Back to Basics

The last thing that I thought to do when my heart was in shambles was take care of myself; instead I just wallowed in the depressive state I was in and let it control me. Yet, when the sun came back and expelled winters cold grasp on the land, I felt a sun rise and expel the coldness that had been dominating my heart. First, I found myself actually wanting to have energy, thus, I started eating better, and more often (I am sorry but eating a granola bar once a day is not enough nutrients to keep us going). Second, I found myself wanting to use that energy to want to do something productive, such as my classwork and exercising again. It’s funny, but when we are depressed, we tend to hate to do the things that usually make us the most happy. I found that making myself do those things, instead of napping and giving in to the constant desire to sleep all day long, actually helped me to feel better about myself.

So, generally, I think it is a good idea to keep in mind the basics whenever we feel winter settling over our hearts again.

1.       Breathe.

Breathing is important because, well, although the body forces us to do it every now and then, actually feeling in control of our breathing and using it to clear our heads is very beneficial.

2.       Eat.

Eating is important because the right nutrients give us the ability to think clearly and supply us with energy. When we are in our general states of depression, clear thinking and energy are already experiencing a dampening effect. We owe it to ourselves to do something to try and counteract it. Personally I find smoothies, with either a protein or an energy boost, are amazing when you don’t really feel like eating.

3.       Exercise.

Even if you aren’t doing anything hard core, simply walking a block or two is really helpful, and much better than confining yourself to your room, office, or other closed off space to just mope. My favorite remedy is going to the park on a nice day. The trees, the blue sky, and the sun work wonders on a foul mood, even when it is inherently (and annoyingly) prevalent.

4.       Get out and do something with friends.

Ok so you might want to pull the “I don’t have any friends” card. Sorry but that doesn’t work. There are plenty of people we disconnect ourselves from that genuinely care about us and like to be around us. You’d be amazed what a phone call, an email, or even a simple text can do to start changing your relationships. And going out with friends is a great feeling.

5.       Do something you love.

Whether it’s painting, writing, reading, or hiking, make time for yourself. You  are the most important thing in your life. It’s really easy to think that our careers and our household duties should take precedence in our lives, but if we aren’t happy, what is the point of everything else? Make time for yourself and do something you enjoy. Trust me, it’s worth it.

I don’t know the answers to everything, but I do know that doing all of this has helped me move out of a general state of depression into a more general state of being okay with things. I feel at least like I am doing something worthwhile on a day to day basis, and that in itself helps to change my mood radically. The goal is to keep the basics in mind, that way whenever we are down, we have a starting place to get back on our feet again.

Cheers!