Are you living with DEPRESSION? Here are some tips that will help you improve your symptoms naturally.

When you are living with depression everything feels hard, getting out of bed is a daily struggle, getting out of your room is hard, socializing or talking to people or friends, going to work, and things that you used to love may not feel enjoyable anymore.

One of the many factors that may contribute to depression is the imbalance of chemicals in the brain. These chemicals include nor-epinephrine, serotonin, and dopamine. When our bodies produce low levels of these neurotransmitters, our odds of experiencing symptoms of depression increase.

However, there are some little things you can do that will help you boost your serotonin levels, and therefore improve your symptoms.

1.Improve your eating habits. Numerous studies show that improving nutrition can prevent and treat mental illness. There are many brain-essential nutrients that can affect depression. For example, some studies found that vitamin D and zinc deficiency are associated with depression. Some foods that help boost serotonin levels include pineapples, bananas, omega-3-rich foods, salmon, nuts and seeds, turkey and poultry, eggs, and cheese.

2. Start exercising regularly. regular exercise can have mood-boosting effects, this could range from taking long walks, jogging, running, yoga, or working out. Choose anything that works for you.

3. Try meditation. Meditation has been shown to help relieve stress and promote a positive outlook on life, which can regularly boost serotonin levels.

4. Get some daily sun exposure. Getting some sun exposure has been shown to increase serotonin levels and also help people with anxiety and depression. Studies have reported that lack of sunlight and reduced serotonin levels contribute to the development of the seasonal affective disorder (SAD). People with SAD develop symptoms of depression during winter when there is less daylight.

5. Make time to do things you love every day. Spending time on an activity that you enjoy can improve your mental health and well-being. Studies have shown that having a hobby is linked to lower levels of depression. Concentrating on a hobby like gardening, yoga, painting or the crossword can help you forget your worries for a while and change your mood and give you a boost of energy.

6. Learn stress management techniques. Stress can make you feel less able to maintain positive habits or coping strategies, which are important to managing depression. This can make symptoms of depression feel more intense. Stress is a part of everyday life, therefore learning how to deal with stress can be a key to a happy life.

7. Force yourself to take action even when you don’t feel like it. When you are depressed you don’t feel like doing anything, so the only way you can get anything done is by forcing yourself to take action first, then you will feel better for doing something in the end. Instead of waiting to feel like getting up, exercising, or going to the beach, just put in mind that you have to FORCE yourself to take action first because when you are depressed you barely feel like doing anything.