According to the World Health Organization depression is the leading cause of disability around the world; it affects more than 300 million people worldwide.

Depression can be treated in a number of ways, including undergoing therapy, taking drugs, and adopting self-help strategies to deal with it.

You may be suffering from mild depression and you may want to deal with it without taking drugs.

In this article I want to show you how you can deal with depression without medication, if that is your preference.

Now, what strategies can you use?

1. Do Music Therapy

One way to deal with depression without medication is to listen to, or create, music. A study carried out at Uni Research Health in Norway suggests that music therapy—listening to music, playing a musical instrument, or singing –can help one to deal with depression.

Music activates the part of the brain that regulates feelings to release a chemical known as dopamine which boosts mood and helps one to feel good about himself or herself.

So, feed on your favorite upbeat tunes and dance to them, sing at the top of your voice to pump up your spirit and boost your self-confidence, or play an encouraging, motivational song on a guitar, flute, piano, xylophone, or violin when you feel as though your world is coming to an end.

2. Do Weight Lifting Training Every Day

Medical experts say that doing resistance training, such as weight lifting, can help a person deal with depression.

Resistance training can help one to get in shape, which helps to boost the self-esteem of the person. Additionally, doing resistance training helps one to reduce how sensitive he or she is to stress and so he or she will not feel down when things don’t go their way.

Furthermore, as you build your muscles and improve your strength, you will develop this sense of resilience: you will start to feel that you must fight back and not just give in to your feelings.

So, exercise with dumbbells, lift weights or work on circuit-training machines at the gym often. Here is an exercise you can do easily at home to deal with depression without medication:

A. Put a 10-pound dumbbell in each hand. Hold the weights against the front of your thighs.

B. Inhale deeply and lower the weights slowly.

C. Pike your body forward so that it is at a 90-degree angle, bent at the waist, with your hand hanging straight down.

D. Count up to 5.

E. Exhale slowly and then lift the weights as you straighten up to the starting position.

F. Repeat the exercise 20 times.

3. Write Your Negative Feelings Down

When you feel very sad, hopeless, useless, or when you feel that no one loves you, do depression writing. Writing down your negative thoughts can make it easier for you to analyze them and put them in the right perspective so you can manage your emotions better.

4. Get A Pet

Research shows that pets can help people to deal with depression. Petting or stroking a pet can help increase levels of oxytocin in the body thereby helping to improve your mood.

Two pets you can get to help you feel better are rabbits or parrots.

Rabbits are interesting animals that can do antics, especially in the morning, which will make you laugh and forget about your worries. Furthermore, as you caress their fur, which feels great to touch, it will make you feel better.

Parrots can be trained to talk. So, get one and train it to say some of the things you say. This will keep you occupied so that you will not focus on all those negative thoughts and negative emotions.

5. Do Gardening Often

A study conducted in Norway suggests that when you are depressed and you do gardening continuously for about three months, your mood will improve and you will feel better.

So, grow some bougainvilleas, roses, allamandas, or carnations. Alternatively, grow cabbages, eggplants, or carrots.

As you spend time tending these plants and watering them, and as you think about the things you need to take good care of these plants, such as fertilizer, pruning and so on, your mind will be occupied with something productive and you will not have the time to think about thoughts that will make you feel miserable.

6. Do Light Therapy In Winter

A study carried out by the University of British Columbia has revealed that when one is exposed to an artificial source of bright light, such as a lamp, for at least 30 minutes every morning, it can help to boost the person’s mood, as well as make the person have a sense of well-being.

However, this kind of therapy has its good sides and bad sides and you must consult your doctor before you do it.

So, practice this every morning before you go to work, if you suffer from depression during winter. As you sit in front of the lamp, recall events you have attended in school, at your workplace, in your community, or recall happy moments you have experienced in your romantic relationship or marriage, or recall 50 good things that have happened to you in the past year and mull over those experiences and the joy they brought you, and reminisce about the value it added to your life and your well-being. It will help to induce happy feelings in you and that will make you feel more positive about life.

Next Steps

If you still struggle with depression after using these tips then see a therapist or a doctor. They will inform you about other treatment options available that don't involve the use of medications.
This guide can help you to find a mental health expert to help you.