The problem with blogging every day is sometimes I get depressed. I don't answer the phone, and I try to limit my interactions with others because I know only ugliness will come out. I feel nervous and shaky if I have to talk to people. I don't make eye contact. I can fake a happy mood, but only for a little while. Then I have to curl up and hide.
What do you do to get happy again? Please don't phrase it in the form of advice. Just what do you do?
16 comments:
Go visiting teaching.
Exercise!
Tell my husband how I feel.
Eat some chocolate.
First, I check the calendar. It doesn't change how I feel but it does help to know that it is most likely a hormonal shift and will be over soon.
Next, I call or e-mail DH to let him know that I'm not doing well. Sometimes he offers to come home early or bring home dinner. I also warn my children.
Then, I hole up in my room with my computer and mindlessly surf the web. Sometimes it's bad enough that I crawl in bed and go to sleep to escape. I'm usually back to normal in a day or two.
Spring is the worst. I think it is the back and forth (overcast vs. sunny). I have experienced zombie-like, put one foot in front of the other kind of depression. I've also experienced electric skin/grating nerves/don't touch me kind of irritability. For zombie depression I force myself to move and interact with the family. For electric skin I hide from them because I feel like I might explode.
In general, caring for my kids (chauffeuring especially) forces me back into life. Once I'm busy the depressive episode starts to diminish.
I've only had a few zombie episodes are they scare me...a lot. I'm afraid I won't come back.
It's my understanding that if it lasts just a few hours or just a couple of days, it's not true clinical depression. But if it goes on weeks and months, you should seek help!
I go for a run, take a nap, or both.
Sometimes a nap is in order
Exercising with my friend who always lifts me just by being with her. Especially when I don't feel like it.
I bake. The good thing is I've finally stopped eating all my baking. That had a negative effect on my waist line and added to the problem. For some reason baking is therapeutic for me. So now I bake, save just enough for a couple days for my family and give the rest away.
Hang on. I just hang on. It never last forever. It just feels that way.
Failing that, I go to the People of Walmart blog. Life could always be worse.
I...
... dive into a coding frenzy on some project I personally want to do that nobody else is asking for
... play in our online RPG and chat with friends there
... chocolate ...
... snuggle up with my wife and open my heart up to her and talk about what's bothering me. Even if it's her :) Especially then, actually.
... disappear into a good book
... blog anyway; sometimes I feel like once I get going on about something, the words and thoughts start pouring out and I find I've worked through what was bothering me on the way. I might even go ahead and post the entry afterward :)
... chocolate...
hm, the people of walmart blog pretty much makes me lose hope in humanity overall, so I definitely wouldn't try that on a low day.
I either 1.) embrace it, wear dirty yoga pants, eat fast food, and give up on doing anything productive, or 2.) get dressed and choose a project for the day to snap me out of it. I think one day of option 1 can be a healthy treat every once in a while.
Someone at church recently made a comment to me about not complaining, except to "the big man," and I said, "Do you mean your husband?" Because that's what I do--just save up every little complaint and annoyance and gift them onto my husband as soon as he walks in the door from a long day of work. He loves it. :)
and even though you don't want advice, can I just add that I love you to pieces.
Positive self talk.
And when that doesn't work I have a hard time feeling happy again until I get it off my chest by either crying to my husband or confiding in a good friend. Usually they help me to see the light.
I pray and pray and pray.
And a lot of the time a really good cry does the trick.
Sending hugs your way.
Wait you mean I'm supposed to DO things to be happy again? Not just wallow? Whoops... :)
When I'm depressed it helps me to lock myself in my library. It's the spare room in my house that I'm claimed with four overflowing bookshelves, my craft table, keyboard and clarinet, and a couple of trunks of my childhood memories. I always find things to do in there until I feel like I can face the world again. Or if not the world, at least my husband.
And when I really want to feel better I listen to my mp3 player while I clean the house (Queen of the Night by Whitney Housten is always good medicine for a funk), cross stitch while I watch tv, get on my exercise bike and play an old movie or just pull the "fake it till you make it" routine for awhile.
When I don't want to feel better (and I don't have to go to work), I stay in my PJs, pop some popcorn and slice some cheese and just watch my favorite movies over and over. And sometimes my inner nerd takes over and I play Age of Empires all day... Good thing I usually have to go to work!
Props to you for blogging at all. I don't think I've posted anything in almost a year, courtesy of my social anxiety... :) I absolutely love the rawness of your posts and how articulate and honest you are. Next time we have a family get-together I've resolved to get to know you better. My dad always said I'd really enjoy you in particular and now I feel like I've been missing out!
I love that you specified "no advice."
I either read a good book or if I'm too tired for that go to bed. Things always seem happier and easier to handle the next day.
When I can barely do anything, and I had no responsibilities, I would take all my energy to put my shoes on and then put one foot in front of another in any direction. Usually after mile 2 or 3 I felt like I could look around the world again and see something besides myself. I even feel better at the exact same mileage on a good day! Service is always beat to death as the solution, but I never seem to be able to think of any way I could possible help another human being, and that sometimes gets me more down. Maybe I should think of them before hand and keep a list, then force myself to do one before I sink into a stupor for the day.
Other than that, I usually just try to fulfill my duties and get through then rest. Or find someone to talk to who doesn't mind being unloaded on :>
A nice long walk, all by myself. And chocolate. Bust mostly, a good nights sleep
I pray.
Comparison is poison to contentment. Except on "People of Walmart"
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