My name is Debora. When I was growing up, I never knew there would come a time in my life I would get depressed. But nowadays sometimes I wake up feeling sad or angry. And just the simple act of getting out of bed can seem like a really hard task.

I came to learn that being depressed is not the same as being sad. It’s an intense sadness which may make us feel hopeless, helpless and worthless. It can be something we feel for a longer period of time, not just one or two days. Sometimes there’s a reason, sometimes it is not clear why we are feeling that way.

Depression sucks. It might bring you down to your lowest point. You may have no desire to eat, or maybe you feel like crying but you aren’t sure, or all of a sudden you don’t enjoy all the things you love to do. Does this sound familiar? Don’t worry it’s totally ok not to be ok sometimes. Here are some few tips that could help you feel better if you feel depressed.

Don't be hard on yourself: The first thing you need to know is that it’s normal to feel down sometimes. Try not to isolate yourself because this is something that lots of people face and can help support you through

Try to build some positive thoughts: Depression doesn't just make us feel bad, it can also cause us to think more negatively. Thoughts like “I am a loser”, ”Nobody likes me” or ”I am not beautiful” might be rolling into our minds. But if we try to start thinking positively about ourselves by embracing what we are good at, it can help us cope with depression. Positive thoughts like “I am unique, I am strong, I am kind, I am loving” can help us deal with these negative thoughts.

Sharing your problem is half solving: If you find yourself feeling hopeless or tired or if you are losing interest in things or thinking about dark or difficult issues, it can be so hard to cope with. You might find it useful to talk to someone you trust, like a teacher, best friend or your parents about your feelings. You might find it helps to talk and share your feelings. It’s possible that they may find it hard to understand your feelings, so take your time to try and explain. And remember if you feel they don’t really understand, that’s also okay - everyone is different and some people may find it hard to relate to what you’re saying. That doesn’t make you wrong.

A little exercise will help: Exercise actually releases positive endorphins in our body, these are hormones that can help us feel mentally as well as physically better. Joining in with a sports team at school or in our in our community can be very helpful, it helps us boost the mood and make us feel good about ourselves.