When I'm Feeling Depressed
I can usually tell that I'm depressed when I:
- Have trouble getting out of bed in the morning.
- Have trouble thinking clearly and processing what other people are saying (i.e. brain fog ☁️).
- Check my phone more often than usual and get stuck doomscrolling.
- Feel awkward around other people (in my mind they can tell that I'm acting different, and they feel weird around me).
Over time I've come up with strategies to address each of these:
- Make morning commitments. It's easier to get out of bed when I know someone is expecting me at the gym at 7am.
- Accept that I'm not going to be as productive as usual for a while. This means setting less goals, but making sure that I meet all of them.
- Block my most distracting apps during the day.
- Force myself to get out in public, even if I'm not directly interacting with people (ex. going for a walk). Staying home alone usually makes this feel worse.
I'm not perfect at implementing all of these, but I've found that addressing each of these symptoms helps me get through the day when I'm feeling at my lowest.
But above all, I always remind myself that I've been through this before, and that it gets better.