Stress can seem like an unavoidable aspect of life — it seems like there’s always something to worry about. Everyone responds differently to stress, but it’s possible for some people to experience depression symptoms as a result.

Depression is a mental health condition that causes overwhelming negative thoughts and feelings that affect your quality of life. There isn’t one specific cause of depression; it can be due to a variety of genetic, biological, psychological and environmental factors. Stress can be a psychological and environmental factor for developing depression, such as how you respond to experiencing persistent stress.

Adults who feel stressed can  also feel depressed. Depression and anxiety can be intertwined. Fortunately, there are strategies to help alleviate the negativity that comes from both.

5 tips for managing stress and depression

Experiencing chronic or worsening stress can be a trigger for depressive symptoms. It can make you feel hopeless about the future, cause concentration issues and make you feel fatigued. Depression can interfere with your cognitive and emotional ability to handle stress. It can make it harder to fight its negative impact on your everyday life.

With the right strategies, you can reduce the impact of stress and the feelings of depression at the same time. Try the following tips to help you improve your daily productivity, your connections with others and your planning for the future:

• Prioritize your sleep schedule

Depression and stress can make it difficult to get enough quality sleep. Approximately 40% of people with insomnia experience symptoms of major depressive disorder, and 80% of people with depression have periods of insomnia. Stress is also linked to poor sleep due to the difficulty of turning off anxious thoughts and the release of stress hormones, which can interrupt your sleep-wake schedule.

Try to get at least seven to nine hours of sleep each night. You can try setting an alarm for when to head to bed and create a bedtime routine that helps you relax. Sleep can help you alleviate stress and symptoms of depression by:

• Improving mood regulation to decrease negative emotions
• Increasing cognitive function for concentration and problem-solving
• Regulating the production of “happy hormones,” such as serotonin

• Make time for enjoyable activities

Many people experience stress from having an overloaded calendar or being overwhelmed by daily responsibilities. It can be difficult to find the time in your day to do something that makes you happy and relaxed, such as reading, making art or even zoning out to a podcast. Depression can make it difficult to find enjoyment in activities that you usually do, as well as interfere with your motivation to do them.

Try to prioritize activities that help you slow down your mind and bring you joy, even if it’s just for 30 minutes a day. It can be an act of self-care that reduces your negative emotions and helps prevent burnout.

• Set boundaries

Stress and depression symptoms can both be compounded by other people, even if they don’t recognize that they’re doing it. Setting boundaries involves establishing limits as a way to protect your mental, emotional and physical health. This often means letting other people know when something that they are saying or doing is impacting you, such as causing feelings of depression or stress.

Setting boundaries with others, and maintaining them when someone tries to cross one, will help reduce the risk of exacerbating depressive symptoms or causing additional stress that can feel overwhelming.

Examples of boundaries include:

• Saying no to plans that may interfere with your self-care time
• Not discussing topics that make you upset
• Refusing to share information that you’re not in the mindset to talk about
• Stick to a routine

You’ve likely developed routines that seem like second nature, from how you get ready in the mornings to how you approach your task list when you sit down for work or school. If you have too many tasks and obligations, trying to create and follow a routine can be stressful. Depression can interfere with the motivation and energy levels needed to complete those routines.

Routines can play a positive role in your mental health because they reduce the fear of uncertainty while increasing productivity and fostering a sense of control. Whenever possible, try to create and maintain a routine that allows you to prioritize stressful tasks and find comfort in knowing what comes next.

• Talk to someone 

It can sometimes feel difficult to open up to someone about struggles with depression or stress, but it can also feel like a weight off your shoulders when you do. When you share your thoughts and feelings with someone you’re comfortable with, they can validate your feelings and make you see that it’s OK to feel the way you do. They can also provide tools to help manage the symptoms, such as planning a fun activity together, while not putting you in a position where your boundaries may be crossed.

Talking to a loved one about your stress and depression can help you build a support system that can be by your side as you navigate your mental health journey. It can also be very helpful to talk to a mental health care provider, like a therapist, who can help you figure out the root causes of your struggles and develop strategies to navigate them.

Following tips for managing stress and depression can make a difference in your overall mental health; however, some people may need further support, even beyond the help of an outpatient therapist.

At Guidelight, we can help you navigate your depression symptoms, understand how they connect to stress and learn what tools can reduce their negative impact. Our Intensive Outpatient Program and Partial Hospitalization Program can help you work through roadblocks and move forward.

Everyone has a seat at Guidelight. Contact our team today for more information or to schedule an initial evaluation.