Depression - apart from medical treatment, what can I do to beat it?

[circlesquare]

I went to my GP this morning and have been diagnosed with depression and referred for CBT. Will have to wait for a while for this to start, though.

In the meantime, what else can I do to control it? What are good things to eat / do / avoid / try? Having decided to tackle it, I'm feeling more purposeful than I've done for a while and want to do things to help myself while I've got the momentum.

And take every day as it comes. Set yourself small, achievable, manageable goals and reward yourself accordingly.
Make sure you find the people in your life who make you feel good about yourself and surround yourself with them - avoid the toxic folk and the energy vampires. Be 'selfish'.

I do feel motivated, yes - in fact this evening I almost feel like a fraud but I know at the moment that I only get occasional days like these. I want more, but need to capitalise on the ones I have. Which is why I wanted to get ideas of things I could put in place to help me on the more ordinary days...

This is great - thanks all.

This sounds like hippy shit but -

look for those small pockets in the day when you feel ok (not neccessarily ecstatic...) and hold that moment. Think ''here I am with a cup of tea in my hand, the sun is shining and the children are smiling. Aren't I blessed. This is what life is about...''

I have said this before to others on here but happines is not a destination. The key to Happiness can be learning to identify the little areas of just ok-ness between life's constant showers of shite

The aim is to find more little time slots of OK-ness than the shitey bits. Tip those scales, you can do it (Genuine )

I like the hippy shit.

It's taken me dumpty dum years to work this hippy shit out. My whole family suffers from depression. I am the only one who has managed to avoid ADs. But I do work very hard at it...

Identifying your triggers is also a good place to stsrt (for some people it's bleeding obvious, for others it's more a question of self-awareness, keeping mood diaries etc.)

I've recommend reading up about WRAP plans

Never heard of those before. It sounds a little like what I'm trying to do for myself in my unscientific way. Thanks.