25 Things to Remember When You’re Depressed

Depression is an all-encompassing heartache.  Depression has a way of making you feel worthless and hopeless.  The feeling of nothingness feels like it lasts forever and the sun feels like it’s mocking you. 

I used to hide in my bed, which I still struggle with, I feel like my depression is in remission but I know it’s there.  Always lurking.  Waiting for a bad memory or a weak day to just pull me back into it’s darkness.

Is there something wrong with me?

How can someone want to hide from the sun?  What’s wrong with me?  Why can’t I be like “normal people” I think to myself. I can sleep and sleep and sleep.  I can sleep days away trying to conjure the motivation to shower, feed my dog, or text people back.  Isolation is comfortable and no one judges me there.  No one expects me to be happy, and I don’t have to pretend to be something I’m not.

Our minds have a funny way of playing tricks on us.  Simple changes in our hormones and neurotransmitters can make us feel like we are alone, and no one gets us.

But that’s not true. 

It is also important to realize that yes, happiness is a choice, but it can be impossible to reach happiness if we are too far off from our baseline.  So hearing “smile”, “why are you so sad”, “choose to be in a good mood” feels cruel when we are so low.

But if we are all alone in life, we are all together in that.  (Thanks P.S. I Love You).

 

Remember these things and reread this whenever you’re low.  Just remind yourself that you’re doing the best you can, and that’s enough.

1. You are always enough

2. You can’t mess up the right thing.  Don’t be with people who make you feel worse.

3. You will love the sun again soon, it’s got you.

4. Let it hurt, then let it go. 

5. There is no such thing as perfection.

6. Did you eat today? Did you shower?  Be proud of smaller accomplishments.

7. You’re stronger than you know.

8. You are brave

9.  Learn how to fall in love with taking care of yourself. 

10. Don’t be in such a rush to figure everything out. 

11.  Remember the things your grateful for, it can be as simple as two legs that move, the ability to breathe.  There’s power in this.

12. Growing slowly is great.  You’re growing.

13. Think about all that you have not all that you are not.

14. You are NOT your thoughts.

15. You’re allowed to step away from your life and take a breathe.

16.  Write about what hurts (even if it’s physical symptoms) just write.

17. Stay close to people who feel like sunlight.

18. What’s coming is better than what is in the past.

19.  You’ll get through this, you always do.

20. You are strong and smart.  Period. No if ands, or buts.

21. Learn distraction because negative thoughts can consume you.

22. Everything you do matters, and everything you don’t do matters.

23. Write about the bigger picture.

24.  What can you do to get you through the next 24 hours.

25. Do you have food in the fridge?  Eat a healthy meal and thank your body for all it does.

You are NOT alone though you may feel it.  If you are struggling, please reach out to someone.  A therapist is never a bad thing, and if you’re struggling in certain aspects of your life it’s never bad to get evaluated by a doctor.  You got this.