The summer before my very first year of college I was diagnosed with both an anxiety disorder as well as depression. Earlier that year I was very sick with mono, so I figured my overwhelming amount of sadness was still due to recovering from that. I was in for quite the treat when I was put on a slew of different medications to keep my emotions, feelings and even thoughts in check. Depression is a mood disorder that causes a great big continuous feeling of sadness and a huge lack of motivation for everything. Anxiety is very similar to depression but it is categorized as a mental health disorder with feelings of worry, anxiety and fear that cripple an individual’s daily life mentally. Combined, they are one dynamic duo making it very hard to get through everyday life.

It is certainly no surprise that I was diagnosed with both disorders considering how common both are. In just my home alone, a majority of us have it, and all of us also have our own ways of dealing with both ailments. As a kid growing up, I had a hard time understanding it. The mood swings, especially the ones that go from being happy one day to sad the next. I could not wrap my head around it until I started experiencing it myself. We all have our good days and our bad days in life generally, but what I’ve found with depression and anxiety is that it gets blown out of proportion.

I have not been on medication for either for almost two years now. I hated the way they made me feel, they made me totally numb. It was like my body was walking around, doing my day-to-day things, but I wasn’t. I felt completely incoherent. Most importantly I wasn’t myself. Even with the flaws of anxiety and depression I loved that part of me. I missed it. So I took it upon myself to learn how to deal with both disorders in a way that was healthier for myself.

There are absolutely so many different ways to deal with depression and anxiety without being on medication prescribed by a doctor, so here are a few things that helped me:

1. Smile

Every morning. I smiled before I got out of bed. Some days it was very natural and other days it was very forced and in either situation it always helped make my day a little more positive. There have been quite a few studies stating that making yourself smile every morning to start off your day brings on more positivity.

2. Get Outside

Getting yourself up and moving are huge when having depression and anxiety. For me, this ranged anywhere from just sitting in the grass on a sunny day or going for a trail walk near where I lived. Fresh air can do wonders for your mind and body.

3. Be Active

This step was definitely one of the harder ones (no pun intended) because it meant that I had to physically remove myself from my bed which was much easier some days than others. There were many days that I was proud of myself for just going for a short walk, even just the walk between classes is better than no walk at all. Taking the stairs instead of taking the elevator, even taking a longer way to get to class instead of a short cut. Everyday I tried to do a little more, I even was able to make it to the gym on a consistent basis and I can't tell you how much of a great mood that put me in. Being active got my blood flowing, which made me breathe better, it also woke me up so I wasn't just dragging myself around through the day, and naturally that made me a more radiant individual.

4. Listening To Music

Now I listen to quite an array of different genres. My music tastes varies from psych-rock to rap, R&B to classic rock, along with EDM to alternative -- it honestly all depends on my mood that day. Music helped me so much. Some days I had my headphones in all day long, other days I could listen to something just in the car, or getting ready for class and I wouldn't have to listen to anything else for the rest of my day. It truly had an enormous affect on how I went about my day.

5. Do What Makes You Happy

I feel this one is pretty obvious, but there are definitely times where you feel like giving up or taking a break from things that you love and that keep you happy. Don't ever stop doing those things. For me it was making weird, abstract art that most people didn't like, but I liked so that was all that mattered. Also writing, and writing a lot; this was keeping a journal, writing poetry, creating letters for people that I would never send, but needed to write things out to clear my head. Even emailing my mom is classified as writing in my eyes because she was an enormous help in keeping me happy. Another happy thing in my life were horses, that is one thing that has always been there for me and those animals supply me with an enormous amount of unconditional love. It could even be just getting out to the barn to brush a horse, ride or even watch someone else ride.

6. Spend Time With Family And Friends

For me, this was one of the most important steps. Talking on the phone with a sibling, parent, grandparent, aunt, uncle, or friend is categorized as spending time with a them. If you have the ability to go home on a regular basis, do it! Go give your mom a hug; hugs are the greatest thing on this earth and can seriously turn someones day around, whether they have anxiety or depression or nothing at all, it truly can make someones day. Go play with your dog or cat, or whatever pet you have. Go visit your best friend at school or even meet half way. Make an effort to see those people that mean something to you. Tell those people in your life how much they mean to you and how much you love them! Family and friends are your biggest support system.

As I mentioned before, there are very good days and some very bad days, but I continuously make progress and continue to love myself and find ways to care for myself throughout this journey of having both depression and anxiety. I can happily say that I would not change a thing about how I manage these flaws that I have because it has taught me how to deal with other difficult aspects of my life. Medication is not always the answer and that is totally OK, do what makes you comfortable and most importantly do what makes you happy.