What Causes Anxiety & Depression and How to Heal It

Anxiety and depression can have many (sometimes multiple) causes, but luckily, they are treatable with time, consistency, and support. In this article, I’ll share everything I’ve learned in terms of what causes anxiety and depression, as well as how to heal them as a Life Coach for the past 6 years and someone studying Mental Health Counseling.

Read through this list and run everything through your own intuition. What feels true for you in terms of potential causes, and what helps you?

Some researchers believe that anxiety and depression are NOT bad things, but actually adaptations we use to survive. Evolutionarily speaking, the brain and body would not keep anything that doesn’t help us survive, and since anxiety and depression have been present in humans for countless years, researchers started looking into the benefits of anxiety and depression and found that they can actually serve as messengers from our body trying to tell us something.

Anxiety is trying to get us to MOVE, to DO something, to take action on a problem in our lives. Depression is a giant STOP button to try and get us to stop, THINK, and figure out the problem if we do not listen to the anxiety trying to get us to take action.

This can be why anxiety and depression typically go together, and we go back and forth.

Usually, anxiety shows up first, then if it keeps happening, eventually depression comes along with it, and we go through these cycles.

This could be why depression causes a lack of appetite (chewing distracts from thinking), causes us to isolate (so we can think clearly about the problem we have), etc. Researchers found that once people figured out the problems in their lives and actively worked on them, the anxiety and depression went away.

This is just a theory by some evolutionary psychological researchers, but one that I found particularly fascinating and felt that it could be true.

Usual causes (and ways to heal)…

A lot of people say a lot of things will work for (and cause) anxiety and depression. And they are all right.

It DOES come down to nutrition.

Movement.

Healthy or unhealthy relationships.

Doing work that you enjoy or doing work that you hate.

A more positive, present, loving mindset/way you talk to yourself vs being hard on yourself and hopeless about things.

Certain nutritional deficiencies, such as B12, vitamin D, iron, and others, can sometimes contribute to low mood or fatigue

It can be trauma.

It can be how you were raised. It is also how your parents or caregivers talked to you.

It can be a lack of mindfulness, presence, and a spiritual connection to something bigger.

It’s everything. But luckily it’s a science too - we can figure out what may be causing it in our own lives, and what can work for us to heal.

Knowing all of this, we can holistically create ways to get better by building certain things into everyday life:

• Mindfulness & spiritual practices such as yoga, prayer, meditation, and journaling all help your nervous system regulate

• Healthy eating and movement help you regulate your emotions & stress levels while boosting happy chemicals such as endorphins

• Slowing down, masculine & feminine balance - balancing productivity and achievement with rest, intuition, creativity, and self-care.

• Healthy foods (check out the Anti-Depressant food scale, brilliantly created to help reduce nutritional deficiencies that cause issues)

• Getting support through coaching and/or therapy

• Healthy relationships with friends, family, and partners

• Getting out of the house and NOT isolating all the time

• Getting your thoughts & feelings out to reduce overthinking. Stomping, jumping, and shaking to relieve anxiety. Asking your body “What are you trying to tell me?”

• Getting good sleep (for women, 8-10 hours, sleeping from 10 pm - 6 am is the healthiest sleep schedule for the body)

• Limiting caffeine, alcohol, and stimulants in general (these stimulate the body, which causes more stress)

• Having a daily routine helps heal anxiety and depression - our bodies LOVE routines, especially when we have feel-good, healthy activities built into them

• Laughter, joy, fun, creativity, and play work too! :)

• Healing anxiety and depression is rarely about "fixing" yourself. Often it's about listening to your body, meeting your needs more consistently, and treating yourself with the same kindness you would offer someone you love.

Healing anxiety and depression is rarely about “fixing yourself.” Often it’s about listening to your body, meeting your needs more consistently, and treating yourself with the same kindness you would offer someone you love.

I hope you found this article helpful. If you or someone you know is struggling, reach out to a qualified coach or therapist for support. Feeling this way is fixable.