We are moving into January, a time of year many find difficult. I know that all I want to do at this time of year is hibernate! But that desire to isolate and sleep can hide an underlying depression.
This is something I have come to understand over the years, and through introspection and counselling. All of these things help to raise your awareness of what you are feeling and why, but being aware of a tendency to depression is only half the battle. The other half is how you deal with that depression when it starts to manifest.
It’s ok at times to take a duvet day, to switch off from the world, but to fall into days of that is not a good place to be. I know, I have been there. So, now, with the awareness of my warning signs, I try to do little things that help me cope.
Over the next few weeks I would like to share a few little tips with you. They work for me … you may need to develop your own. What gives you a lift? What makes you feel good? What helps to change the pattern of behaviour that marks your depression?
One little thing for me, but a very powerful one, is to make my bed when I get up. The act of doing that serves to dissuade me from crawling back in between the covers, and it also gives me a small sense of accomplishment that serves to make me feel I have one task done already and to move forward into the day with the aim of being productive.
I am going to get myself a wee glass jar, and into it I am going to put wee pieces of paper onto which I will write things that make me smile. And when I am at a loss for something to lift my mood, I will dip into the jar and find some inspiration. I’ll post a photo of my wee jar on my social media page.