Entrepreneurship comes with a lot of ups and downs and one of the latter is Depression. Depression is a mood disorder characterized by persistent sadness and loss of interest in activities causing significant impairment in daily life. Symptoms include loss of appetite, changes in sleep, energy level, concentration, self-esteem, lack of interest in business and thoughts of suicide.

Read on to learn how to incorporate some strategies to help you feel more in control and improve your well-being.

1.            Understand the cause(s) of your depression

The first step to healing is accepting that you are depressed, it makes it easier to heal. After acceptance, understand the cause of depression. It could be a failed contract or business, no/low-profit period or losses. As an entrepreneur, that’s one hard pill to swallow but you should understand that it’s part of business and it doesn’t define you.

2.            Talk to someone you trust

It can be hard to open up about how you’re feeling, especially when you’re feeling depressed, ashamed, or worthless but accepting your feelings and opening up about them with someone you trust will help you feel less alone. If you don’t have someone you trust, you should seek professional help.

3.            Reward your efforts

During the depressive period, you tend to forget what you and your business have achieved which worsens the situation. Focusing on the positive rather than the negative is a great way to deal with depression. No matter how small the wins are, they are signs that your business is doing well regardless of the losses. The easiest way to do that is to make a list of past wins, it is a great way against negative talk.

4.            Adopt healthy habits

Practicing healthy lifestyle habits can do a lot of wonders for your mood e.g getting enough sleep, exercising, meditation and eating right have been seen to make a lot of difference when it comes to depression. Create a routine that works best for you. Also, medications like anti-depressants do a lot of wonders.

5.            Manage stress and anxiety

If you’re suffering from an anxiety disorder, it can manifest itself in a variety of ways. stress and anxiety can go hand-in-hand with depression. Identify the source of the stress and anxiety and work towards managing them.

6.            Try not to isolate yourself

Isolating yourself makes depression worse. Try to stay social, it helps you feel better. Do something you enjoy whether it be a sport, an art, dance or music class, or an after-school club. You can also try something entirely new.

7.            Watch or listen to uplifting movies and songs

Research shows that music is a great way to boost mood and improve symptoms of depression. It could be a comedy, your favorite movie, an interesting song or all of the above, be rest assured to be in a better mood when you do.

Depression can be one of the greatest challenges in Entrepreneurship but finding the right strategy or set of strategies will effectively help when you feel the wave of it.