Depression is a common word in our day-to-day lives. We hear it often, and because it is so prevalent, we are beginning to understand more about what it feels like to be depressed. We know that the type of depression we feel will not go away by itself. Instead, we have learned to manage our depression with therapy and medication as needed. Therapy can help ease the mind and the spirit during these difficult times; medication can take away the blues for good. Regardless of how well you know yourself, though, even the best methods of dealing with depression can leave you feeling run-down, exhausted, and jaded. So how do you cope when your life goes through a dark period? How can you turn sadness into something productive instead of draining your energy?
Do your homework first
If you’re going to spend the time and energy to do anything about your depression, you need to make certain that you’re doing everything in your power to rid yourself of the blues. So before you tackle the day-to-day, take the time to do your homework.
Identify the root cause of any problems you’re having. If you’re having trouble sleeping, you might want to pick the cause and fix it. If you’re stressed out about work, try to identify the source and take steps to reduce your load. Before you tackle any problems, you also need to identify what is holding you back and try to work on that.
Identify the root cause of any problems you’re having. If you’re having trouble sleeping, you might want to pick the cause and fix it. If you’re stressed out about work, try to identify the source and take steps to reduce your load. Before you tackle any problems, you also need to identify what is holding you back and try to work on that.
Make a list of everything that is going wrong in your life right now
Now that you’ve identified the root cause of any problems you’re having, it’s time to make a list of everything that is going wrong in your life right now. It could be anything from relationship problems to money problems to work problems. Begin listing things off one by one, starting with the most recent problem and moving forward. Do not worry about getting all of the items correct to start with – as you tackle problems one at a time, you will become more experienced at dealing with stress and will figure out what needs to go and what doesn’t.
Plan how to turn things around starting with today
Start today by making a list of everything that is going well in your life right now. What are the things that you are grateful for? How are you enjoying your life right now? If you are struggling with any problems right now, jot them all down. Now, while you are at it, list down everything that you think could be improved. Start small.
What are you going to do about it? Now, before we move further, remember not to put all your eggs in one basket. If one aspect of your life is going well, it is possible that you are too busy worrying about other things to spend time focus on what you listed as the most important thing. That is why it is important to take a step back and look at your life from a broader perspective.
Take care of your physical needs first
Physical well-being is a basic human right. We all know this, and yet, for some reason, it is easy to forget about our bodies during a depression. When you’re not feeling well, you not only feel bad; you also have a high chance of breaking or damage the things that make you feel good, such as your relationships, your work, and even your health.
If you find that you are not able to get out of bed in the morning because you don’t feel like you should, or that you are always tired, or that you have a hard time putting your phone down, or that your thoughts are constantly negative, then you need to take care of your physical needs before you can start dealing with the rest of your problems.
Go for a walk, do mindfulness practice, or do something to unwind before you fall asleep
While you should spend as much time as possible doing things that help you relax, you also need to find something else to do when you’re feeling stressed out. Walk, do yoga, take a vacation, or do something else physical to unwind before bed. When you’re feeling overwhelmed, try to clear your head by walking, doing yoga, taking a break from work, or engaging in some relaxing activities such as reading, watching a movie, or doing a hand movement practice.
Plan how to feel better starting with tomorrow.
Sometimes the best way to overcome depression is to take a step back and look at your life from a different perspective. Ask yourself: What can I do differently today that would make my day or my week better? Once you identify what you can do better, work on it until you are satisfied and feel good about it.
If you are feeling down, think about what happened the last time you felt like this and plan how you would like to overcome it. If you are having trouble sleeping, think about what you could do to get more sleep and feel better. If you are worried about how things will turn out for you in the future, think about how you can make yourself more useful now.
Summary
When you are depressed, it is important to understand how you feel so that you can better manage your feelings. You can also learn about things that make other people feel good so you can try to duplicate those things.
Therapy can ease the mind and the spirit during these difficult times; medication can take away the blues for good. Regardless of how well you know yourself, though, even the best methods of dealing with depression can leave you feeling run-down, exhausted, and jaded. How do you cope when your life goes through a dark period? How can you turn sadness into something productive instead of draining your energy?
