@anette
Hi gals&guys
I hope you are doing wonderfully wherever you are. I want to explain a bit more about how I have been feeling while struggling with depression, and of course to share my best advice with all of you. Last time I wrote about this, I got lots of feedback from you telling me how you have struggled with the same things, so I feel like building on that open relationship so we can help each other out! For me, it's more comfortable to talk about now, because I finally feel good and like I am in a place without depression, and able to reflect back on my experience. I have probably experienced depression more often than I have been aware of, I just never really understood what it was. I didn't understand how the physical and the mental parts of the body and mind are interconnected, and I didn't want to face the fact that my thoughts were making me ill. I actually thought the constant feeling of worry was a part of my personality, and I blamed my job, life situation and surroundings for how I felt.
In my down periods, everything can feel incredibly hard to manage, and it just feels like I'm drowning and can't breathe. One year ago I was in a completely different place than I am today. I was in a job I didn't enjoy, my health was horrible and I was so depressed. I didn't see any escape or relief and I probably didn't want to either. But I decided that this was not how I was going to live my life, I am worth so much more and I intend to enjoy every single day of this ride. Since I made that decision my life has changed in so many ways. I love my life so much and can't wait to see what the future holds. However, the mind is a tricky thing. About a month ago I woke up with this very familiar feeling. I felt a sorrow lying in my chest, my stomach was hurting, I was had no energy. I could not fit into any of my clothes. I knew I had to change my mood somehow so I put on some nice music, tried to smile and just ignore it until I managed to drop my blueberry smoothie on the floor making it look like a crime scene. That was it for me, I just sat down on the kitchen floor and cried. This was also ten minutes before a meeting. If this happened to me one year ago I would just lock myself in the apartment and it would take me three weeks to recover. I was so exhausted that I just couldn't deal with people, places and myself. This year I have learned so much about myself and my mind and body and how it's all connected. Therefore I want to share some of my best advice if you ever wake up with a morning like this, or if you experience severe depression as I did last year.
Accept the situation, and let your feelings out! Cry, be angry, be worried, whatever you are feeling just let it out. When you calm down again it's much easier to understand what's behind these feelings.
Try to understand that you are not your feelings or your thoughts. The mind/ego will always try to make you believe this.
Ask yourself in what areas of your life you´re not giving yourself love? Did you eat well, enough and nutritious food? For me, this is always key. If I go too long without eating enough I get super exhausted.
Remeber that you are good enough just the way you are.
Ask your self where you are placing others happiness in front of your own? Is it more important that your boss/colleague/mother/brother/boyfriend is happy than you? No, if you are not taking care of your self you can't take care of others.
REMEMBER that life is meant to be enjoyed, stop taking it so seriously. When was the last time you laughed until your stomach hurt?
I know how hard it is to change your mindset, but start with the small things, like making yourself a lovely healthy meal and you have taken one step in the right direction! Is this something you want to read more aboout? Comment and let me know <3