Are You Feeling Depressed?
Sometimes when you are feeling depressed you feel there's no way out, that the feeling will simply continue on indefinitely. Other times you know for certain the feeling will pass, since it always has in the past, usually in a few hours or by the time the next day rolls around. Whether you call it feeling depressed to feeling the blues, depression is an unpleasant feeling, an irritation.
Seek Help If Needed - If you're constantly feeling depressed, or your bouts of depression are so severe that you can't seem to function normally, you should certainly seek help. Therapy, medications, or both, may be needed to treat your depression. Don't for a minute feel that you can overcome severe depression without help, that it's hopeless even to try, or that life is so depressing that even if you come to feel better, you really have no rational reason for doing so. Seek help.
Feeling Depressed? Change Something. - Most of us have these feelings from time to time that the wheels are coming off, all is lost, or the future looks bleak. Most of the time, we've forgotten all about those feelings when the next day rolls around, or even later in the day if we've allowed ourselves a distraction, by watching The Simpsons, or Family Guy, for example. Finding a distraction, or experiencing a change, whether a change of scenery or a change or routine, is usually sufficient to send the blues packing. A change of scenery doesn't mean taking a vacation in Hawaii, though that's not always a bad idea. Just remember, Hawaiians get depressed as well, the travel films just don't show it. Do you take an evening walk around the block, with or without a dog? For a change in scenery, walk the route in the opposite direction. You'll get a different view of your neighborhood, even though the houses are the same.
Work can leave us feeling depressed. Take a different route home, or take a later bus, so you'll see different people. Instead of taking your feelings of depression out on your spouse, take your spouse to dinner. Eat at a place you've never eaten at before.
Feeling Depressed? Groom A Horse. - Pets in particular, though animals in general, often have a soothing effect on our moods. If you're feeling blue, play with the dog, stroke the cat, or if you have one, groom your horse. Most horses love grooming, and when your done (take your time), both you and your horse will feel much better.
Feeling Depressed? Clean Out The Closet. - Many experts will tell you not to try to psychoanalyze your depression, or yourself. That might only make things worse, especially if you arrive at the conclusion that you deserve to be depressed! It's OK to give some thought as to why you're feeling depressed. Maybe you'll come up with a solution to what's bugging you. Otherwise, just accept the fact that we all get depressed from time to time, realize it's a passing mood, and go do something. Throwing things out you really no longer need can be good therapy at times.
Recognize that depression for most of us is not all that much different than either the usually be predicted.
Live In The Moment - Here's a thought. What do most happy people have in common? For one thing, they all get depressed from time to time, just as you do, but it seems a rare occurrence. Happy people tend to live in the moment. When we are depressed, we often worry about the future, which all of a sudden seems bleak. When we live in the moment, we don't have that worry. For that matter, don't just live in the moment, seize it.
Groom your horse, walk around the block in the opposite direction than normal, take your spouse to a Mexican restaurant, and be sure to catch The Simpsons. You won't have any time for feeling depressed, and no reason to either.