Everyone has their off days or goes through an emotional funk. There are some days where you may feel irritable, sad, and tired, sometimes without knowing why.

However, sadness is a natural and normal response to challenging events in life, loss, and change. Sometimes these feelings stick around longer than we expect, but what then? If these feelings aren’t addressed, they could progress into a formal mental disorder, which can have a severe impact on your life. Being in a funk is no fun. If you’re feeling off and want to move on, our mental health rehab in Florida is sharing some tips on how to get out of a depression funk that can help.

What Is The Difference Between Sadness and Depression?

Sadness and depression are used interchangeably, but they aren’t the same thing. One is a symptom of the other, and the progression, longevity, and severity of sadness play a key factor in diagnosing someone with depression. Sadness is a normal reaction to loss, disappointment, problems, and challenging situations. Feeling off or sad from time to time is a normal part of life. Usually, this feeling goes away after a while, and when it does, you’re able to carry on with your life. However, when sadness lasts and progresses into other symptoms, it can indicate a more serious condition.

Depression (major depressive disorder) is a mental condition that affects a person’s mood, thoughts, and behaviors. Depression can impact the way you understand yourself and the way you understand and relate to others. This disorder can occur for no apparent reason and lasts for a long time. Depression and sadness are often confused for each other, but the former is much more serious. People with depression don’t just feel sad. They also feel worthless, hopeless, empty, or numb. Some may experience this condition as anger or irritability, while others experience it as severe sadness. Although this condition is a psychological one, it can also impact a person’s body through symptoms like fatigue, decreased energy, and inexplicable body aches.

Additional signs and symptoms of depression include:

• Feelings of sadness, emptiness, or hopelessness
• Feelings of worthlessness or guilt
• Overthinking or fixating on past failures
• Frequent mood swings, emotional outbursts, irritability or frustration, even when facing minor issues
• Loss of interest or pleasure in most activities, including those that were once enjoyable
• Sleeping too little or too much, or experiencing insomnia
• Fatigue, exhaustion, and lack of energy
• Reduced appetite and weight loss or increased appetite and weight gain
• Anxiety
• Slowed thinking, speech, or body movements
• Trouble thinking, concentrating, and decision-making
• Frequent or recurrent suicidal thoughts or attempts
• Unexplained physical problems, such as body aches

A person can be diagnosed with depression depending on how long the symptoms last. A diagnosis is usually confirmed if any of the symptoms above last for two weeks or longer. At that time, individuals who are diagnosed with this condition are encouraged to get help. Banyan Mental Health is a facility dedicated to helping individuals with depression and other mental disorders learn how to cope with their symptoms and find a healthy balance in life. If you or someone you know is battling major depressive disorder, our depression treatment in Florida can help.

Tips on How to Get Out of Your Depression Funk

Depression can be caused by factors like genes, chemical brain imbalance, family history of mental illness, and environment. Depression isn’t just a bad mood you can get out of. It’s a serious condition. Even so, as serious as this disorder is, there are several practical ways to cope with it. Below are some ways to snap out of a depression funk that you can apply to your life today.

• Eat a healthy diet: Food can impact your mood and the way you feel, so eating a clean diet can help.
• Get more exercise: Exercising at least 30 minutes a few days a week can activate the release of endorphins and stay healthy.
• Get some sun: Getting some sun every day not only boosts your serotonin levels (and thus your mood), but it also lowers blood pressure, contributes to bone health, and improves sleep.
• Speaking of sleep, get your eight hours every night: Sleeping helps regulate your mood and prevent irritability that can contribute to other depression symptoms.
• Spend time with loved ones: Socializing distracts us and reminds us that we have people who care about us in our lives.
• Start a new hobby: Hobbies not only occupy your free time, but they also encourage you to make “me time” for yourself.
• Be patient with yourself: It’s not your fault that you have depression. You are not your condition. With that being said, it’s important to be kind to yourself as you learn how to be patient and maneuver life with this disorder.

If you’re wondering how to get out of a depression funk, the first thing you should do is seek professional guidance. Although depression can range from mild to severe, it should always be taken seriously. Those with major depression or other forms of mental illness can find the recovery resources they need at Banyan Mental Health. Call us today at 888-280-4763 to learn more about our inpatient mental health rehab.