On Track Program

Do you feel sad or flat most of the time?

Have you lost interest in your usual activities?

We can all feel sad or down from time to time. Feeling sad, or 'having the blues', is a normal reaction to some of the things that happen in our lives. But these feelings usually lessen after a few hours, a day or two, or a good nights sleep.

Sometimes for some people they cannot seem to shake off these sad feelings, and the depression begins to affect the way they think and deal with the world. They might find themselves becoming irritable and edgy, may avoid people and activities they would generally enjoy, find it hard to get up and get going in the morning, or be unable to concentrate or make decisions as well as they have previously. They may also find themselves dwelling on the negative things in their life and sometimes may have thoughts about death or suicide. If you have felt like this in the past the On Track© program may be useful in helping you to stay free of depression.

There are a number of practical strategies that you can do to help stay free of depression. The following is a brief example of the types of strategies you will learn about in the On Track© program.

Make Plans to be Active

Regular exercise like walking, swimming, an exercise class, or playing a team sport is a good way to stay active and to help reduce the reoccurrence of the symptoms of depression. Being active is not only about exercise, but also includes making time during the day to do things you enjoy like reading a magazine, pottering around the garden, having a mid-morning cuppa, or taking a bath. Sometimes doing something we enjoy, even when we don't really feel like it, can boost our day. Meeting up with friends or doing things with the family can often have this effect.

Even completing our day-to-day tasks will help to maintain a positive outlook. Cleaning the bathroom, folding clothes, shopping for groceries are all activities that we need to do. It might not be much fun doing them, but when each activity is completed we can tick it off our list and reward ourselves! It is important to remember to give yourself a pat on the back when you have done something that needed to be done.

Look After Your Health

Looking after your health means taking a hard look at how you are treating your body - what you are eating, drinking, and anything else you may be taking. You would be surprised how much a healthy diet and regular exercise can do for energy levels.

Put into Place a Good Sleep Routine

It's important to make sure you get a regular good nights rest to avoid fatigue, increase stamina and to help reduce the reoccurrence of the symptoms of depression. It's best to avoid napping during the day to ensure you are ready to sleep at night. Try to wake at the same time each day and use your bed for sleep only (not watching TV or eating). Make sure your bed is comfortable and avoid caffeine and cigarettes before going to bed. Avoid using alcohol as a way of getting to sleep, and if you find yourself tossing and turning during the night get out of bed and listen to music or read a book until you feel more calm and sleepy.

Other strategies for reducing the reoccurrence of depression include becoming aware of your early signs for depression and having an established action plan for dealing with them. You could also look at changing unhelpful and depression-like thinking.

It is challenging trying to work out what strategies will work for you and how you can put them into action. It may be useful to talk about these kinds of practical strategies with your GP or another health care professional. Or you may like to find out more about participating in the On Track© program which is aimed at supporting people to remain free from the the symptoms of depression via practical strategies similar to those discussed above.

Refer to About the Program for further information about the On Track© program. GPs can find further details about On Track© specifically for medical practitioners at Information for General Practitioners.