10 Natural Ways to Lift Depression and Rebuild Your Self-Esteem

When depression tells you to do nothing, do the opposite. Here's where to start.

Depression can be a beast.

It's complicated in a particularly cruel way — because when you're depressed, you tend to turn inward and isolate, which only feeds the depression. The negative voice creeps in and tells you that no one cares, that no one understands, that you'll never come out of this.

I know it can feel like you're paralyzed. But you're not.

Here's the most important thing I can tell you: to address depression, you have to do the opposite of what you feel like doing. You have to decide to take action before you feel motivated to. Don't wait for motivation to show up first — just decide, take the step, and watch motivation follow.

Here are ten things that can genuinely help, in no particular order:

1. Get a massage. Human beings need touch. If you're depressed, chances are you're not getting enough human contact. Book something that appeals to you — hot stone, Swedish, Thai, whatever sounds good — and just receive it.

2. Move your body. I know. But this one is non-negotiable. A brisk walk, a hike, a spin class, yoga, a solo weight session — whatever gets you moving for an hour. Exercise is one of the most reliable ways to lift the fog of depression, and it doesn't require a gym membership or a plan. Just start.

3. Play music that makes you feel something good. Put on something that brings up joy, nostalgia, or pure energy. For me it's 90s and early 2000s hip hop — it takes me straight back to being wild and twenty-something in New York City. Or I'll put on the Hamilton soundtrack. Or Rent. Or Wicked. Find your version of that and turn it up.

4. Watch something that makes you laugh or feel warm. I'm not a big romantic comedy person, but Love Actually gets me every time. Jamie Foxx's old stand-up special. Game Night. Whatever it is for you — something that reliably brings up good feelings. Lean into it without guilt.

5. Eat well, even when you don't want to. Eat regularly, even if you have no appetite. Avoid caffeine and sugar. Add good fats — avocado, nuts, olives, oily fish if you eat it. Your brain genuinely needs these to function, and what you put in your body has a direct impact on your mood. Small, consistent choices matter here.

6. Do something you actually enjoy. A painting class, karaoke, a day trip, live music, horseback riding — whatever you've been putting off or used to love. Be brave. Commit to doing one thing that's just for you.

7. Volunteer. There is something quietly powerful about getting outside of your own pain and into someone else's world. Mentor kids, volunteer at an animal shelter, help feed people who are sick or unhoused. Connection and contribution are antidotes to isolation.

8. Check your vitamins. Deficiencies in vitamin D, B6, B3, B12, and Omega-3 fatty acids are all associated with depression. If you're not already supplementing, it's worth talking to your doctor and adding these to your daily routine.

9. Invite someone over. Cook a meal, order food, set up a game or a small activity. I once had friends over to make sushi together with a kit I'd been given as a gift. It was simple and it was exactly what I needed. Create a little container of warmth and let someone into it.

10. Consider hypnotherapy. A well-trained clinical hypnotherapist can help you rewire negative thought patterns at the subconscious level — getting to the root of the beliefs driving the depression, not just managing the symptoms. It's one of the most effective tools I've seen for real, lasting change.

Try one. Try all of them. Stay open to the idea that things can feel different than they do right now.

Depression is not a character flaw or a permanent state. It is a signal — and signals can shift. These heavy feelings, as real and immovable as they seem in this moment, are not forever.

There is a way into a lighter, more enjoyable life.

Let's find it.