Depression has been an uphill battle for me, and I’ve been struggling for a while now. It can be hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel when depression weighs you down, but there are some things that have helped me stay afloat.
First and foremost, therapy was a complete game changer for me. Talking out my feelings with someone who could be objective and give ideas on how to cope let me take back control of my thoughts and emotions. It felt like having a partner on this journey who could hold me accountable for taking steps towards self-care.
In addition to that, I was surprised how much better I felt after adopting healthier patterns of behavior. Re-establishing positive habits around things like exercise, sleep, nutrition, hydration - even something as simple as going out in nature - made it easier to manage my depression day by day.
The last piece of the puzzle has been maintaining social connections even though I don’t always feel very social. Being part of a community gave me hope that no matter what our individual struggles are, everyone is here to support one another in some way or another. Learning more about others also helped put my own struggles into perspective by recognizing how many people are going through similar situations. There is strength in numbers!
Overall, dealing with depression is an ongoing challenge but having these resources available has truly made a world of difference for me.