The power to change things and take control over your life always begins and ends with you. Sometimes motivation is not easily obtained, especially when you fall into a state of depression because in that very moment you often feel like there is no overcoming your adversities. Some people are able to bounce back from depression while others have to take more steps to climb out of that dark place in life. No matter how long it takes or what steps you may have to take to get there, it is my hope that one day you will wake up and choose to make a change in your life. There is no how-to or steps I can tell someone to overcome depression because what works for me may not work for the next person. We must also take into consideration the different levels of depression, some people are clinically diagnosed with chronic depression, there is no bouncing out of that state. It sometimes gets to a point where major things have to be done to combat/deal with it. What I can say from a personal standpoint, is often times what we seek we always tend to find within ourselves. The best tactic I can come up with in battling mild depression is making the decision to find the silver lining in everything. As cliche as it may sound, choosing to focus and be thankful for what I do have has brought me out of a lot of dark places. I chose to change my mindset and instead of sitting around and focusing on my problems, I shifted gears and chose to focus on all the good things I had going on. Often times people aren’t necessarily able to pinpoint good things so in that case they have to create their own or rather choose a different approach to helping themselves overcome the boundaries they may be facing.
Self-care and self-motivating go hand in hand a lot of times, actually all of the time. It’s important to strictly take time for yourself and sometimes that may require you to take a step back away from the outside world. Do whatever it takes to become one/aligned with your mental, physical, and emotional well-being. Depression takes a toll on our body as well as anxiety. Both are very unhealthy but things we sometimes can’t control. Life happens, and when life happens it pushes us back a few notches in certain situations. We always have the choice of whether we choose to stay a few notches back or create a way to go above and beyond where we were before life happened. Anxiety can have the same effect as depression as it hinders what we do or don’t do. Laziness isn’t as deep as depression and anxiety may go, laziness is a choice where-areas depression and anxiety are onsets from our mental health. What I will say is laziness is often a symptom of depression, you lose interest in doing what you love, and interest in almost everything depending on the severity of your depression. If you feel like your depression or anxiety is uncontrollable it’s best to seek professional help or talk to someone you trust so you can get the help you may need to get back to being yourself. It’s important that we never downplay or dismiss someone when they say they are depressed, upset, or overly anxious whether they appear to be or not. Start taking mental health seriously because people truly are experiencing their own struggles and adversities and aren’t always able to bring themselves out of it.
Some things that may be useful in overcoming depression and anxiety are getting up and getting dressed, even if you can’t find the motivation to do anything else pride yourself on getting dressed. It takes small steps to reach the bigger goal, reward yourself for small steps and making an attempt to get up and do something. Even if you get dressed to watch tv or sit on the steps, etc. you’ve done something and that’s a move in the right direction. Positive thoughts will aid you through the process as well as socializing when you feel up to it.
The scary part about depression is sometimes it’s undetectable by the person its affecting. They may not notice they are distancing themselves or doing things differently. If you feel like someone is experiencing a mental breakdown or something is going on, reach out and talk to them. Anxiety is a common symptom of depressive and bipolar disorders. Some symptoms of depression include decreased energy (what may appear to be laziness) and guilt.
Ways to cope with Anxiety/Depression:
- Journaling
- Reaching out to support system (family, friends, counselor, therapist, support groups, etc.)
- Grounding yourself (deep breathing, recalling your surroundings, counting, etc.)
- Meditation and/or Yoga
- Changing eating habits
- Calming activities (reading, writing, drawing, listening to music)
Be sure to watch the video below. Thanks for reading, Be Blessed & Stay Humble. As always Choose You Always!
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To read the snippet to my upcoming urban novel click here: “The Key To My Brothers Heart – Kennedy’s Reign“
choose you always. 