St. Louis Therapists-Approved Natural Remedies to Stave Off Depression

When I think of natural remedies my mind tends to go to things like plants or essential oils.

Something that can basically be put in the body, like a medicine but only natural. Yes, natural remedies can be of the oil or plant variety but the thing to remember is that even if something is natural, it is still considered medicine. Actually, certain teas and essential oils are very powerful and many need to be used under the care of a trained practitioner.

St. Louis Therapists Recommended Natural Remedies to Stave off Depression

Other sorts of natural remedies are things you can do with your body to stave off depression. Let’s look at a few of those options more closely:

• Exercise. Can we talk about exercise enough? No! Endorphins are only one of many neurotransmitters released when you exercise. Physical activity also stimulates the release of dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin. These brain chemicals play an important part in regulating your mood. You have the power of your mood by simply getting moving. I will say, if you are in a depressed state getting moving may not feel all that simple. Start small, go for a walk, put away laundry, throw a ball with your dog. Keep your expectations of yourself low. Even just doing something for 10 minutes is a better start than 0 and your body WILL respond. If you have a goal to start the gym but something feels like it is just standing in your way try this; get in your car, go to the gym and just sit and read, dip your toes into the hot tub for a bit and just make it a part of your routine to go. You can work up to working out for 10, 20 then 30 minutes over the course of a month. Do something active and it will impact your life.

• Meditation. A few days ago my brother suggested I meditate and even as a trained clinician it feels so simple it is almost silly, BUT I know it works! Meditation of any variety enables you to leave your daily worries and struggles behind for a moment. Make no mistake, mediation is certainly something that involves practice. Practice makes perfect. Start your meditation routine with just 2 minutes twice a day, working up to 10 minutes if you can. As a newbie you will notice your mind wandering. Time and practice will correct that, but if it frustrates you start out with guided meditation. You can pull some videos off YouTube that will help keep your mind on the right track and provide some skill building for later when you try on your own. Research shows that meditation can significantly affect hormones and neurotransmitters such as cortisol, dehydroamino- androsterone, serotonin, melatonin, and epinephrine.

• Become a Yogi- Practice Yoga! Yoga triggers the release of the brain chemical gamma-aminobutyric acid, a chemical in the brain that helps to regulate nerve activity. The findings establish a new link between yoga, higher levels of GABA, and improved mood. In Yoga you will learn how to breathe deeply. This and the other body-brain connections made in Yoga take your body from a heightened, stress response to a relaxed, calm state which is what creates the chemical changes in your body. Over time, your body will strengthen in its ability to go from heightened states to becoming relaxed and happy more quickly outside of the Yoga studio. Yoga basically teaches your body how to relax again.

What Is so great about natural remedies for depression is that you have control over when, where and how much you practice. You are literally in the driver’s seat of your own healing. No waiting for an appointment or meds needed!

Conclusion

As you may already know, any natural therapy or medicine is much better than its synthetic alternative. Staving of depression is no exception to this rule. Hopefully, with these natural remedies, you will be able to overcome depression and heal your mind without the need for medication or hospitalization. Have you tried any of these remedies? Tell us how it went for you?

Let your St. Louis Therapists Help you to Stave off Depression

You can always contact us by clicking here to find out about individual therapy, couple’s therapy, family therapy or EMDR therapy. You can also give us a call at (314) 817-0699.

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