I came across a fantastic quote on Pinterest the other day which really resonated with me.
“If you rearrange the letters in Depression you get “I pressed on” –
meaning your current situation is not your final destination.”
(from The Wellness Way – Rockford)
If you’ve experienced depression in your life, I’m sure you’ve discovered at some time or another that it’s not simple to “press on” when you are feeling down. Life seems to have a grey tinge to it all and your focus is firmly stuck on yourself. No-one understands what life is like for you – or at least that’s how it feels.
It may “feel like” one of the hardest things you could do, but actually pressing on, one step at a time, towards a goal that is meaningful to you, will be an enormous help in moving out of the dark fog to a life that you can love.
I don’t say these words lightly. I know it’s hard to shift your focus when you are stuck in a depressed state. But I also know that when I feel like this, I long to be able to find something that will give me a purpose and to start moving towards it.
Here’s a list of 5 things you can do to help you to move forward:
- Set yourself a “mini” goal – something you want to do but haven’t been able to while your feelings have been in control of your life.A mini goal is just that – something small, but something you can say “well done” to yourself for doing it. For example:
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- go for a walk – if you’re up to walking around the block, do that – but if that feels too much, then just go for a 5 to10 minute walk around your home & backyard.
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- go to Headspace.com and do a short meditation. It’s free to try it out, so go on line and choose a meditation to do now. Commit yourself to doing one each day.
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- Spend 5 to10 minutes brainstorming ideas of things you would really love to do. This is brainstorming, so just write down a list of the ideas that come into your head.
These are just a few ideas to get you started. You can probably think of many more.
- Speak to someone that you know will listen to and help you…someone that has your best in mind. This may be a friend; a family member; or a Counsellor.
If you’d rather speak to someone that you won’t be running into every day, then a Counsellor is the best person. Being able to open up to someone and share what you’re feeling and thinking, is the best place to start bringing about change in your life.
- Ask someone close to you to help keep you accountable. Sometimes this may be checking in on you a couple of times a week and asking how you’re going. Ask this person to make sure that you answer the question without just brushing it off!
I don’t know about you, but I’m an expert at saying “I’m okay, thanks” and doing what I can to move the conversation on – away from me!
But we do need to have those people who will ask the question again “so how are you really?” and wait until you tell the truth about your world.
- On a day when you are able to think clearly – brainstorm something that you would love to do that will take some planning. It might be something you’d like to do for somebody else; a place you’d like to go to; an experience you’d love to try.
When you have an idea, draw up a plan outlining every step you need to take to achieve it. Then next to each step, write a date that you will do it by.
The most important thing here is to be realistic. Some of the tasks may be bigger than others and take more time. You may need to break these tasks down even further, so that it is reasonable for you to achieve each step in one go.
- If your depression is ongoing, you would be wise to go and speak to a health professional and discuss whether you may need to try medication to help to regulate it. Find a Doctor that you trust and can open up to.
These steps may seem insignificant to some, but to others they may seem like a mountain to climb while they battle depression.
One of the most important things that I have learned in my life is that I need to have a focus outside of myself.
If all that I am focussing on is myself then I find my life becomes meaningless. But when I have something to focus on outside of myself – by helping somebody; learning new skills that may help me and others in the future; by loving others – then my life seems so much bigger and clearer.
So, what is it you want to press on to? Where would you like to see yourself in a week, month, a year or ten years’ time? You can reach it by taking one step at a time…