For many people, depression symptoms make everyday life extremely difficult. Getting out of bed, showering, getting ready for work or tending to children can seem like a monumental task. If you’re reading this, and experiencing these symptoms, you have taken a very important step towards finding help. I encourage you to contact me or find a local therapist who can help you find your way out of your depression. However, If you don’t feel ready for therapy right now, I offer the following suggestions to help you cope:
- Find someone in your life you can be honest with, and explain what you’re feeling. If the idea of talking to a stranger is too much right now, reaching out to someone you know and trust can be a lifeline. The key here is to be honest- often when we’re depressed we continue to pretend everything is ok, or we offer a lighter version of what is really going on. Find someone you can be honest with about how you are feeling, and tell them.
- Finding energy can be difficult during these times, but I encourage you to get out and take a walk. Don’t think too much about it, just do it- fresh air, a change of scenery and an elevated heart rate can immediately improve your mood.
- Start writing. When we’re depressed, we tend to think about nearly everything with a negative slant- it’s ok to write those feelings down, but counter them with something positive, even if it feels forced or untrue at the time. Write about the things you are thankful for- search for the positive aspects of your life and hold on to them by writing them down. Try to do this every day, and see how much you can write each day. If you find yourself writing a long list of negatives, counter each and every negative statement with something positive.
“Don’t wait until everything is just right. It will never be perfect. There will always be challenges, obstacles and less than perfect conditions. So what. Get started now. With each step you take, you will grow stronger and stronger, more and more skilled, more and more self-confident and more and more successful.”
Mark Victor Hansen
