You can break your depression and feel better.  Here’s a list of things to do today to improve your mood:

1. Exercise

2. Read a book

3. Watch your favorite funny movie

4. Make a list of five things you are grateful for

5. Pay it forward

6. Call a friend

7. Treat yourself to a spa day at your house

8. Sing in the car

9. Reframe your experience

10. Use positive affirmations

Overcoming depression takes the usage of coping skills.  You can make your own list of coping skills that works for you.  Coping skills are things you do, that you enjoy and make you feel better, that you incorporate into your life in order to break your depression.  It’s important to include things that you like to do because you will be more likely to use them.  If you know yoga is good for you but you don’t enjoy it, try something different.  Increasing pleasurable activities is a tactic often recommended in therapy as a technique to break your depression.  Making a calendar and putting your activities into your planner is another effective way to reduce depression.  To learn more about your depression, call the office at 954-378-5381 to schedule a free 15 consultation to discuss how seeing a therapist can help you with your depression.

For more information on teenage depression, read my post here.

Amanda Patterson, LMHC, CAP decided to become a therapist while attending Nova Southeastern University. She saw the need to help people achieve the life they wanted to live, while creating a life of her own. She completed her master’s in Mental Health Counseling and started a career in the juvenile justice arena. Since then, she has started a private practice in Wellington, Florida, specializing in depression, anxiety relationship issues, and substance abuse. Amanda is a believer in holistic treatment and she practices veganism, meditation and yoga in her life. Find out more about her practice here. For a free 15-minute consultation, call or text Amanda at 954-378-5381 or email her at amanda@amandapattersonlmhc.com.