Last night you came home tired and in “a bad mood” because of your boss’ “unreasonable demands”. Then, you gave your family member a verbal bashing over something. You skipped dinner, set off to work in the morning feeling guilty and hopeless. It is a folly to blame your behaviour on a foul mood or a though time, just because you are prone to moddiness. If you’ve had a spate of such episodes of late, you might be in the middle of clinical depression.

Just feeling low

Power-cuts or salary cuts, there are many occasions for us to feel down in the dumps. It’s part of day-to-day life. But usually, these feelings don’t last for too long. Below are some of the symptoms of ordinary mood swings:

-  Avoiding communication and being quieter than usual.

- Avoiding participation in leisure activities or hobbies.

- Being alone and attempting to listen to music or reading.

- Being irritable to all those curious about your behaviour.

Note that all these symptoms do not last for long. Watching a flurry of sixes by Yuvraj Singh or just bumping into an old friend is all it takes for your spirits to rise to normal.

Danger Signs

So, when do you know you are a victim of clinical depression? Check if you show any of these symptoms:

- Difficulty concentrating, remembering, making decisions.

- Decreased energy, fatigue

- Loss of intrest in activities that wer once enjoyed

- Feelings of guilt, hopelesness and pessimism

- Insomnia, early monring awakening or oversleeping

- Loss of appetite and weight; overeating and weight gain

- Suicidal thoughts

- Physical symptoms that don’t respond to treatements, such as headaches.

In such conditions all you have to do is help yourself:

- Wake up early in the monring and practise meditation and yoga.

- Pen down your felings in a diary.

- Avoid clutter in your house, it adds to depression

- Avoid monotony, take regular breaks.

- Jog or walk regularly

- Long baths and fresh cloths add to your confidence

If you recognise yourself as a victim of depression, destressing alone would not help you. You must let go of the stigma and seek help. Depression can be successfully treated with medication, or professional counselling.

We all want to look and feel our best, but deadlines and errands can take their toll. Fortunately, we can incorporate these little changes inour lives to help us feel alert, energised, and ready to go…

Tune in – Music can affect your physical and mental state, triggering bold dance moves or a trip down memory lane.

Smile – Smiling instantly lifts your mood and the mood of those around you. Keeps the energy positive, helping you feel lighter and happier.

Chat it up – Pick up the phone and start chatting. Talking to an energetic friend can instantly boost your own energy.

Plan an event – Surprise your friends with a dinner or organise a themed birthday party; it’s a great way to get creative. Find fun activities to do and new resturants to try.

Get Moving – A change of environment can help improve your mood instantly. Simply going outside to stretch and breathe the fresh air may be just what you need to relieve stress and clear your mind.

Take up a hobby – Signing up for that Pilates class you’ve been talking about or learning to bake will help take your mind off work.

Sit up straight – If you notice that you start to slouch over your desk at the end of the day, sit up straight. A  healthy posture can help give you confidence to get through the pile of tasks that need attention.

Breathe deeply – When you’re feeling sluggish, try taking slow, deep breaths. It helps improve circulation and brings clarity to your mind.

Lighten you load – sometimes we may try to do more thatn we’re capable of, both professionally and privately. Take the time to look over your to-do list and prioritise. Whitting down the load will give you more energy to spend on other stuff.

Catch some z’s – Nothing feels better than a good night’s sleep. Make an effort to maintain a regular sleep schedule and get continuous, uninterrupted sleep. It’ll help improve your energy, focus, and creativity.