Depression, the 50 pound weight that you cant seem to lift off your shoulders. It follows you to the store, to work, and everywhere you go. It sucks all your energy and pushes you to the depths of despair. The only thing that makes you feel any better is cuddling up on the couch with a greasy snack. Days, weeks, and months go by and you feel like you have not made any progress. You see all of your friends and family living their lives without the compounding pressure that depression puts on your shoulders. How do you get out of this rut? How do you muscle up the energy to get the simple things done during the day? Everyone tells you to buckle up your boot straps and get over it. However, you know that it is not that easy. Lets talk about what you can do to avoid sinking deeper into your depression and also what activities can you do to help you reach the top of the mountain that seems so far away.
To start off, it takes the simplest of tasks to start the ball running and to turn the corner toward conquering your depression. The biggest culprit of stealing all of your energy and motivation comes in the form of a nap. Naps seem like a great idea because you think that it will give you the boost of energy that will help you grind out the rest of the day’s tasks. However, naps starts a never ending cycle that exacerbate the negative emotions you currently feel and increase the grogginess that you felt throughout your day. Naps distract you from the current stressors in your life and allow you to push them off until the next day. They allow you to forget about the trauma and emotional turmoil that you have endured without tackling it head on. Combatting the fatigue that overwhelms you starts by waking up at the same time every day. Developing a consistent bed time and wake time holds you accountable and starts your progress with a realistic and measurable goal. Setting these times 8 hours apart allows you to plan for a healthy amount of sleep that will give you the energy to tackle the day, preventing you from sleeping too much causing you to feel groggy when you wake up. As your routine is implemented day after day, you start to gain back the energy and motivation that you once had.
In addition, consuming food can be one of the most comforting past times to bring you hope when depression is taking over your life. A tub of ice cream or a big piece of chocolate cake can bring you the joy that you have been so desperately seeking. However, with out a healthy and balanced diet your brain is not given the proper nutrients that it needs to power through the fuzziness and lack of concentration that you experience day in and day out. Eating three balanced meals throughout the day helps boost your mind and body so that you can focus on the underlying stressors impacting your depression. Eating a healthy and balanced diet also gives you the opportunity to cook and prepare your food. Most of us live such fast place lives that we have strayed from taking the time to prepare a fresh meal. When you take 10 or 15 minutes to prepare your food, the taste and experience of eating completely changes. You appreciate the time and effort it takes because you personally prepared the food and put your love and soul into the meal. Initially, as you are working on incorporating a healthy and balanced diet into your daily routine, take time to prepare at least one meal per day. Remember to always set realistic and measurable goals for yourself. Taking baby steps initially can help you boost your confidence and can lead to the most successful progress long term.
Setting a consistent bed time and wake time, as well as incorporating healthy and balanced meals into your day can be the missing piece of the puzzle that raises you out of the depths of depression. Make sure to set goals and times that fit into your schedule and are easily attainable for the level of treatment you are at. And remember, it takes time to become an expert but hard work and persistent is the key to success.
Alex Levin
262-236-5135