As people age, it is quite normal for a person to feel sad or lose interest in the things they would normally enjoy. These feelings commonly come and go as we experience new milestones throughout our lives. However, if these feelings and other accompanying depression symptoms last for the same 2-week period, people may be living with lingering depression.
Depression is a mood disorder that affects the mind, body, and emotions. According to the National Alliance on Mental Health (NAMI), “about 21 million U.S. adults—8.4% of the population—had at least one major depressive episode in 2020.”
If you or a loved one is experiencing the symptoms of depression, help is available at the Alvarado Parkway Institute. Contact our trained call center staff who is ready to assist you at 619-333-7050 and is available 24/7.
People living with depression can do several activities that help alleviate the symptoms thanks to the release of dopamine in the body. We will provide information about dopamine and a list of activities that help alleviate depression.
What You Need to Know About Dopamine
Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that works as a chemical messenger to send messages to the body. The brain is responsible for making dopamine and releasing it to your body.
Dopamine plays a role in multiple body functions, including movement, memory, behavior, cognition, mood, learning, reward, and motivation. All of these functions are affected within those living with depression.
Dopamine is also known as the “feel-good” hormone because it is part of the reward system, so when you do something that makes your body release dopamine, you start to feel great and seek out that feeling further.
When there is well-balanced dopamine in the body, people feel happy and motivated. If there is an imbalance or low levels of dopamine in the body, people often feel tired and unhappy, and some even suffer from memory loss, mood swings, and insomnia. All of these are also common symptoms of depression.
We will provide you below with activities that will help you increase dopamine levels in your body to help alleviate depression symptoms.
Activities that Increase Dopamine to Help Alleviate
Depression
Eat Well-Balanced and Healthy Meals
Eating well-balanced and nutrition-filled meals throughout the day helps alleviate depression. Here are a few things to practice:
- Incorporate more protein into your meals: Proteins are made up of amino acids. The amino acids named l-tyrosine and phenylalanine help with the production of dopamine. You can find these amino acids in legumes, turkey, fish, poultry, beef, peanuts, eggs, and dairy products.
- Avoid eating saturated fat: Examples of foods that contain saturated fats include milk, cheese, butter, coconut oil, palm oil, fatty cuts of meats, bacon, or cured meats.
- Other foods, drinks, and spices you can incorporate into a well-balanced meal that naturally increase dopamine in the body include almonds, apples, avocados, chocolate, coffee, green tea, green leafy vegetables, oatmeal, olive oil, rosemary, oregano, sesame seeds, turmeric, soy products, and watermelon.
- Eat natural probiotics: probiotics have great benefits for your body as it helps improve digestion and heart health while reducing symptoms of depression. Sources with probiotics include yogurt, sauerkraut (fermented shredded cabbage), tempeh, Kombucha, kefir, and pickles.
Exercise 2-3 Times a Week
We recommend exercising 2-3 times a week for 15 to 30 minutes, if possible. When it comes to exercise, you must find something you can enjoy and set reasonable goals to help you stay motivated.
Exercising will help you gain confidence as you meet your goals and provide you with the opportunity for social interaction. Plus, exercise not only helps alleviate depression and anxiety, but it helps maintain your overall health.
Here are some exercises we suggest that help release dopamine in the body. Remember to speak with your private doctor before starting with any of the suggested exercises to ensure you are in the best position to get started.
- Jogging or running: jogging or running will help you build muscle, improve your heart health, and improve your mood as it releases feel-good endorphins.
- Lifting weights: A 2020 study showed a correlation between the effects of muscular strength (lifting weights or strength training) on depression symptoms, which indicated a positive outcome in reducing depression symptoms. In addition, there are other added benefits when lifting weights, including muscle definition.
- Practice Yoga: The practice of yoga involves a series of movements and holding body poses while simultaneously incorporating breathing techniques. Some studies have even shown a link between yoga therapy and how it helps with depression and anxiety.
- Go on daily walks: Walking is a type of aerobic exercise that is easy to do on a daily basis. All you need are comfortable shoes and a simple route. You can enjoy a walk around the neighborhood and parks; if you work in an office, take a quick walk around the building or the hallways. It will also help you get a break to refresh your mind before getting back to work.
- Move the body: Any aerobic exercise will help you alleviate depression symptoms. Consider climbing the stairs, playing with your pet, dancing while listening to and singing your favorite songs, going on a hike, jumping rope, sitting on a stability ball, walking lunges, deep cleaning of your home, yard work, and so on.
- Outdoor activities: There are outdoor activities that help alleviate depression, such as swimming, gardening, and biking. Getting fresh air helps boost your mood, even if it’s something as simple as eating in an outdoor restaurant. In addition, outdoor activities help you get sunlight exposure, which helps in the creation of vitamin D. Research found that many individuals who live with depression have a vitamin D deficiency. Getting 10 to 30 minutes of sunlight a few times a week will help with the deficiency (don’t forget to wear sunscreen to protect your skin).
Practice Mindfulness
There are different ways to practice mindfulness. According to Mindful, mindfulness is the “basic human ability to be fully present, aware of where we are and what we’re doing, and not overly reactive or overwhelmed by what’s going on around us.”
A simple way to get started with mindfulness is to practice yoga which we suggested as an exercise in the section above. By practicing yoga, your body and mind will focus on the moment thanks to the accompanying breathing techniques until you get into a meditative state.
You can also practice mindfulness by starting with five minutes of meditation practice. Find a place with little to no distractions, sit up on a chair or the floor with a straight back, and start breathing in and out slowly. Notice when your mind starts to wander and acknowledge it, then come back to the awareness of breathing. Remember that it is completely normal for the mind to wander when you first get started with meditation.
Another option is to find a hobby that will focus and calm your mind. Some mindfulness hobbies you can try include the following:
- Mindfulness coloring
- Arts and crafts, such as card-making, painting, or scrapbooking
- Bullet journaling
- Cooking
- Gardening
- Reading
Create Routines and Structure in Your Daily Life
Creating a daily routine or having a structure for day-to-day tasks helps alleviate depression symptoms. Oftentimes, one of the symptoms of depression is a lack of motivation. A study showed that creating a routine or structure for your primary and secondary routines has an impact on mental health.
Primary routines involved those that help maintain “livelihood and biological needs, such as hygiene, sleep, and eating,” and secondary routines are those that “reflect individual circumstances, motivations, and preferences, and include exercising, leisure/social activities, and practices associated with work or study, including keeping oneself on time and meeting goals and targets.”
One way to get started with routines is to set an alarm to wake up in the morning and have a set bedtime. For example, if you need to wake up by 7 am, it’s best to keep a bedtime of 11 pm to ensure you have quality sleep. You can also create a self-care regime for skincare and exercise.
There are some mobile apps you can use to help you create a structured routine. You can read our “Top Mobile Apps for Improved Self-Care” for additional information.
Takeaway
Dopamine is a brain chemical that influences your mood and creates feelings of reward and motivation. Incorporating these above-mentioned activities will help alleviate depression symptoms. However, there are times when a little extra help is needed, and at the Alvarado Parkway Institute, we are happy to help.
We provide depression treatment for those struggling with it to allow them to live happy and healthy lives. If you are interested in learning more or want to begin treatment, contact Alvarado Parkway Institute today. Our trained call center staff is ready to assist you 24/7 at 619-333-7050 or complete our contact form online for more information.
