Navigate a New Course: Managing Depression with Meals and Movement

Many can identify with having an experience with depression. Whether it has been a short bout, an extended season, or a chronic, clinical diagnosis that has been present as long as memory allows, it looks different with every person.

Some common threads give away depression’s cover. It often has signs of irritability, lack of focus, restlessness, sharp mood changes, and intense sadness. It impacts our bodies with sluggishness, dragging us physically into excessive sleep, deprivation, or insomnia, where we awaken into hopelessness, devoid of the satisfaction and replenishment that physical and soul rest can bring.

Depression can multiply feelings of apathy and isolation. It affects our state of mind and reflects on the actions that follow. It shows itself when we withdraw from meaningful connections and pursuits.

Depression is defiant, drawing a line in the sand, daring and refusing to allow us to cross into a better, emotionally healthy place. We cower under the weight of intimidation and fear, hesitant to hope, trust, or reach for significance beyond the depth of darkness.

There are often elements of our experience with depression that render us feeling powerless or hopeless. The enemy often works through circumstances to influence our thoughts, persuading us that God has abandoned us. He also works to diminish our self-esteem, which can make us question our value and ability to overcome the dark place where we find ourselves.

We can remember, however, the Gospel that was the good news is present in our situation and will remain. God is with us, no matter what it looks or feels like, both inside and out (Deuteronomy 31:8).

Understanding the Father’s heart.

The Father has abundantly equipped and empowered us to live victoriously. When it feels that we are at our lowest, most vulnerable point, the Lord uses these times of weakness. He magnifies His strength in and through us, doing what we couldn’t do on our own (2 Corinthians 12:9). He champions us and our ability to endure, gaining the upper hand over the onslaught of the enemy’s darts (Ephesians 6:16).

With His help, we can advance, adopting the mind of Christ to filter our lives and experiences through the lens of Christ’s triumph over all that seeks to destroy us (1 Corinthians 2:16). The choice to submit and follow God surrenders our illusion of control. The Holy Spirit leads us into the paths of righteousness, making us more like Jesus, in our character and our actions (Psalm 23:3).

Our Shepherd navigates our course, even through the least likely circumstances. They may have had a role in causing depression, but God knows our need for reassurance of His Spirit’s abiding presence. In these times, the Holy Spirit works through us to forge our faith and confidence even as we walk through the darkest seasons of our lives.

Practical tips for managing depression.

Not only does God promise to be with us, but He also has placed resources within our reach. He assists and empowers us, engaging us in the process of helping ourselves. While the symptoms of depression show up in the body, they emerge from the brain’s influence on what the mind has perceived and processed.

When we make healthy choices, we invest in the well-being of our total person. In addition to counseling and medication, life-giving foods and movement can balance us with taking an active role to steward our health and enhance wellness, from the inside out.

Mind your meals.

Taking care of our bodies may seem counterintuitive when experiencing seasons marked by depression. However, it matters what we consume. Foods influence our body chemistry, and consequently, our moods. They cause us to feel sluggish or energetic, slowing or fueling the body’s processes. Integrating and enjoying healthy options better enables us to navigate our physical, mental, and emotional health.

Sometimes the way we perceive food choices, whether with judgment or enjoyment, can invigorate us or result in feeling physically burdened, mentally cloudy, and emotionally stymied. That leverages an additional load because we are likely experiencing these symptoms already.

When we feed or starve the feelings that persist with depression, we may experience guilt and shame not only about the diagnosis but also misuse of food, which further weighs on one’s depressive state.

For many, food is not only about nutrition, but also represents comfort, punishment, or reward. We need to develop an awareness of the role that nutrition plays in our experience and work with our health providers to assess what we eat, when, and how we regard it to factor into our comprehensive care.

Power to pilot.

With God’s help, we can cultivate the staying power to pilot the path toward better choices to fuel our bodies and our lives. Healthcare professionals, such as our primary care physician or a nutritionist can help us meal plan with mood-boosting foods, even if we are taking prescriptions to treat depression or other conditions.

Whether we typically enjoy meals alone or dine with others, we can create and savor options to care well for ourselves and those nearby, embracing food and its enjoyment as part of our medicine. While pharmaceuticals may play a role in our treatment, the food we eat and how we think about it supports our commitment to mental and overall wellness.

Get a strategy.

Consult with your healthcare provider to brainstorm and select a fun outlet involving movement as a means of managing depression. You may feel some resistance to shifting your mentality as it relates to mobility. However, initiating small action steps may have to precede our emotions.

You don’t have to feel like it to do it. Sometimes the doing comes before the feeling, but action always precedes the outcome you desire. You reap rewards when activating movement as part of your coping and wellness strategy for managing depression.

Moves, stacked consistently over time, produce results. Retraining our bodies and brains to embrace our role in mental and physical health adds value to our experience. Essentially, we build confidence in our competence as we stretch into new practices.

We capture a God-glimpse of our worth and ability when we challenge the mental and physical hurdles associated with depression and exercise. God and others will help us map a strategy that will shift our world and produce more of what we want to see, feel, and experience.

Get stronger.

Exercise and movement answer some of those challenging depression symptoms that disturb and disrupt our moods and mental states. Activity releases endorphins into our bloodstream. They circulate “feel good” chemicals from within to give the body an overall boost.

Exercise elevates our energy level, clarifies our mental focus, and clears the fog while steadying our emotions and fostering a sense of agency, productivity, meaning, and happiness. Movement also improves our sleep cycle and our immune system’s ability to filter harmful elements. The byproduct can be weight changes, but exercise also enhances mobility, memory, and mood, strengthening the body from the inside out.

Get social.

Investing in your mental and emotional health encompasses physical activity as well, whether you choose to go solo or with a buddy. Having a partner fosters the kind of community support and accountability that cheers you forward, even when you might have otherwise quit. Something as moderate as a gently paced walk can lift the weight of isolation that depression leverages.

When we transform movement into a social experience or opportunity to connect, we form habits that benefit us personally in our physical and mental health. Furthermore, we heal, engaging and thriving in life-giving relationships.

Next steps.

There are many variables, even concerning your experience with depression that diminish self-esteem, making you feel powerless. However, initiative and actions will yield results for your comprehensive wellness as you’re managing depression.

Reach out today to schedule a counseling appointment with me or one of the other therapists in our online counselor directory. You are launching the next part of your journey and navigating a new course. We are here to help you on your journey toward managing depression well.