What would happen if you ran towards your depression and addressed it instead of hiding from it and pretending it doesn’t exist? What would that look like for you?
Often times we live in a world that speeds by us quicker than a speed of light. We are expected to earn money, raise kids, and conform to society. Social media fuels the idea that comparison is okay so we scroll, swipe, click, and compare our full daily lives to happy snapshots of people we follow. As we consume more and more of their moments of joy, we convince ourselves that we simply aren’t good enough. Fueled with self-depreciation, insecurity, along with genetics, depression rears its ugly head and begins eating at us. We lose desire and motivation, and nothing is as exciting as it once was. Does this sound familiar?
What if you approached your life from a different perspective? What if feeling “not good enough” was no longer your life?
Here are 5 things you can do to run towards your depression and battle it like a knight defeating a dragon:
- Practice Gratitude
Practicing gratitude is a personal choice but is highly recommended. You can do it simply by writing down 3 things you are thankful for each morning when you wake up and 3 things you are thankful for each evening when you go to bed. Gratitude goes a long way.
- Commit to Self
Figuring out what your commitment to yourself is imperative for self-care. Committing to yourself means that you are taking care of your mind, your body, and your soul. Make a list of all things you need to feel complete in your mind, your body, and your soul. Notice what often doesn’t get done and why it doesn’t get done. Re-commit daily to ensure you are taking care of yourself.
- Speak with a Professional
Mental health should never be a pill. Consider it an ongoing process to increase your brain health, and wellness of your mind. Speaking to a professional means different things to different individuals. However, if you feel like you may be suffering from a mental health condition, scheduling an appointment with a psychiatric provider or a therapist can increase your chance of recovery and remission. Depression is not only feeling sad. It can affect your motivation, your future plans, and your relationships. Make sure that does not happen to you.
- Increase Your Energy
Increasing your energy is imperative to ensuring your mental health is on the right track. Are you currently feeling sluggish and tired? This may absolutely be a symptom of depression, however, to make sure, make sure and ask your psychiatric provider and/or a primary care provider for a bloodwork prescription. How are your vitamin levels? Your thyroid levels? Ensuring your endocrine system, and your vitamin levels are in check are absolutely pivotal. In addition, developing a consistent sleeping schedule and eating healthy meals throughout your day is absolutely key to ensure your energy is where you want it to be.
- Stop 🛑 Comparing Yourself to Others
When you notice how well your friends are doing on social media, remember that what you are witnessing is their highlight reel. Their real life may not be similar to yours, however, please use this article as a gentle reminder that while everyone is different, we all run into very similar situations, problems, and breakdowns in our lives. We simply don’t post about them and don’t discuss them on social media. When you notice getting upset due to jealousy, or comparison, remind yourself that you are enough, you are where you are meant to be, and you have a choice to make tomorrow better.
When you’re depressed, the hardest thing is to actually take the steps to support and stand up for yourself. If you’re feeling that you may be battling with depression, pick a person in your circle to be your advocate, uplifting advocate and motivation coach. If you feel uncomfortable with sharing the fact that you have depression with a loved one, call Empire Psychiatry in Brooklyn, New York. Their providers believe in compassionate mental health. They work five days a week to treat you, support your goals, and motivate you to commit to be the best version of yourself.