8 Awards Anyone With Depression Deserves To Receive

Unless you have spent the majority of your life isolated from others, the chances are you will have regularly encountered people with depression. After all, the World Health Organisation (WHO) estimated that 16 million American adults suffered with depression in 2012 alone, while a further 350 million instances are recorded across the globe each year.

Despite this, depression remains the subject of numerous misconceptions, as people fail to understand its severity and continue to consider happiness as a choice. In fact, those who suffer from depression are bound by their emotions and forced to display considerable resilience in the face of their illness, while also coping with the ignorance of others.

8 Awards that People with Depression Truly Deserve to Win

So, let’s explore the struggles that people with depression face on a daily basis, while beginning to understand the awards they deserve for coping in the face of such adversity:

1. They Deserve an Award for their Tenacity

Clearly, people who suffer with depression are required to display considerable tenacity. This usually manifests itself in a desire to find a purpose in life, while they are also inclined to pursue self-improvement at every available opportunity. This is because they are driven by internal feelings of inadequacy and fear, while their desire to compensate for often intangible voids in their life mean that they are constantly fighting to find a rewarding purpose.

There are certainly ample opportunities for growth out their, from apprenticeships and courses of higher education to more unorthodox outlets such as a drive to learn scholarship. Those with depression will continue to seek out such opportunities with incredible determination, no matter how many times they may fail to find what they are looking for.

2. They Deserve an Award for their Compassion

Despite the misgivings of some, depression is an illness that disrupts nerve cells in the brain and alters thinking patterns. It therefore changes outlooks, making those who suffer with depression more capable of identifying sadness in others while showcasing support and compassion in equal measure.

This also taps into the fact that those who are depressed typically have an outward perspective, as they focus on helping others rather than channelling their own feelings of sadness and anxiety. Such an approach benefits others, however, especially those who are suffering from similar issues.

3. They Deserve an Award for their Consideration of Others

It is easy to see a smiling face and take this as a sign of internal happiness, but this is just one of the misconceptions that betray people who suffer with depression. In fact, these individuals often make a concerted and intentional effort to appear happy and upbeat, especially as they learn to deal with their condition and develop coping mechanisms.

While those with depression may have learned how to alter their mood when out in public, however, they are more likely to display their real feelings when alone. This suggests that their happy and upbeat visage is created for the benefit of others, so that friends, colleagues and loved ones are not adversely affected.

4. They Deserve an Award for their levels of Creative Expression

While depression is a variable illness that affects different personality types in numerous ways, there are some universal themes that unite most sufferers. It is believed that those who are depressed become more profound and creative thinkers, for example, as they ruminate on their thoughts and consider even abstract topics in greater depth. This is a great amplifier of depression, and the link between this and creative expression remains exceptionally strong.

This is reflected by the fact that many life-changing artists and musicians have suffered with depression, as their emotional angst has helped to fuel incredibly creative images, sculptures and songs. Many of these individuals have won countless awards for their creative output, and this is one prize that sufferers deserve to be credited with.

5. They Deserve an Award for their ability to cope with Morbid Thoughts

While such depth of thought can trigger profound greatness, it can also trigger morbid feelings and an obsession with death. Certainly those with depression have complex thought processes in relation to life and death, as they develop an involved perception of the two and are constantly forced to confront dark and hopeless mind-sets.

Whether they have suffered from suicidal thoughts or not, those with depression regularly consider their own mortality and existence in the world. Such musings can become increasingly frequent depending on each individuals’ life circumstances, and learning to cope with these on a regular basis requires incredible inner strength and durability.

6. They Deserve an Award for Managing Irregular Sleep Patterns

As if such dark and contrasting mind-sets were not enough to cope with, those with depression must also learn to manage irregular sleeping patterns. More specifically, they tend to suffer from excesses of sleep, as they either spend to much time resting or fail to get any shut-eye at all. Such irregular cycles can have a negative impact on our mental health, creating a debilitating cycle where the symptoms of depression can be exacerbated.

This also robs people who are depressed from one of the few things that they can control, which is the ability to dictate their own sleeping pattern. Given this and the impact of irregular cycles, those with depression must be praised for their strong coping skills.

7. They Deserve an Award for their levels of Patience

Depression is a unique illness in more ways than one, but it is most unusual in so much that it is sufferers that usually need to support their friends and loved ones. After all, while those who suffer with depression are usually in tune with their feelings and able to develop coping mechanisms, those close to us are hamstrung by a lack of understanding the complex manifestation of symptoms.

This means that people with depression must showcase incredible levels of patience, as they look to communicate with their loved ones and help them to understand their feelings. Otherwise, they run the risk of undermining even long-standing friendships and isolating themselves from people who simply can’t comprehend certain behaviours.

8. They Deserve an Award for their Outward Focus

We have already touched on the fact that people with depression are constantly seeking out a higher purpose in life, and this is part of an outward focus that can create significant value. This is best embodied by the great Abraham Lincoln, who fought clinical depression all of his life and sought to change this by turning to the greater cause of emancipation and the abolishment of slavery.

So not only can such an outward focus help depressed individuals to find a fulfilling purpose in life, but it can also benefit their loved ones and the world around them. This is truly rewarding, and something that deserves genuine merit.

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10 Surefire Ways To Get A Better Sleep Every Night

Not getting enough sleep is a surefire way to ruin your day even before it has started. Unfortunately, restlessness, insomnia, and just plain being unable to fall asleep plague many of us almost every single night. In fact, I sleep like a baby most nights, but my girlfriend has always had a hard time sleeping. Ever since she’s tried a few of these tips, she has been able to sleep much better:

1. Fall asleep to some noise

Humans didn’t evolve to sleep in the dead silence – they evolved to sleep with large families or even tribes in close vicinity. Having some background noise can actually help our minds relax. You can get a noise machine, an app for your phone, or (this helped my girlfriend tremendously) fall asleep to an audio-book. If you do the latter, try to stick to books you’ve read/heard before or books of movies you’ve watched – she likes Harry Potter. However…

2. Keep your bedroom cool

It can be hard to fall asleep when your bedroom is too hot and stuffy. The ideal temperature for sleep is somewhere between 60°-72° Fahrenheit. Of course, you’ll be able to know the right temperature for you, so experiment a little with the temperature until you find your own ideal range.

3. Get out of bed

If you’ve been tossing and turning for over 20 minutes, there’s no sense in lying there and stressing yourself out. Instead, get out of the bed and find something relaxing to do that won’t stimulate your mind or eyes too much, like reading a book, knitting, or listening to some soft music.

4. Set a daily sleep/wake time

If your sleep schedule changes every night, it can wreak havoc on your circadian rhythm, the internal clock in your brain that tells your body when to fall asleep and when to wake up. By setting the sleep and wake time to be the same every single day (yes, including weekends), you will find it much easier to fall asleep.

5. Sniff some lavender or eucalyptus

Lavender and eucalyptus both have relaxing properties in their scent. Try rubbing eucalyptus body cream on yourself before bed, or burning a lavender candle or oils.

6. Get some more sunlight

Fresh air and natural sunlight help our bodies fall asleep at the end of the day. These things also help reset our bodies internal clock – the circadian rhythm we talked about earlier..

7. Drink something warm

I’m sure you’ve heard of drinking warm milk before bed, to help you fall asleep. It’s not the milk that does the trick, but the warmth it provides to our bodies. Alternatively, you can drink some hot chocolate or warm caffeine-free herbal tea.

8. Sleep with the TV (and all other lights) off

Our brains have trouble producing melatonin, the drug that helps us fall asleep, when there is a light source. The biggest culprit is the television, but nightlights and even alarm clocks can also harm us. If you need noise to fall asleep, use the alternatives mentioned above.

9. Use your bedroom only for relaxation and sleep

Many people tend to hang out in their bedrooms – watch TV, play video games, read, etc. However, this does some harm to your brain because you’re confusing it as to what that environment means. If your brain is used to being active and stimulated in a certain environment, it will be “primed” to always want to be active and stimulated in that environment.

10. Repay your sleep debt

Sleep debt is a real thing, and if you’ve consistently gotten too little sleep, you may have accumulated a lot of it. Take a few extra hours over the next couple of nights to repay that debt!

These tips on ‘how to sleep better’ will surely help you get a good night’s sleep. Happy resting!

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Completing Goal: Mindful Eating to Lose Weight

Day 7 Finish eating at least 2 hours before going to sleep.

How to do it?

One of the main reasons people eat at night is they don’t eat enough during the day. To reduce the want to eat before bed, 

• Eat small meals every 3 hours throughout the day and keep your body burning.
• Keep all junk food out of your house.
• Form a habit of not eating after a certain time (if you go to bed at 10 pm stop eating every night at 8 pm)
• Do your workouts in the morning.
• Eat protein, healthy fats and lots of vegetables at supper time.

Why it matters?

• Not eating before bed allows our body’s natural sleeping metabolism to help us burn fat while we sleep. 
• Eating before bed can have negative effects on our sleep quality.
• If you stop eating 2 hours before bed, you will feel lighter, less bloated, have increased weight loss, better sleeps and more energy. 

What’s Next

Make these 7 eating habits your unbreakable routine. It is a great way to improve your health and can be just a few small changes away. One last tip is to keep a food journal. It will help guide you with your daily goals through accountability. Baby steps make it liveable!

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Day 6: Mindful Eating to Lose Weight

Day 6 Replace your cravings.

How to do it?

• Keep a variety of healthy ready-to-eat snacks on hand. Examples are:
  • Fruits
  • Low-fat yogurt with fruits
  • Vegetables with low-fat dip or low fat cottage cheese
  • Whole grain crackers with hummus, peanut butter or low-fat cheese.
• Buy small packages of food or take small portions from larger packages. Don’t snack directly from a large container, bag or box.
• Eat slowly.
• Don’t snack for the sake of snacking. Boredom or stress are not reasons to snack. If you’re feeling anxious, try to take 10 deep breaths.
• Avoid snacking while watching TV, working or playing on the computer, reading, or driving. This is called “mindless eating” and can often cause people to eat more than they would normally.
• Limit snacks to no more than 1 per day.

Why it matters?

• Having a snack between meals prevents you from becoming so hungry that you reach for unhealthy junk food.
• Eating a healthy snack allows you to add to your intake of essential nutrients.
• A healthy snack made up of complex carbohydrates, protein and healthy fats increases your energy levels for a longer period of time than sugary snacks do.
• Adding healthy snacks between meals increases focus and performance, both at school and work.

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Day 5: Mindful Eating to Lose Weight

Day 5 Eat slowly.

How to do it?

• Clock yourself while you eat. Try to designate a block of time to eat, and only eat. If you are reading or watching TV, you are not paying attention to the food you put into your mouth.
• After each bite, place your fork back on the plate. You will be forced to slow down automatically.
• Chew your food thoroughly before your next bite. The better you chew, the better your system can process the food you’ve ingested.

Why it matters?

• A growing number of studies confirm that just by eating slower, you’ll consume fewer calories.
• If you eat slower, you’ll chew your food better, which leads to better digestion.
• Eating slowly, and paying attention to our eating, can be a great form of mindfulness exercise.

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Day 4: Mindful Eating to Lose Weight

Day 4 Eat more fruits & vegetables.

How to do it?

• Get the handy fruits from supermarket, for example bananas, apples and strawberries
• Always keep a fruit bowl or fruit box in close proximity (and keep it stocked)
• Always include a salad and eat it first for your lunch or dinner
• Always include some vegetables in your meals, say lettuce or tomatoes

Why it matters?

• Eating some veggies first can trick your brain to eat less for the main meals.
• Fruits can be your healthy snacks when you crave for foods between meals.
• Fruits and vegetables provide fiber that helps with your digestive system.
• Fruits and vegetables are rich in vitamins and minerals, particularly rich in Vitamin A and Vitamin C, which can boost your immune system.

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Day 3: Mindful Eating to Lose Weight

Day 3 Use smaller plates to serve your healthy meal.

How to do it?

• Just use a smaller plate or bowl to serve your foods
• Of course, you should serve healthy foods instead of oily or fatty foods, here’s a suggestion for the “healthy plate”:

Why it matters?

• If you use smaller plates for a smaller portion, your brain is essentially being tricked into thinking it’s eating the same amount.

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