There's only one time I was seriously depressed. There's also times where I've felt a little down. But, overall, I'm a rather positive person.
For myself, key factors I've found that lead to negative thoughts are:
- Inactivity: Just sitting around causes the brain to start to think about what I should be doing, then goes into a negative circle of thoughts, which then starts to spiral further downward. Being active, even if it is cleaning, going for a walk, visit someone, etc. it takes your mind away from the emptiness. Hobbies allow me to focus on task at hand. By this, I'm referring to away from electronics.
- Poor nutrition: The more processed foods I eat, the crappier I feel. Clean foods such as meats, veggies/fruits, or other things I prepare help keep the mind sharp and I feel better because it's something I cooked, rather than paid someone to do.
- Being around "Negative Nancies": The company you keep has a lot to do with your mental health, and emotions. Energy tends to feed itself, and grow. It's more enjoyable to be in an environment of positive energy and emotions, than negative. If you're finding yourself mostly in a negative one, look to see what you can change to either change your own environment. Or, move to a more positive one.
There's a lot of simple things one can do to help change a mood. Some work, others don't. If you've tried different things, and still feeling down. Talk to someone. Whether it be a professional, or someone you know who will openly listen, and not judge you. When I needed it, I found that once I opened up about a situation I was in, it helped out immensely. The first couple times were difficult to do so. But, I'm thankful I was able to do so without being judged.
Sometimes, medication is needed. But, admittedly, I question the validity of some prescribed treatments due to potential side effects. Was a prescription given as a "quick fix" either as an interim while continuing to search for underlying issues? Or, will it lead down a path of being prescribed multiple medications due to side effects of the other pills?