7. UNPLUG
Phone addiction is a problem. Studies have found that people who spend more time on their phone have a higher risk of depression.
You may not know this, but your phone has an off button somewhere. It’s OK to use it.
When I was depressed, I retreated from my real-world problems and stuck my face in my phone. I played games, watched Netflix and killed hours in mindless online activity.
When I started to turn it around, I made a conscious effort to put my phone down and spend more time in the real world. I played with my kids and talked to my wife instead of watching other people live their life.
Take a break from electronics. Unplug from the world. Turn off the noise. Be present.
8. REST
It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for he gives to his beloved sleep. (Psalm 127:2)
You may feel depressed because you aren’t sleeping enough.
My depression hit the hardest when I was working late on my computer every night and had a newborn baby. Needless to say, I wasn’t getting enough sleep.
To make matters worse, when I should have been sleeping, I was up until 2 a.m. watching Netflix.
I was up early, up late and up with a child that decided not to sleep through the night for two years.
I used to joke, “I’ll sleep when I’m dead.” But I realized I’d be dead a lot sooner than planned if things didn’t change.
If you aren’t getting the proper amount of sleep, it may be a big part of your problem. I know for a fact that I started feeling better after I made sleep more of a priority.
9. EDIT YOUR LIFE
Part of my problem was that I was doing too much. I couldn’t juggle it all. Something had to give.
When I got depressed, I had to cut a lot of things from my life. I turned down some great opportunities, but I was overextended, and it was killing me.
If you have a problem like me in saying yes to everything, you have to learn how to say no.
Cut the nonessential obligations from your life. It may be a good thing, but too many good things aren’t always the best thing.
Spend time on only the most important things and create more blank space in your life.
10. TELL SOMEBODY
Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. (James 5:16)
Here’s one thing I didn’t do until it was far too late. I didn’t get help like I should have.
I didn’t want to talk about my problems. How could I? I was a pastor who was supposed to have it all together. What would people think?
I called a Christian counselor once, but he was out of town. So I never made an appointment.
My pride got in the way. I knew I wasn’t OK, but I didn’t want anyone else to know that.
Thankfully, I married an amazing woman who helped me come to terms with what I was feeling inside. We talked it out for hours every day. She helped me be able to admit for the first time that I was depressed.
It took me a long time to be able to even say the words, “I am depressed.” I thought as a Christian I should be above that. But I wasn’t.
It’s OK to admit that you aren’t OK. The road to healing starts with confession.
YOUR NEXT STEP
Are you depressed? There’s hope. God will help you pull through. Please, don’t be like me and let your pride get in the way. Don’t wait to get help.
I still have days where I start to slide back into the hole, but I’ve learned to identify it before I get too far down.
Christian joy is about more than just a feeling of happiness. It’s an awareness of our ultimate well-being because of the good news of Jesus Christ. It is well because, in the end, it will all be well.
If you know someone struggling with depression, share this article to help spread hope.
This article originally appeared here.
