Life is too often taken for granted. Our day-to-day lives overcome our happiness with stress, workloads and busy schedules – next thing you know, you’ve lost yourself. Why don’t we find more positive things in our day-to-day routines? A simple positive quote in the morning or just a happy thought can boost your mood. The first hour of your day can affect the entirety of it – try starting off right with breakfast and a mental health check.
We have so much to offer ourselves with the right amount of effort; clouding your thoughts with sadness and stress blocks the lens in which you view the world. Your potential is then perceived differently in your mind and you cannot see your worth. There will be better times, and you will get through whatever you are going through. Problems don’t last forever; just like the storms, they eventually clear and the sun shines again. Nourish your mind with positive energy and good thoughts, don’t let the stress of your everyday life define your happiness. The truth is, we all face challenging times that seem like they are a never-ending cycle of bad luck. Speaking from experience, things always look up, especially with the right attitude. The things our life takes us through makes us who we are so love your struggles and find strength in overcoming them.
Find a healthy hobby (other than TV – that is NOT a healthy hobby)
- Hiking/Camping – It’s always a good idea to get out into nature. The sounds are soothing and relaxing and it’s a workout as well. (See pictures below)
- Exercise – Sports, or as mentioned above, hiking. Maybe you find it helps to just go for a walk and clear your head
- Sewing – try messing with old clothes and make something new from it (No one is good the first try, keep practicing.)
- Reading – I recommend you find stories that are appealing to you. One I have recently read “The Female Persuasion” By Meg Wolitzer (Great feminist book!)
Depression has become more relevant in our lives than ever before, I cannot stress enough how important it is to take care of your mind and body. Depression can affect us, even if it isn’t a part of your personal thoughts or feelings. We all have family members and friends that could potentially feel depressed. (And you can’t always know when something is out of place with someone since we are typically not-so-good at recognizing it in ourselves.) It’s always a good rule-of-thumb to make sure people know you’re there for them, and they play a role in your life. Even if you are the one that needs someone to talk to, I can guarantee there is another person out there who will listen, but they need to know something is wrong. I understand this is simple to say and hard to take action since most people don’t like to ask for or seek help (me) – but if you need to hear this, SOMEONE WILL HELP YOU, or just listen; don’t go through difficult times alone.
February 4, 2019 around 11 p.m., I got a call I never anticipated to receive. I answered my phone half-asleep and confused, my little sister was crying – our mom had tried to commit suicide. My heart immediately dropped and I panicked; I wasn’t ready to lose her. How could she think we would be okay without her? Was she okay? Was it too late? How could I not see there was something wrong? I got out of bed, I lost my train of thought and nothing was making sense. I called and asked a friend to drive me, knowing I wouldn’t make it alone. We drove over an hour to the hospital – where we waited another hour just to find out I wouldn’t be able to see her that night. I was immensely disappointed, I just wanted to hug her. I went home grateful at the failed attempt and second chance, but worried for my mom and what she might be feeling. This overwhelming thought in the back of my mind – when will I be allowed to see her? After a few long days when I was finally able to see her, it was difficult to face her and keep a positive attitude. I wanted to remain strong for her, no matter how weak I felt. I want her to know her life is worth living – her children’s lives were worth witnessing. I have called her every day since to check on her and see how she is. Even though this was only a short month ago I hope that she understands I am here for her and always will be. My goal from this point is to constantly prove to her that life is worth living. These positive thoughts are helping me to realize that I’ve taken so much for granted and I want to enjoy my life more, just as much as I want my mom to.
Things are gradually getting better and I hope to see changes in her outlook of life and herself. I know we have a long, rocky road ahead of us, but I’m confident that she will get better and overcome this illness that disrupted her life. Depression is silent, painful and difficult to explain. Take care of yourself and your mind, continuously overwhelming yourself can inevitably lead to depression – understand what you can and can’t handle or control. Make sure the people you care about know you are here for them. With everything seemingly falling apart in my world, I found ways to move forward. Luckily I am part of an organization that pushes me to better myself and to stay positive. Not everyone knows me personally or my situation, but knowing there is a group of people there to laugh with and talk to (if needed) helps you move forward in life. Having reassurance that there’s a group of people who have my back was enough. Remember that life has so much to offer, but not everyone can see that.
*If you are not in a mentally healthy state, please seek help. You are not alone in this life. If you are not in a good state-of-mind, don’t try and be someone’s shoulder if you need a shoulder yourself. I had a good friend tell me once “when an airplane goes down and the oxygen masks drop – you always put your mask on first, right? So how are you going to help other people when you can’t breathe?” Put your mask on first before you lend a hand to others.*