A very simple, yet sometimes difficutl tactic is to MOVE. I don't mean move to a different neighborhood or city. I mean move your body and/or move your stuff. Feng Shui. Hanta Yo!
Seriously, I know what it feels like to be in the grasp of depression that sucks the life energy out of you. A time in the past, I emerged from this "shadow land"and had to consciously make a choice about my life. I know what it feels like to believe it's easier to just walk out of your life than to carry on with it. I also know, truly know, that suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem. Everything changes. Nothing remains the same. If you are living and breathing the one sure thing you can count on is change. That means the situation that is getting you down today will feel different tomorrow, if you allow the change to happen.
You can speed the process up a little by simply and consciously moving something in your environment.
Declutter. I know many cannot grasp the reality that lies behind the philosphy of Feng Shui, which is the placement of things in our homes and our environments that either creates energy to flow or to stagnate.
I felt this in my own life years ago before I knew there was a name for it and an ancient Chinese philosphy describing my experience. When I would jump in and really deep clean and get rid of clutter, even in one small area, I remember feeling so light and airy I would tell others about it. This is the physical proof of what happens when we clear clutter out of our lives. Of course, this is on many levels and mental and emotional clutter is the same thing but harder to move because its harder to see. When you move the physical stuff, it also moves the other along with it. It is totally awesome!
I have watched my beautiful, wood dining table top go through the cycle of beautifully bare to born- down with "stuff" over and over again. No sooner do I clear the clutter off and swear I will keep it clutter free but gradually, little by little, it sneaks back. This is not a lesson on organization, although that would be handy for all of us. I am sticking to my heading of depression and the never-fail cure of movement.
Today I was given a very large painting my sister did that my daughter used to have hanging in her huge home they no longer have. I have a very small, cozy, studio size apartment along with grand decorating ideas floating around in my head and knew "I can make this work". Sure enough, I found the perfect wall to hang it on, after removing two smaller paintings.
Placing this new thing on my wall was the movement I needed to break open backed-up areas in my life. As the new painting went up, the dammed up places broke down and I feel a new rush of energy, a desire to dig down deeper and find new homes for things clogging up my life; donations to the thrift store, gifts bestowed on family or friends or out to the trash.
I know, there are depressions brought on by very painful life changes. I have experienced the death of a baby, the suicide of a beloved son and the brain tumor of another beloved son along with all the normal wear and tear we collect along life's pathway. I know many will bristle at my suggestion that merely clearing out clutter will remedy depressions brought on by such magnitude of events. Yes, I agree that other measures will probably be needed but I also know that after you do those big things, the maintenance to keep you moving forward will be found in keeping clear and current with things in your life and when you feel the blackness engulf you if you can force yourself to do one of the types of movement techniques I mentioned, you are helping to break down the walls, the dams and the prison you have been left in. Remember, the bars are made of paper.
I hope this inspires anyone suffering this smothering illness to do some kind of movment, even if you don't feel like it. Once you force yourself to make some kind of change in your life, the lethargy will begin to break down and you will get back in the flow instead of going around and around in the stagnant pool that we often find swallowing up our lives and sucking the energy out of us.
Depression is not feeling sad. Depression is lack of feeling, it is numbness and lethargy. Movement will open the door to change and change will open the door to a new directions, hope and empowerment.
Another key to a healthy mental attitude is to deliberatly create a change in your normal routine on a regular basis, for example once a week or once a month, whenever, just make a conscious attempt at breaking down a routine. Take a different route to a routine destination. Take a midnight walk. Go skinny dipping. Do something you've never done before but wanted to. Live mindfully, it keeps you awake and alert.
By the way, if you don't know what "Hanta Yo" means, it is Lakota for "Clear The Way". Life's blessings to us all as we deliberatly make choices that affect our mental, physical and emtoinal health.
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Comments
I have known periods in my life when I was overwhelmed by depression...it is a dis-ease that has not missed anyone in my family. I see it in my younger brother, my children, I saw it in my mother and in all of the members of her family.
I feel like I've read everything there is to learn about "chemical depression" -- that imbalanced state, with all its many spin-offs: headaches, stomach aches, pains, the desire to stay in bed all day, the feeling that nothing will ever change, that no one is there, that all is lost...
Here's what I also know, after years of experience with the Depression Monster: Many things help -- decluttering is certainly one of those things, because it reminds us that we can still do things, and make a difference. I believe decluttering our surroundings is the first step to decluttering the "mind junk" that is alive and well in the brain of a depressed person.
And movement does help...especially yoga. And digging in the earth, and all of the ideas you offered too. Most important for me is to remember the good things in my life, and spend precious time in the present, enjoying all of the things that DO work...like grandchildren, good friends, Yorkies who love us, and precious moments in the garden.
Finally, I am grateful to be alive during this exciting time, when so much is happening that is good -- even though turning on the television focuses us on reality that seems devastating. So I take a deep breath, turn off the channel, and open up to what is lovely in the moment.
I enjoyed your writing. Let's here more.
It's the same general principle as daily affirmations, I think. Affirmations are like ways to set yourself up for your day. You can affirm you are good and worth, that you love and are loved, or whatever you think you want to work on, and it sets the tone for the day. Negative self talk works that way to set up your day as miserable and your self-esteem lacking.
I agree on the exercise suggestion. There is research to support the idea that physical activity works as well or better at relieving depression than do antidepressants.
Motivation comes from doing things; it will never arrive if you sit and wait for it. Psychologists say "attitude follows behavior." That is, you will feel uncomfortable about your activities for a little while, but you can do it anyway, and your mood may catch up with your body.
Just a few thoughts.
GiGi: You really covered a lot of ground with some very interesting thoughts you added to this topic. Interesting, how it seems to run in families. I have heard that whatever a mother is feeling at the time of birth is passed on to the child, the emotional state she's in. My parents divorced when I was 2 months old. When I learned this, years later, I felt so sorry for my mother. Anyway, normally I feel like I'm a pretty optimistic person. My first husband who was a "user" would get mad that I was just always on a nat'l high. I attribute my resiliency to a very wonderful, nurturing childhood. But, depression can hit anyone when too many things pile up I believe and as Leslie Basden stated, we really need to pay attn to our self-talk.
I have learned how to make myself sleep and turn off the chatter when it's time to sleep. I may start a journal of my self talk and see if I do that very often, the negative talk.
Thanks, Leslie.
Also, thank you Stellaa for responding. I am on a big declutter campaign, although you wouldn't know it if you saw my place today. Been getting stuff still from my ex's storage place, out at our old, wonderful forest home. When I bring it in, wanna go thru it before hauling it off to my storage unit in town. This is very bad Feng Shui...storing things we'll never use. Hanta Yo, me!