Assumption #7: Poor nutrition, lack of sleep, and lack of exercise, can precipitate or contribute to a depressed mood.

That all of these things can contribute to a depressed mood I think is pretty clear, and most would look at such a statement and agree to the truth of it.  I’m unsure whether lack of exercise or poor nutrition can precipitate a depressed mood, yet research has clearly shown that both poor nutrition and lack of exercise can fuel or contribute to a depressed mood.  What is more clear is the impact that lack of sleep has on our minds and also on our moods.  Sleep is absolutely essential to our well-being, and with only a few nights of sleep-deprivation we begin to observe the adverse effects.  Here are some of the areas that are affected:  memory and concentration wane; mood turns irritable; judgment grows poor; reaction times slow; coordination deteriorates; energy dims; and immune function declines.  If the deprivation continues the symptoms can become even more severe.  Research has shown that sleep disturbance and depression go hand in hand.  Not only can lack of sleep precipitate periods of depression, but depression often affects the patterns of sleep (usually over sleep or under-sleep).  Studies have shown that 4 out of 5 individuals suffer from some form of sleep disturbance, prior to the onset of depression.  What does this mean?  It means that finding some tools that will help you combat sleeplessness, will also help you combat depression!  What about sleep medication… should I take it?  I’m not opposed to you taking medication, yet something in your mind has to be absolutely clear – Medication is helping me to stabilize, and I need to work on my sleeping patterns and sleeping skills, so that I can learn how to do it without it.  Once again the focus is independence not dependence, and that statement is true for all medications including anti-depressants, which is why i sometimes get so frustrated when Doctors just prescribe the meds without any additional follow up or education.

Knowing this is powerful, but only in that it allows you to also see what steps you need to take to overpower your feelings of depression.  Like we have discussed before, exercise can have a dramatic influence on your mood and confidence.  I’m not a huge nutrition guy, yet there appears to be clear research out there about supplements (Omega 3′s and Vitamin D) that seem to have a significant positive effect upon people who are struggling with depression.  Sleep, of course has a tremendous ability to assist someone in rejuvenating their system, and also in helping their mood and clarity of thought.  So go do a little research and begin to get on top of these things.

Happy Day!