Antidepressants have been one of the most prescribed prescription medications for decades. They are popular and people tend to take them for long periods of time, sometimes forever. They can be a godsend for some people, changing the way they feel and operate in the world.
For others, however, they don’t really help much at all. Sometimes people get stuck in the belief that they can’t change or decrease them, because things might get worse.
There are many cases in which antidepressants are lifesaving and necessary. For the majority of people that take them, however, they are taken for much longer than they were initially intended and aren’t that effective.
These medications for most people are meant for temporary use, in times of intense stress or grief, and as “training wheels” for the brain. To help kick start the neural chemistry that is needed to help people engage in more positive thinking and the real holistic lifestyle changes that are necessary for recovery from depression or anxiety.
Research has shown us that psychotherapy is as effective as pharmaceutical intervention on treating depression. In addition, physical 
exercise, especially in nature, as well as nutrition and other lifestyle adjustments have also been proven to be similarly effective on treating depression with or without antidepressant drugs.
I don’t think that antidepressants are bad or don’t work for some people sometimes. I do think that without getting to the root of the issue that is creating the depression or anxiety, and making lifestyle and cognitive changes to shift it, the condition generally persists regardless of the medication.
I encourage my clients, whether they are on an antidepressant and want to continue, are not taking any medication, or are wanting to taper down or stop their antidepressant, to make a list of natural antidepressants that are unique to them.
The list of these is different for everyone, but here are some common themes and research proven methods to help you create your own personalized list of your own natural antidepressants:
1. Exercise:
This is so important for mental health! There is new research out of Sweden emphasizing the double benefit of combining exercise with being outside in nature.
The combination of these two things was proven to increase the benefits of both exercise and nature in reducing anxiety and depression and increasing well-being.
30 minutes of exercise daily is equally as effective in treating depression as an antidepressant, so whether it’s outside or inside, move your body and your energy will expand!
2. Nature:
Whether you are moving your body outside, or just sitting and mindfully observing leaves on a tree, nature has also been proven to be very important in maintaining positive mental health. 
Forest bathing, or shinrin-yoku is the process of mindfully using your senses to harmonize your energy with that of the natural world.
This or other forms of connecting with nature have been shown to reduce cortisol and blood pressure, as well as decreasing activity in the part of the brain that focuses on worry.
This can be achieved by being in nature, as well as bringing in the sounds of nature, or visual reminders of nature into your living space.
3. Meditation:
Meditation is a free medication for depression and anxiety with no negative side effects.
Time and time again I have seen positive benefits from clients who have integrated consistent meditation into their own natural antidepressant toolbox.
Meditation with continued practice, increases the ability to observe negative thoughts without believing them, as well as training the body and mind to live in a more calm and relaxed state more of the time.
4. Express Yourself:
No pill will ever take the place of being able to feel and express your feelings.
Without this as a part of your unique natural antidepressant plan, your feelings remain trapped in your body, increasing anxiety and depression.
It can sometimes feel hard to get started expressing yourself, so a good place to start is with yourself. Start checking in with your own feelings by asking yourself how you feel throughout the day.
As you create more awareness of your feelings, then start writing them in a journal to get them out of your body. As this starts feeling more comfortable, find someone you trust and open up to them about how you feel as well.
Getting your feelings out is an essential part of maintaining mental wellness!
5. Joy:
As you get to know yourself and how you feel more and more, you will start to identify more of what brings you joy.
Making a list of things that bring you happiness and thinking about and doing them on a regular basis is a really important natural antidepressant.
Your joy list will be different from anyone else’s, some examples from mine are: forest walks, laying in the sun, and filling my living spaces with flowers and crystals.
6. Positive Environment:
To create your own natural antidepressants, it is important to make sure you have a positive environment as much as you can.
This means surrounding yourself with things that make you smile, with positive people, and an environment that brings you joy.
It means consuming whole, naturally nourishing foods whenever possible and decreasing foods that deplete your energy.
It means limiting things that deplete your energy like negative and toxic tv or social media and creating as much peace and positive vibration around you as possible.
7. Connect:
The feeling of connecting to something bigger than you is a very important ingredient in your antidepressant blend.
You don’t have to call it spiritual or religious if that doesn’t work for you.
Finding ways unique to you to feel connected to all that is, is a powerful natural antidepressant.
Some examples of these experiences can be: meditation, being in nature, a church service in person or online, prayer, sensing a feeling of connection with other people, gratitude, feeling and expressing love, etc.
When we experience these feelings of connection with all that is, it sends a powerfully positive energy stream to our being, decreasing any depression or anxiety and bringing a beautiful feeling of ease and well-being.
You can empower yourself with a full toolbox of your own personalized antidepressants. These are ideas that have worked for myself and my clients, but there are so many examples out there for you to choose from.
Have fun taking charge of your happiness!
Read more about Anxiety Treatment with Shana Olmstead.
