Posts Tagged ‘Depression’

Do you ever get “stuck in a funk” when it comes to
maintaining your energy and zest for your family, job,
exercise or even just being with yourself ?

No matter how passionate you might be about your life, you
may find yourself dragging once in a while and if you
don’t make an effort to address it right away you could
wake up one day and realize 6 months has gone by
and your still stuck!

So how do you keep your attitude fresh and uplifted
over time?

I have 3 new ideas to share with you.

1. The first is very basic SLEEP. For many mood disorder sufferers this can become a question of which came first the extreme mood swings or the nocturnal lifestyle but it is very, very (should I ad another very to make my point) important to get enough sleep every single day! 6 hours or less a night of good uninterrupted sleep is a prescription for psycho behavior, 7 hours is mentally functional (by the bare minimum of standards) but always feeling or complaining of being tired, 8 hours is really good for most people especially if you are in bed by 10:00pm and 9 hours is excellent for most people who are already emotionally compromised, experience adrenal fatigue or have extreme responsibility or burdens in their life.

Before you say I’m nuts give it a try. You will wake up energized, accomplish tasks easier and more efficiently and your family and friends will start talking to you again AND most importantly you will be better equipped to implement ideas 2 & 3.

2. Become a non-conformist and enjoy it! Do whatever it takes to break out of habitual behaviors. If the words “I never” do that or “I always” do this are part of your everyday vocabulary it’s time for something drastic. As long as it ‘s not illegal (or at least don’t get caught) do something out of character for you. This can be as simple as not responding to emails for a couple of days or not returning phone calls if you are “always” a hyper-responsive person or arriving early to work and appointments if you “never” seem to get anywhere on time. If you are someone who is a care taking martyr to the very core of your existence you may try not being available to everybody who asks you for a favor. Let your self worth come from self love instead of the outside approval of others you feel when you are addressing others needs over your own. This is especially important for people who tend toward depression.

3. Take a brain break. Develop a daily practice, 5-10 minutes a day is plenty, that is devoted to consciously resting your brain. If you experience anxiety or stress you know what it feels like to always have your mind thinking, worrying or stressing. For others if they randomly check in with their thoughts they realize they have been having an argument in their head for the last 10 minutes with their spouse or boss while they were driving (which is especially confusing for the poor spouse or boss who doesn’t even know there is a problem).

It is sometimes extremely difficult for mood disorder sufferers to be alone with their thoughts. You may find yourself with a song you can’t get out of your head or not be able to eat a meal at home without the television blasting or reading a book.

Treat your mind like a little child who is trying to keep it’s mommy or daddy happy but has no idea or the skills to do so. You need to soothe the child and acknowledge achievements. And most importantly you must give your child a nap or else it gets cranky and makes everybody around it miserable.

Do this by sitting quietly for 10 minutes each day with no agenda. It doesn’t matter if its in your car or in your home. Eyes open or closed is up to you. Morning, afternoon or evening are equally effective. This has to be a conscious practice. When thoughts come up, interrupt them and then go back to your 10 minute break.

Practice, practice, practice living outside the box and see how happy your mind becomes.

Check out this video by weatherman Flip Spiceland  to learn why:

http://video.about.com/mentalhealth/Weather-Moods.htm

I Can Do It

Do you need a little motivation to jump start your emotional energy out of a funk of depression? Sometimes events in our lives leave us feeling a little down. Our mood swings from feeling like life is good to life could be better. Here are five tips to help you remedy a minor depression.

1. Own a pet. It is amazing how far a little unconditional love goes to making you feel better about life. Pets need you. Pets rely on you. Taking care of something keeps you from wallowing in self pity.
2. Work Out. Did you know something as simple as walking for 30 minutes each day can help relieve stress and anxiety? Increasing your cardio fitness does wonders to improve your mood.
3. Sleep. A lack of sleep may actually be one of the triggers to feeling the funk of depression.  Try to get to bed around the same time each night. Create a night time routine that prepares your body for relaxation. Make your bedroom environment a calm place for you to be in.
4. Volunteer. Making a commitment to helping others really puts your life in perspective. Keeping yourself active in the community also keeps you engaged socially. Being around other people shifts your focus from yourself. Volunteering with others opens up resources for you to discover new problem solving skills.
5. Acknowledge the Source. Is there a particular reason you are feeling depressed? Perhaps your work is creating a lot of stress in your life. Perhaps you are in a relationship that is making you feel anxious. Evaluating a situation, removing yourself from it, if only temporarily, and finding a solution will often times lead to improving your mood. If the solution seems greater than you can handle please seek help.

Remember, everyone feels a little depressed every once in awhile. The feeling is part of life. These five tips are meant to inspire you to lift that funk of a minor depression. If you feel your level of depression inhibits your ability to function in life, please seek medical advice.