Depression isn’t always situational, but some lifestyle habits may exacerbate episodes. Bryce Evans explores his four “depression triggers.”

After living with high-functioning depression for several years, one of the most important things I’ve learned about managing my depression symptoms is to be more proactive than reactive.

People struggle with depression for many reasons and for some of us, it’s a constant companion. Over the years, I’ve made it a point to take a step back to notice some of the events or behaviors that cause me to feel worse. While this may not “cure” me of depression, it can be useful in preventing a downhill emotional spiral.

Are you lonely and feeling disconnected from people?

Does a certain food or drink seem to always be around when you’re feeling badly, or do you seek it out when you’re deep in a depressive episode?

What happens if you haven’t been active for a few weeks?

These are the types of questions that I started to ask myself as I worked to discover certain unhealthy behaviors and recognize my internal alarm bells when I started to feel more anxious or depressed.

This can be tricky territory — the behaviors and events that might have a negative impact are super personal and there isn’t a digital guide to all of them. Plus, it may be difficult to figure out if what you’re feeling is just a “normal” part of your depression symptoms, or if perhaps they are being aggravated by something else.

But in my opinion, learning to identify the thought patterns, events, and behaviors that negatively affect you can provide really valuable insights and possibly help you to become more aware of your own health and help to manage your symptoms more effectively in the long term.

My anxiety and depression “triggers”

Over time, I’ve become well-versed in what makes me feel more anxious or depressed. Here are a few examples and what I do to mitigate them.

1. Caffeine on an empty stomach makes me feel anxious

Caffeine + No Food = Disaster was one of the easiest anxiety triggers for me to spot. Noting this also helped me recognize that my eating habits weren’t particularly healthy.

The fix: Years ago, I cut down on my caffeine consumption and if I did have coffee, I made sure to have food in my stomach first. I’ve also been working to improve my diet and physical health, which has helped make this less of an issue — I love coffee and don’t think I could give it up entirely!

2. Not expressing myself or avoiding conflict makes me feel down

This one comes in different shapes and sizes. It may be that I feel isolated, or not able to express what I’m feeling. It can also come in the form of a conflict with someone else where I’m withholding my frustration or my feelings. All types of unexpressed emotions seem to lead me down the dark path into a more serious depression episode.

The fix: Early on, I was able to open up with photography as a way to express what I was going through. But overall, finding ways to express myself right away — whether it’s through words, other healthy habits, or my art — when I’m feeling a certain way has made all the difference.

3. Not being physically or socially active enough can lead to a bad episode

This is one of those tricky ones that it’s important for me to be aware of. I recognized a pattern a while back that times I was less social coincided with the beginning of a depressive episode or some rough anxiety. It was a slippery slope — the less time I spent exercising or hanging with friends, the more intense my symptoms were. As my symptoms got worse, I had way less motivation to do anything.

The fix: Recently I’ve been focused on building a solid routine of taking care of my physical health while also making a point to take time off on the weekends — one of the downsides of working for yourself — and meeting up with friends more often.

I find that setting up reminders on my calendar or having structures around social time and workouts helps me to remember and not fall off my routine. It’s also one of the first things I dive into if I start to feel these issues coming on — head to the gym and hop on a call or go meet up with a friend.

4. No boundaries = no good

I’ve learned the importance of boundaries in both my work running multiple businesses as well as my personal relationships. It became clear that not having the right — or any — boundaries and allowing others to take control of my time and energy intensified my depression and anxiety.

The fix: It’s simple in theory, tough in practice — set proper boundaries. Stick to them.

The takeaway

It’s important to take the time to reflect on your experiences with depression and see if you can spot any common patterns. I’ve found daily journaling to be a great method of catching these. It also gives me the time and space to discover them on a regular basis.

Even 5 or 10 minutes of writing about your day, what you did, and how you felt and why could make a big difference in how you manage your symptoms and your day-to-day life.

Remember that the things that intensify bad feelings can change over time, and they’ll be different for everyone.

It’s also important to remember that depression is a serious health condition, and while certain behaviors or events may make you feel worse, they likely are not the cause of depression. Still, learning to identify those behaviors can be a good supplement to the treatment program you design with your doctor.

I hope that you’re able to discover some powerful insights into how your mind and body work in relation to your mental health, and that it empowers you toward a better life.

The information presented is solely for educational purposes, not as specific advice for the evaluation, management, or treatment of any condition.

The individual(s) who have written and created the content in and whose images appear in this article have been paid by Teva Pharmaceuticals for their contributions. This content represents the opinions of the contributor and does not necessarily reflect those of Teva Pharmaceuticals. Similarly, Teva Pharmaceuticals does not review, control, influence or endorse any content related to the contributor's websites or social media networks. This content is intended for informational and educational purposes and should not be considered medical advice or recommendations. Consult a qualified medical professional for diagnosis and before beginning or changing any treatment regimen. 

NPS-ALL-NP-00796 FEBRUARY 2023