How I try and deal with my depression without meds

I'm not expert, I will never claim to be an expert in anything. I go by my own experiences and that's all I can really go by. I have suffered with depression on and off for years since my teens. I do the best that I can to deal and cope without taking medications. I have never needed to take medication for my depression but they may change. In the past I have always been able to find ways to cope and deal when my depression starts showing it's ugly head. But recently it's been getting harder to cope and to deal and keep my depression at bay and I may need to talk to my doctor about starting meds, but until that day comes when my depression really starts to overtake my life I will put off taking meds. Not because there is anything wrong with taking meds it's just for me I want to try everything else that I can  for me as a personal thing taking meds is my last resort.

So the ways that I try to deal with my depression and have worked for me in the past. 

Writing. I find that writing expressing my true feelings in someone way helps me to sort through all my emotions and can help me find out why I'm feeling down. In the past I used to feel up notebook upon notebook of just random stuff. These days I actually try to write constructively. I do this blog as much as I can and I write for hitRECord as well. I always used to be scared to share my writing as I always worried what people would think about it, but then I realized you can't please everyone and maybe someone out there will what I have to say or even find comfort or inspiration from it so now I write for me and for anyone who may like what I say. 

Running. I still count myself as a new runner but for me it does help to ward off the demons that I call my depression. Exercise really does help. The more I move around the less I feel down, I mean I still feel down but i feel that I'm not as bad as the days I sit on the sofa and do nothing or the days I try to spend in bed. 

Carry on as normal. I try to do the best that I can to carry on as much as I possibly can. It's hard some days. Some days u do just want the world to swallow me up, but the more you try to do the better it can be. Get up and have a shower. Get dressed, try to but jeans on and not your comfy clothes. Make the effort it's hard but it will make you feel a bit better. Cook something anything which can be a problem. For me when my depression hits my eating can go one of two ways. I cad neither not stop eating the problem however is it's all junk food and that's all I want to eat, cookies, chocolate, chips the usual comfort food. Or it can go the opposite way and I don't want to eat at all. However your eating goes try to eat something that you fancy, if your on a junk food kick try to eat something a bit healthier. If not eating eat something that you really want. I also try to do some housework or just spend sometime playing with my kid. 

Sometimes doing something nice for yourself can help. For me it can just be having a long shower and washing my hair, it could be wearing makeup one day. I never wear makeup so the days I do wear it helps pick me up. Just do something nice for me.

There is no set way to help make sure self feel better. In fact there are times when even all these fail but the point is sitting on the sofa or lying in bed all day is just going to me worse so I try to do as many things as I can. 

This is how I try my best to deal with my depression. Everyone is different and what works for one person won't work for everyone. This is my guide. If it helps you great