I'm So Tired...
I remember when my friend was going through a really rough time in her life she said she just felt so tired. She didn’t want to get out of bed, in fact, she didn’t want to brush her teeth. She would just lay in bed and would have to tell herself over and over, “Come on, you can do this.” Her energy level was low and she couldn’t pull her thoughts together. She was depressed.
Depression is a serious thing that many people have a hard time overcoming. Life throws curve balls and sometimes we forget to duck and we get hit and it is hard to get over it. According to The American Psychiatric Association, “Depression is a common and serious medical illness that negatively affects how you feel, the way you think and act.” Depression brings about feelings of sadness and you lose interest in the things that you once loved. It is more than being in a low mood and has an impact on both physical and mental health.
Depression can cause severe symptoms but to be diagnosed the symptoms must be present for at least two weeks. These include, how you feel and think, and the inability to handle lives daily activities. It affects your work, your eating, home life and sleeping. You can feel worthless, guilty or have thoughts of suicide. You can’t make a decision and when you make it you feel like it is the wrong one.
Depression affects about one in 15 adults a year and one in six will experience it at some time in their lives. Though it can strike at any time, it first appears in the late teens to mid 20’s. Being depressed is different than being sad. It is normal to be sad when something tragic happens such as losing a loved one. The grieving process is normal and painful. Depression is different, you can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel. However, it is treatable.
Of course, you can see a doctor and he may describe an antidepressant which may help with your depression, but there are natural alternatives that are well worth trying. Sometimes it is the biochemistry that can contribute to the symptoms or genetics, it can run in the family. People with low self-esteem, pessimistic or easily overwhelmed are most affected by depression.
Here are some things that you can do if you are feeling a bit blue. Try going for a walk in the sunshine. Many people who are depressed have low amounts of Vitamin D, this has been shown to make depression worse. The sunshine helps your body to produce Vitamin D, and the walk in the fresh air will make you feel better.
Name your day. When I wake up and I am feeling a bit down I look in the mirror and tell myself that I have a lot to be thankful for, and then I name my day thankful. I make it a point that whole day to look at all of the things that I have to be thankful for. As I am walking I may see someone in a wheelchair and I say to myself, “I am so thankful that I can walk.” Or I see someone who is homeless sitting in a corner and I remind myself how thankful I am that I have a house and food. If you look for the good it will pull you away from the bad. Try doing this for a week naming each day different, joy, peace etc. you will be amazed at how much better you feel.
Change your self-doubt. Sometimes it helps to talk to someone who can help you see the good things. Lots of times we dwell in our minds on the negative and it pulls us into a downward spiral. Sometimes we just need a good cry and that is ok but if you can’t stop crying for days on end you should see someone who could help you.
Try getting some exercise. It really helps your overall mental and physical health. Try getting quality sleep, at least 6–8 hours and eating healthy along with avoiding alcohol, which can be a depressant.
Spend time with people who make you laugh. Laughing makes sad runaway. Life is way to short to spend it being sad, bitter or angry. Being sad or angry is very different from depression. But staying sad and angry can lead to depression. The mind is a powerful tool and thinking good thoughts can change sad to happy. If you are truly depressed please see a doctor but if you are just feeling sad or blue look up and know that there are better days ahead.
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