Fighting depression is hard! It requires a lot of work! What may seem like a simple task to someone who is not depressed, may be terribly difficult for someone who is.
If you are feeling depressed, ask yourself, “Am I doing everything that I can to decrease my depression?”
If you do not like the way that you are currently feeling, you may need to do something different, no matter how difficult, to get you snowballing in a different direction.
If you answer no to any of the following questions, you may not be doing enough to decrease your depression.
*Don’t forget to check out my book, The Snowball Effect: How to Build Positive Momentum in Your Life. It is available here or on kindle here.
- Do I spend more time loving the people who love me rather than dwelling on the people who don’t?
- Am I getting active and exercising at least thirty minutes each day?
- Am I listening to music that inspires me?
- No matter how bad I feel, do I force myself to shower and get dressed every morning?
- Am I eating healthy foods and limiting my alcohol intake or eliminating it all together?
- Do I write down at least two things that I am grateful for everyday?
- Have I discussed my mood with my doctor?
- Do I pray and/or meditate everyday?
- Am I challenging my all or none thinking and trying to eliminate the words “always” and “never” from my vocabulary?
- Am I seeking support from others no matter how much I want to isolate myself?
- Am I forcing myself to go to bed before midnight and get out of bed before 9:00 am?
- Am I giving myself the credit that I deserve for having the courage and endurance to do the above nine things when I really want to do nothing at all?
If you have pulled yourself out of a pretty deep dark depression, we would really like to know some of the things that you did to turn your mood around. Other people who are currently in that deep dark hole may benefit from your experience.
When we find something that has worked for us, others may benefit too.
*If you are feeling severely depressed, please seek medical help immediately.
Nice, depression is so debilitating for so many. It is co morbid with PTSD,mso all PTSD sufferers get a dose of depression as a bonus.
For me a lay person, I started bringing awareness to every moment. What I found was, a couple days before depression would grip, my thoughts turned negative, fearful and I hrasp the emotions they carried.
Once depression launched, it took days to unwind, dismantle it.
Bringing awareness to the breath and to thought can alter life.
Neuroscience details this. Mthe basic building block of the mind is. What fires together wires together
Where we give attention grows where we with hold withers and dies.
Let go of thought and judgment and depression and trauma will fade in due time.
Oh to share Kristin, I am facilitating a mindfulness group for NAMI, now
I know your mindfulness group will help many! You have so much knowledge! Yes, what fires together wires together. Letting go of the judgement is HUGE! Thanks, Marty!