yoga and meditation help balance your body and thoughts; they calm you down and help you to exercise self-control. Exercising at least 5 days a week; even half hour a day is enough to release the happy hormones, endorphins in your body.

Eat well – That tub of ice cream or bar of chocolate may be tempting, but processed sugar can only lead to guilt later on. Rely more on nutritious foods like nuts, fruits and greens, and stick to low carb and low sugar diet. A healthy body is good for a positive body image that in turn uplifts your spirits.

Meet positive people – Last year, my doctor told me to go out more often and meet friends. I told him I usually ended up drinking in social meetings. Do you know what he said – A glass of red wine won’t harm you, but meeting your friends would do you a whole world of good.

Keep up your spirits – Read books, listen to music, dance in the rain, go barefoot walking, walk in the nature, sign up for volunteering work – do things that makes you happy.

Apuorva Sinha – Fitoholic

It is a known fact that the number of people suffering from anxiety and depression has risen in the last few months. While medication certainly helps them to stay afloat, there are few things that can help to stay optimistic and away from feeling anxious.
6 simple ways to deal with anxiety and depression without medication.

1. Plan and Prepare
Take each day at a time! Plan your day and set realistic goals, whether it is professional or personal. Chart down a schedule for the weekdays and weekends and follow it. Don’t be harsh on yourself, if you are unable to achieve the set goals. Start again the other day.

2. Set time aside for self
Spending some ‘me-time’ is important. You may be working from home, but ensure to give some time to your passion or hobbies. It could be anything from cooking, working out, painting, gardening, even watching your favourite shows for 30-60 mins (not binge-watching).

3. Don’t dwell in the past
This probably is one of the most used pieces of advice but an effective one too. Dwelling in the past doesn’t help anyone, whether those were good days or bad days. You should learn from the past and move towards making a better future. You can do this by focussing on your present.

4. Eat Right and Exercise
Yes! Your physical wellness matters, because it affects your mental and emotional well-being. Exercising for 30 mins a day, 5 times a week – Cycling, Yoga, Jogging, Zumba, Functional or whatever form you are comfortable with. Exercise helps us release endorphins also known as happy hormones. These work as natural pain killers for our mind and keep us happy and active.

5. Focus on Relationship
Staying in your own space is good, but it is equally important to communicate with people who care for you and work on bringing you up. Avoid getting into talks that are negative, rumours and hypothetical. Discuss things that elevate your mood.

6. Sleep
Yes, one of the most underrated solutions. Your body needs rest and sleep gives it the best one. A good sleep is like a restart button for your anxious or exhausted mind. It revives your mood and helps you to focus better.

Let’s not fear anxiety and depression. It is absolutely ok to be in this space. However, let’s try to be more aware of our actions and practise these simple ways to stay happy and motivated.

Well I believe that if you are alive, you better be like one! Don’t take this life for granted, there’s a lot more each one of us can achieve. 🙂

Chinnagounder Thiruvenkatam – Tips Clear

Anxiety and depression, of course, are often mistaken for a sign of having a mental disorder, but in most cases, these conditions are actually caused by problems in the brain itself. If you want to help someone suffering from anxiety and depression and other mental health problems, you need to treat the underlying issue that is causing the problems so that you can get back to living a healthy, productive life. If you do not take care of the underlying problem, you could worsen the problem and leave it untreated.

Anxiety and depression may be difficult to live with and dealing with these conditions can make a person miserable, but there are ways to manage the symptoms without having to rely on prescription drugs.

Learning about the different ways to deal with anxiety and depression will help you gain the ability to control your anxiety and depression and regain control of your life. If you are looking for information about anxiety and depression, you can find many websites online that will help you find a cure for anxiety and depression.

Deepa Gandhi – Kreative Mommy

I feel its very important to surround yourself with your loved ones first of all. Sharing your feelings with them is the first step to healing. Spending time with family and friends makes a lot of difference.

Other things which can be helpful are music, engaging in hobbies, doing any kind of physical exercise be it dancing, yoga or just walking everyday.

Eat healthy and nutritious, get a good night sleep as these two things can really help. Avoid too much screen time and stay away from negative news. Do something new which can distract your mind.

Dipika Singh – Gleeful Blogger

Anxiety disorders are mental healthy related red flags, that should be taken seriously. An anxious mind is always in the battle with itself, over-reacting to a regular stressful situation, feeling depressed, low on energy, socially disconnected, and feeling suicidal (in extreme conditions) are some of the common symptoms of anxiety and depression. Though experts treat mental disorders medically, but there are some natural ways to keep anxiety at bay.

1. Engage your heart and soul –
Keep yourself busy with things that give you happiness, and takes your mind away from the current anxious mess you are trapped in. Adopt a pet, grow a garden, read happy book, decorate your home, or build a hobby to keep your mind and heart happy.
2. Conscious breathing exercise –
This is my Mother’s magical tip, when you feel anxious, start deep breathing and chant ‘shloka’ or count numbers. Your mind starts working on the number game and breathing continuity.
3. Train your brain with Positive Affirmations –
Yes, positive affirmations work wonders during depression. When you wake up in the morning, look into the mirror and say your affirmations loudly. Cognitive mode of learning kicks in and slowly you start believing into it.
4. Nutrition – Healthy food –
There is no recipe to treat depression, but healthy diet is key to happy body and mind. Add brain food in your diet, which is rich in Omega-3 fatty acids. Another from my mom’s treasure, have a ‘rainbow on your plate’. Rainbow here means a healthy mix of seasonal and staple food diet.
5. Time Management –
Anxious mind will play havoc on your work and time schedule, have a time schedule and set reasonable life goals for yourself.

Dr Amrita Basu (Misra) (MBBS, MS) – HealthWealthBridge

Clinically diagnosed depression and anxiety will need a professional opinion, medication, therapy, and lifestyle changes.

But before I go into that, let me first tell you two things.

• Anxiety and depression do not fall in the same category of mental illness.

Anxiety is a neurosis where insight is present, and in depression, one can lose insight. This means that with depression, you cannot self-diagnose, self-treat, and never self-medicate. With anxiety many times, personal development hacks work if it’s not debilitating.

• Clinically diagnosed acute depression needs urgent medical management to prevent chronic depression, which is challenging to treat. If you have a depressed mood almost every day, for most of the day for more than a few days, seek help. Depression is a complex problem, and thee details are beyond the scope of discussion here.

When we talk about Monday blues, that’s not depression. A little bit of mood swing is okay, if you can swing out of it. But when the duration becomes longer and you are unable to go about self-care, medical help is needed.

Your genetics and lifestyle play a role in mental health problems. The genetics we can do little about, but lifestyle is in your hand. Medication, therapy, and self-care habits are all critical for treatment and long-term wellness.

How to Prevent Anxiety and Depression through Lifestyle?

1. Avoid substance abuse. Addictions make you more susceptible to other substance abuse.

2. Diet: Your brain needs premium quality fuel. Have food rich in omega-three. Walnuts and fish both have the right quantity of omega-three. The Mediterranean diet is seen to have a protective effect on preventing depression. Avoid High fat, sugar, salt present in fast food.

What you eat ,will affect your brain and your mood. Now choose right.

3. Sleep on time and sleep at least 8 hours.

4. Start a creative hobby like writing, drawing, painting, music, dance. Creative arts help. Improve mindfulness and mental wellbeing

5. Start a small indoor garden: Nature boosts mental wellbeing

6. Exercise: Forty minutes a day of cardiovascular activity is essential. Walk indoors or outdoors.

In case of anxiety or depression, which interferes with daily activity, loss of sleep, and seeking professional help beyond a week. We all need help with our Physical and Mental health sometime or the other.

Dr Bushra Nausheen – All About The Woman

Living in an outbreak of pandemic has put each one of us under mental stress. Mental factors like anxiety and depression get on our nerves. Sleepless nights, lack of concentration, feeling low, mood swings, etc are some of the common factors. If you don’t want to go for wonder drugs that have side effects.

There are some symptoms or initial stages of depression that can be treated without medication. However, going for a healthy lifestyle routine is easier said than done. I’ve seen people with depression not able to pull themselves together. So what they can do to get back on track.

Physical activity like exercise or meditation boosts up the feel-good chemicals. It has long-term benefits and brings positivity in life. Indulge in activities like reading, painting, cooking classes, new courses, planting, fashion, etc.

As per research, challenging yourself increases the dopamine level in the brain. That’s responsible for pleasure, happiness. Apart from this try to keep yourself busy. Traveling and exploring new places will also bring refreshment in your life. Set daily goals for yourselves. Try to accomplish them and follow the track.

These small changes will help to overcome the anxious state. However, it’s advised to visit the counsellor for proper guidance.

Dr Erica Goodstone – Dr Erica Goodstone

Anxiety and depression result from interference with the natural flow of chemicals and energy throughout our body.  Pharmaceuticals, alcohol and recreational drugs can often quickly dull those uncomfortable emotional and bodily sensations. 

But these “quick fixes” only suppress the symptoms temporarily and may lead to side effects, addiction and other problems.  The solution is to discover a way to soothe the sensations naturally, relax the mind-body connection and then discover the mental and emotional underlying cause of your body’s dysregulation. 

• Find a qualified therapist to help you understand and make changes to your own thoughts, behavior and emotions.  
• Start writing in a journal.  When you feel the anxiety or depression begin, take our your journal and explain to yourself what you are feeling, what has recently occurred that triggered the feelings.  Then purposely engage in a mundane activity that does not require much concentration, such as vacuuming, doing laundry, or washing dishes.
• Evaluate your current lifestyle and make it a priority to improve your diet, exercise, breathing and sleep habits.
• Find an activity you can do yourself to relax your body, such as yoga, tai chi, qigong, meditation, even walking, swimming or other gentle exercises.  Then make this activity a conscious and regular practice.  Over time, your body will naturally become more relaxed.

The key to overcoming anxiety or depression is not to blame others and not to choose the quick fix but to embrace the process of developing new and healthier thoughts, behavior and lifestyle habits.

Dr Hemapriya – My Little Moppet

Psychologists say that, a person who laughs too much, even at stupid things, is mostly depressed. Yes, no one can predict if someone is in anxiety or depression. But deep inside, the person would be shattered and longing for help. Here are some effective tips to overcome anxiety and depression without medication.
• Get yourself busy
Stepping out of comfort zone is tough but it’s important to crack it to fly high. It would be heavenly to sleep for hours and get wrapped inside the sheets listening to sad songs. But it would take us nowhere. If you wish to cry loud or sleep a lot, it’s completely fine but finish it and pull your socks up to get back to life.
• Drive away the Self-guilt
Stop self-accusation and self-guilt. Give what you expect. Leave the past and live the present. Life is like a mirror; it would reflect what you emit. Surrounding yourself with positivity can help you to see the positive side of the life.
• Speak out/ write it out
Value your emotions and vent it out. If you wish to speak it out, speak to someone who doesn’t judge you or overburden you with the advices. Just talk to some listening ears or write it down in a paper and tear it into pieces. But once you finish, finish it for life. Don’t carry it anymore.
• Have proper food and rest
Keeping oneself busy is different from overburden. Take rest whenever you feel of taking rest. Stay active and take good healthy diet rich in complex carbohydrates, fruits, vegetables and lean proteins. Avoid caffeine, alcohol and smoking.
• Do what you love to do
Self-care and self-love is more important to come out of depression or anxiety. Live the moment. Sleep early and wake up early. Make sure to have good bath, dress up well. Spend some time for self-care activities. A good head massage can sooth your heart and soul.

Regular exercises and meditation can have good positive impact in life style. Ignore unwelcomed criticism and comments. March forward and do what you want to do. Do it for you. Of course you deserve it. Believe in yourself. Reach to people who are in need of support. Spread love and positivity.

Dr. Surbhi Prapanna – Surbhi Prapanna

Mental health is one of the most important aspect of our overall health and well-being. Unfortunately, with busy lifestyle, most of people ignored this and did not pay enough attention to their mental health and mental health problems. Anxiety and depression are two of most common mental health problems that affects large number of populations.

Though for severe cases and chronic mental health issues, it is always advisable to take professional advice but for mild cases, there is lots of scope for self-improvement. Here are few ways to deal with anxiety and depression without medication.

Pay enough attention to your mental health- as I had said earlier, people often have a neglected attitude for their mental health. And this ignorance leads to late diagnosis and worse prognosis of various mental health issues like anxiety and depression.

For early management, it is very important to take care of your mental health (as promptly as you do for your physical health). If you feel, you are suffering from any kinds of typical symptoms of depression and anxiety (such as unable to concentrate or persistent negative thoughts), then be alert and take all possible steps to manage your early symptoms of depression and anxiety.

Adopt a healthy lifestyle– adopting a healthy lifestyle is one of the best ways to keep yourself mentally healthy. Eating right and exercise regularly helps in controlling stress hormones of body and also work great in uplifting your mood and overall spirit.

Stay close to nature– yes, Nature has an amazing healing property and help a lot in reducing symptoms of stress, anxiety and depression.

Learn stress relieving techniques– stress is an unavoidable part of our day to day life. Uncontrolled stress is one of the major factors that affect our mental health adversely. So, it is very important to learn stress relieving techniques such as yoga, meditation and breathing exercises.

Try and explore, what option works best for you. These techniques not only help in controlling stress level but also works great in treating symptoms of anxiety and depression without medication

Along with these, practice gratitude and adopt a mindfulness approach (live in moment) also does wonder for mental health and work great in treating anxiety and depression symptoms without medication.

Dr Vani Pulijala – Healthy YOU

We all tend to suffer from certain episodes of Mental and Emotional disturbances in certain periods of our life. Though those episodes may be momentary and temporary, there are few people who actually suffer from these issues their whole lifetime.

Though very few people may need medications for their Psychological issues, not all should depend on medicines to pacify their Emotions. There are multiple ways which will actually help in keeping your Mind at peace.

By including certain foods like, Chocolate (dark chocolate), Sweet Potatoes, Warm milk with Turmeric, Curd, Rice, Walnuts etc.. into your daily diet, may help in reducing day to day Anxiety episodes.

Foods such as Coffee, Hot Chocolate, Walnuts, Berries, Bananas, Apples, Dark Green Leafy Vegetables and Seeds such as Pumpkin or Sunflower Seeds help to combat Depression on daily basis.

Other ways to cope with Anxiety and Depression are:

1. Maintaining a Gratitude Journal helps in making you content and happy for what you already have.
2. Deep breathing exercises helps in improving blood flow to the Brain thus provide with required Oxygen and Nutrients for the Brain to function at a normal pace.
3. Meditation is a magical pill that will bring wonders to your Mind Health.
4. Spending time Outdoors, getting proper Sunlight also tends improve mood swings and keep you Happy and Relaxed. The fresh air from natural plants and trees helps in relaxing your Body and Mind.
5. Last but not least, it’s important to spend Quality time with Family.

Jhilmil Bhansali – Mommyinme

Men and women are wired differently not just physically but even psychologically. Their way of dealing with relationships, emotions, anxiety, stress, success is lot different. This results in a huge difference in the way the anxiety gets woven in the lives of women.

Did you know that 80% of the women who have been diagnosed with depression have been treated successfully? The first step towards dealing with anxiety is to “accept it and work towards a better mental health”.

1. I might be having old school thoughts but I would say that remove that “unnecessary scrolling” from your social media time. Instead talk to your partner, friends, family whom you love. Forget being obsessed about “”others”, but start thinking about small things that enlighten your soul.

2. Engage in activities that give you pleasure, it can be as simple as nature walk every morning. Why don’t you walk on those long lost trails of your passion, may be for sketching or dancing or even playing music? If you loved sports, force yourself and hit the court/ground once again. Sweat it out!

3. Remove toxic people from your life, as they are disastrous. Talk to those people having an optimistic aura. Stop meeting people who speak only “negative about everyone”. Focus on your life goals in a constructive way.

4. Writing a journal, Meditation have worked wonders for my own Mental health. At times, we have lots of emotions buried deep inside our heart. Keeping a diary and writing your feelings is the most constructive modes of dealing with mood swings. I practise it and I can bet that you’ll feel much better once you start penning down your thoughts, every single day.

I thoroughly believe in quality (undisturbed) sleep for a happy, fresh and a positive mind. Also, limit your consumption of processed food items and get enough of sunlight (I’m sure you must’ve heard that people are happy when it is sunny).

Consume more of dark leafy vegetables, foods rich in Vitamin B (as it is directly linked to the happy hormone, serotonin).

Your happiness is in your own hands!

Minakshi Bajpai – MommysTimeline

Mental wellness is something that people often take for granted and ignore purely due to the social threat. In addition to it, depression medication has plenty of side effects and also is super expensive.

There are plenty of workable ways to deal with depression without any medication prescription. Depression will never go away by its only, but top 3 things can be done to boost mental health and care for yourself.

1. Sleep well
The major reason for fluctuation of mood is irregular sleep patterns. Follow good sleep hygiene and make sure you stick to the routine. Before going to bed, take time to unwind and relax. Before going to bed, turn off your digital gadgets and relax your mind.

2. Workout
Exercise doesn’t mean to slosh in the gym but regular working out can improve the mood and also have a positive effect on the lifestyle. You can follow yoga or take a walk to get some fresh air and also to stay fit.

3. Vitamin D
Vitamin D is an important nutrient that can boost your mental health, get enough sunlight, and include Vitamin D rich diet. If you are not able to get enough sunlight you can include supplements into your diet.

Pragnya Mishra – Life with my Penguin

Mental wellness is much talked in recent years. Still, the words depression or anxiety are thrown around carelessly. Many people relate them to a terrible day or an overwhelmed moment.

Yet anyone who has lived with depression and anxiety would find it hard to describe it in a few words. Some might say how hard they have to drag themselves through every passing day. Others might have found themselves at vortex without realizing when or how they got there.

For anyone who could relate with these words or can get the tip of the iceberg; there are stages of mental illness. During the initial stages of illness a walk, exercises, adequate sleep or talking to friends do help out immensely. While in the long endured deeply bruised depression the same tricks or tips make it too hard to work on.

As a matter of fact, accepting one’s mental health is the base of healing. Pretending it is okay, you are okay, can be shadowing. Acceptance is the first step.

We live in a fast track world, get ready to eat food in 10 minutes, have Wi-Fi connected 24*7. But healing from depression or anxiety takes time. One owes that time to themselves. There is no quick fix. Give that time to your body, mind and soul to get into a state of health simultaneously.

Change is never easy. One tends to resist themselves when healing without medication, skipping a walk or exercise schedule, bingeing on screen with less sleep can be alluring. Tag a friend, a colleague or family member to keep a tab. If needed get professional help too, there is no shame in visiting or consulting a doctor for well-being, physical or mental.

Give yourself a chance to bloom with time, nourish yourself and reclaim your life.

Prerna Sinha – Maa Of All Blogs

If you have been having mood swings since the last few days, don’t need to push it away, or disregard it. These are unprecedented times. We as parents tend to keep a strong face for our kids but we need to realise we are humans and it’s natural to feel low when you can’t go out, meet people or even go back to doing regular stuff. Mental health is going to affect more people than Covid-19.

A few things that can help you combat these mood swings;

Stay Physically active. It gives you a sense of achievement and releases the much needed happy hormones into your body. Giving you energy to go through the day.
Including meditation, for even a few minutes in your daily routine can help you centre your thoughts. Think of it as brain gym. So while physical exercise is needed to your physical health, meditation is good for your mental health.

Keep a journal. If you can’t sometimes express to others what you are feeling journaling will make it comprehend it better. Or it could just be a way to get the feeling out as writing is therapeutic.

Stop judging yourself. The biggest issue happens because we are setting expectations on our own selves. If the house is not clean, if the child is watching a little more screen time, if you have put on a bit of weight. Don’t fret, don’t weigh yourself down, get rid of that guilt. Remind yourself you are just human and this is the best you can do today.

These were some self help practices to get rid of anxiety and mental stress but If this phase continues for a long time, do seek some professional help.

Prisha Lalwani – Mummasaurus

Anxiety can be very interesting overwhelming and overpowering but here’s what helps me:
1. Breathing 3 in and 7 hold– Which means I breathe in till the count of 3.hold my breath till 7 counts and then release it. I follow this pattern to help me relax and breathe better, thus calming the anxiety
2. Calming music – I like to plug in to soothing, calming sleep music or meditation music, easily available on youtube, to rest and reduce anxiety
3. Caffeine – I absolutely cut down caffeine when I’m feeling anxious since tea and coffee can increase palpitations and worsen the feeling of anxiety. I prefer to take chamomile tea instead.
4. Diversion: Sometimes all we need is some diversion from what has been bothering us. Physical movement is one of the best ways to do that. Dance, exercise, a walk, just whatever physical activity you can involve yourself in, works great!

If someone has frequent anxiety pangs, to the extent that they cannot carry on with everyday work, it is crucial to connect with a psychiatrist, figure out roots of the anxiety and heal the issues.

Priyanka Nair – SanityDaily

Stress is part of our life. Like happiness, sorrows will also accompany us. We cannot escape from it. But how do some people keep going despite facing a lot of stress and anxiety? How do we deal with stress and yet maintain our inner-balance?

By taking care of our mental wellness, by adopting few coping mechanisms that works for us.Like we nurture our kids for a better tomorrow we must nourish our inner-self for a better us in coming tomorrow. It is calling building resilience.

Things work differently for different people. One can find peace in yoga, one might like writing, one might like painting, having a creative outlet works as miracle for our brains.

Yoga and meditation is the most accessible and free resource available to all of us but still we underrate it. Talking to someone helps and also being less judgmental about our self helps us to makes mistakes and learn from it.

In case the problem persists for long than 3-4 weeks, it is advisable to seek a counselling session, a counsellor or psychologist helps you through talk-therapy by giving you a safe and non-judgmental space.

Never self-diagnose yourselves and take any medication without a licensed psychiatrists’ prescription. Pay more attention to your inner-world by bringing your awareness to yourself and take command of your life.

Radhika Karandikar – My Home Mantra

Between work, kids, homeschooling, family and trying to stay healthy, the everyday pressure of life can easily lead to anxiety. There is so much going on around us, so it’s natural to feel overwhelmed, anxious, helpless and at times, depressed.

You are not alone, according to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, anxiety disorders are the most common mental illness in the United States, affecting 40 million adults. The good news is that there are many natural ways that can be very effective in coping up with anxiety and depression without popping pills.

Here are eight simple and effective ways to battle anxiety without medication.

1. Get moving – Exercise is probably the last thing on your mind right now. But there is no better anti-anxiety solutions than physical activity – something that keeps your mind engaged and pumps your heart rate. So instead of watching another episode on Netflix, turn on your favorite music and dance it out, shout it out! You can also go our for a walk or run if possible. Exercise releases happy-making endorphins, that act like natural antidepressants, so get moving!
2. Go to bed before 10pm – Earlier is even better. getting good quality sleep is essential for mental, emotional and physical health and it’s the best defence against stress. Turn off your screens, read a good book or have a warm tea and try to get to get to the bed before 10pm. If you are having trouble falling sleep, make sure you follow the next tip.
3. Avoid caffeine – Not just during evening hours, but during day time as well. Caffeine reduces serotonin levels and also impacts the quality of sleep, causing a vicious circle.
4. Never skip a meal – Your blood sugar drops when you don’t eat, which causes the release of a stress hormone called cortisol. make sure to keep your blood sugar stable, that also helps avoid mood swings
5. Expose yourself to sunlight – It’s proven to boost mood and increase vitamin D levels which further supports immune system and also emotional health. Take at least 10 minutes to be outdoors and breath deeply.
6. Drink lots of water – when we are occupied, we easily forget to drink water which causes dehydration. Carry a water bottle with you and drink water throughout the day
7. Get a massage – A soothing massage has many benefits – it calms our nervous system, helps body detoxify by improving blood circulation and soothes our mind and senses. You can also do a self-massage with warm oil at home and feel refreshed and calm in just 10 minutes.
8. Eat heathy diet that’s easy to digest – Our digestion suffers when we are under stress and that’s the reason why we don’t feel hungry or feel like eating. But as we saw earlier, it’s important that we don’t skip meals but make sure the food you are eating is healthy, vibrant, fresh and easy to digest. Avoid anything that’s heavily processed and loaded with preservatives. Instead, your favorite comfort food can do the wonders.

You can’t control the future, and you can’t borrow a time machine and change the past, so here’s a thought: Live in the moment. Take each day as it comes. Live healthy and happy.

Richa Khullar – Mommynextdoor1.0

The human mind is highly complicated. We, humans have been wrestling with this mysterious thing since our evolution however the mechanism is still unknown.

Anxiety and fear though are mere emotions but when uncontrolled, they take the shape of a demon. Depression it is !! Sadly, this is becoming really common nowadays . Getting rid of this demon require better life skills and not just the prescribed antidepressants. Happiness was never a solvable equation. Never will it be.

Accept that You are a Human and you aren’t perfect : Treating depression demands acceptance. You don’t have to feel good about yourself all the time. Understand you are a human and you are leading a real life. You can have negative experiences too and they are bound to happen

Learn to Let Go : You got to do 5 things simultaneously. Be reasonable and prioritise. Pick the ones that need to be done absolutely and postpone the rest. Anxiety will take a backseat for sure if you practice to let things go or allow others to do it their way. You just can’t have it all.

Practice Gratitude : I wrote practice because that is all it needs. We Humans aren’t good when it comes to being grateful but if we try to the best of our abilities, it heals you faster than other antidepressant. Dig deep guys , there would be many things you’re grateful for.

Live Shame – Less : Yes, you read it right. It’s a human emotion but we fail terribly to recognise and move through it. Shame feeds on secrecy, so talk about it and make it powerless. Own your flaws without an ounce of shame in you.

Depression got to die if you cut its sources of nutrition coming from you.

Snehalata Jain – Blog Sikka

When I asked my husband the same question, he said “be a wife, give your all stress to your husband and get relaxed 🤣🤣 ” he said ho gaya na destress with out medication. Jokes apart, I too face lot of anxiety issues and that is because of over social media usage .

FOMO fear or cyber bullying can be some reason. But I shoo away all these with simple tricks, close your mobile for 4 hours a day, sleep, play with your children, watch birds chirping outside, meditate and say to yourself, I don’t want anything in my life .

Once you Chant this thing for 15 days, your subconscious mind will get ease out. Hyper active people are more prone to anxiety and depression. Speak to your loved ones and discuss this will definitely release oxytocin and brings smile on your face. Stop talking to people who brings negative vibes, and bad mouth about others.

Surabhi B.Das – Parenting Wings

Depression, Anxiety, Bipolar this all terms are probably heard to handle for people and everyone terms people fight with mental health because people don’t understand their mental capability.

So, understanding about mental health is most important for every people to handle their anxiety and depression. Without medication and proper mental health guidance can help to reduce people’s fear and mental illness.

Anxiety and depression is a common emotion which people dealing with daily stresses and problems. But when these emotions are excessive, irrational and persistence and also effect on a person’s ability to function and anxiety becomes panic. stress, phobias and obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Another side depression is a low mood that lasts for a long time, affecting everyday life. It is often triggered by a mix of genetic, psychological and environmental factors.

Some time people depressed can be increased by their life events such as poverty, physical illness or abuse and some of the risks is also hereditary.

Ok if a people feeling anxious or depressed… so now what can I do for it without medication?
Without medication, some practices help get better and reduce anxiety and depression.

• Find your goal and it gives you a sense of accomplishment.
• Keep engage yourself in productive work.
• Daily exercise and eat right too.
• Keep good and regular sleep habits.

You’re every practice and balancing brings on the path to overcoming from depression and anxiety.
If people make up a reason for why they can’t do these things, then it will sure depression and anxiety tend to linger problems and no need medication for it.

So your positive mind and positive coping skills help to practice for better.

Vartika Gakhar – VartikasDiary

Since the time I have lost my father, I often get anxiety attacks and there are days when I feel quite depressed and totally lose it. But, as the life must go on, I bounce back.

There are a few things that work for me in coping up with anxiety:

Listening to music, singing and painting – I indulge in any of these, as they uplift my mood instantly.

Spending time with my loved ones – in my case it’s my daughters. I bake, talk, play with them, do various activities and it does the magic every time I feel depressed.

I am not vocal about my emotions with anyone for quite a while now, so writing comes to my rescue. Jotting down my feelings does help releasing the stress.

Surrounding myself with positive people and keeping toxic people at bay.

Nature therapy – a walk in the fresh air always helps me feel better.

Saying No for the things that cause or add to the stress and depression.

However, I encourage seeking medical help if these remedies don’t work.