It’s another day to face the world, but you don’t feel like it’s worth waking up to. For you, it is only a new day to keep yourself distracted and not care what’s going on around you. It was another day of numbness that wouldn’t go away.
You get up, prepare for work, and sit in front of your desk. It seems like you’re on auto-pilot mode. Talking and conversing work with your colleagues, smiling at their jokes, exchanging great ideas that could benefit everyone in the team.
As the day ends, you get back and prop yourself in front of the television. Mindlessly, you keep searching through channels that maybe you’d see a flick that can give you a laugh or inspiration. You look out the window and let out a big sigh, asking yourself, “what am I doing here?”, “what’s my purpose in life?” Is this depression?
What is depression?
It is a major depressive disorder that would often worsen when left untreated. It is common and intense with severe symptoms that affect individuals on how they feel, handle daily activities, think, even eat, sleep, and work.
There are different forms of depression and are slightly dissimilar such as:
· Postpartum depression that’s far more severe than the “baby blues.”
· Persistent depressive disorder or also referred to as dysthymia is a mood that usually lasts for at least two years.
· The seasonal affective disorder occurs during specific months.
· Psychotic depression where a person goes through delusions of poverty, guilt, or illness.
· A bipolar disorder where the episodes experienced are of low moods meeting the criteria for major depression, and switches to euphoric or become irritable.
Signs and Symptoms
These are the common signs and symptoms that a person who has depression mostly feels on a full day, nearly every day, for weeks, and even years:
· Pessimism or feeling hopeless
· Empty mood, persistently sad and anxious
· Irritability
· Feelings of worthlessness, guilt, or helplessness
· Fatigue or decreased energy
· The loss of interest and/or pleasure in activities and hobbies
· Talking or moving more slowly
· Difficulty concentrating, making decisions, or remembering
· Having trouble keeping still or restlessness
· Oversleeping, difficulty with sleeping, or waking up early morning
· Weight changes due to appetite alteration
· Aches and pains with or without clear physical cause
· Thoughts of death like suicide or suicide attempts
How to pull yourself out of the depressive state you’re in?
All cases of depression, even the most severe ones, are treatable. The earlier the intervention, the better the methods become more effective. The standard techniques are psychotherapy, medications, or a combination of both.
However, these treatments are not “one-size-fits-all.” There are other ways to lessen the symptoms of depression wherein the brain needs to rest, and the body relaxes.
Rest
Take some time away from scrolling your social media apps. Stop playing your favorite games. Switch off the TV and even put down the book you’ve been reading. These may be stress-relieving activities, but it keeps your brain too engaged.
Rest your brain by closing your eyes, keep still in silence whether you are sitting or lying down, and do deep breathing. Focus on the quiet and your breathing, and ignore thoughts and emotions popping in. They will pass. Allow yourself to rest from the hectic world.
Emotional Excess Baggage Needs to Go
Everyone has a story to tell, and traumatic experiences aren’t new. Holding on to these for so long won’t help you move on. It’ll suck the life out of you. Learn from the experiences and let it go.
Know You Are Worthy
Many people assume that when a person has a thriving career, an outgoing personality, a perfect body is who and what they are. That immediately means success, wealth, and astounding qualifications that make a person. That someone is nothing without these labels. You somehow feel irrelevant, worthless, and hopeless when you fall from the standards.
Know that all the labels do not make a person whole. It is all based on a lie. You were born with a purpose and never worthless. Never let society judge your worth.
Have a Healthy Mind and Heart with Food
Research also has shown that the food and drink a person consumes can affect their mental and emotional health. In these days where fast and instant food is the norm, maybe, it is time to rethink your diet. And go for food and drink choices that encourage a healthy gut microbiome, support your brain functions and regulate brain chemicals.
· Fresh vegetables
· Unrefined Whole grains
· Eggs
· Fish
· Legumes
· Healthy fats like extra virgin olive oil, virgin coconut oil, avocado oil
· Fruits like apples, bananas, and avocado
· Walnuts
· Carrots
· Turkey
· Mushrooms
· Fermented foods
These foods are most often available in the market or from small business owners and farmers who’ll offer them either fresh or organic. So make the right choices to help yourself.
Pulling yourself out of depression isn’t easy. It requires a lot of work. But by knowing your worth, loving, and caring for yourself, it’ll be worth it. Find someone to talk to and seek professional help if it becomes too much.
