Are you feeling depressed? Are you feeling sad, worthless, miserable, or having negative thoughts but don’t know why? Do you feel like you just want to stay in bed all day and just cry? Well, guess what, there is someone somewhere who is feeling exactly the same way.
This is not a good feeling and can weigh you down so much that you can’t even get yourself up in the morning to go about your day. I’ve experienced that feeling many times, and just when it seems like I’m finally getting myself back up, I fall back into a depressive mood again. I understand how every day can feel like a struggle, a fight you’re not even sure you can win, but believe me, you can.
Your depression may have been triggered by a variety of reasons. Perhaps grief over the loss or death of a loved one, stress, abuse, illness, or other personal problems. Whatever the reason may be, one thing I’m sure of is that depression comes with long-lasting and severe feelings of sadness and hopelessness, which can interfere with one’s life. And it is not something that anyone would pray for. But when it happens rather than let it take control over your life, you should take control of your own life.
One of the things I’ve learned about depression is that it can make the things that matter most to you seem worthless. For instance, I’m usually a person who is always grateful for the gift of life, but when depression sets in, I begin to question my existence.
If you’ve been feeling depressed but have managed to make it to this day without completely breaking down, congratulations! Here are 10 more reasons why you should continue to stay strong:
The Depressed Version of You Isn’t The Real You
I’m usually a person who is happy, singing, and dancing around my room for no reason. But when I’m experiencing a mental breakdown, I feel like there’s nothing in the world worth being happy about. It’s like a complete opposite of my usual self.
The same thing happens to everyone when they’re depressed: you become a different person entirely. You shouldn’t feel bad and think your life has become meaningless. Instead, remind yourself that the miserable and depressed version of you isn’t the real you.
You Are Not Worthless
One of the persistent thoughts that may plague your mind when you’re depressed is the feeling of worthlessness, but that doesn’t reflect your true value. Consider how your presence matters to the people around you and how it brings joy to their lives. If you feel like nobody needs or loves you, remember that just because your presence isn’t appreciated today, it doesn’t mean you can’t be appreciated tomorrow.
You are important, you are loved and your presence on earth matters a lot. You should try to make a positive impact on someone’s life.
Life is More Than What You See
If you are judging the entire world solely based on what you see around you, it’s important to recognize that you may be making a mistake. There is more to life than what you see in the small corner of the world where you exist.
When you’re depressed, you might find yourself focusing on all the negative things happening around you. Take a moment to relax and see beyond that. Despite the terrible things that occur, there are also amazing things happening.
Try to see the world beyond all the negativity around you, look at the bright side of things, and you might find more reasons to be grateful for being alive.
Depression Doesn’t Define You
Don’t let depression define who you are and your worth. Because of the negative thoughts you could be having, you may not think anything good about yourself, and might even think depression is your new identity, but it’s not true.
You should define yourself by the qualities, personality traits, skills and abilities you possess because you are way more than your current state of depression.
Life Isn’t All About Sadness and Pain
I may not know all you may have gone through, all life has thrown at you and what you may have had to endure, but believe me, life doesn’t only offer sadness and pain. Even the happiest person on earth experiences sadness, anger, disappointment and all other feelings we may consider negative. But, all these are part of human existence, the ability to have all these different feelings is what makes us human beings.
Instead of focusing on how miserable your life may be, think about the good times you’ve had, think about the times life has been good to you, all the times things have worked in your favour, and appreciate the good moments you’ve had even if they only lasted for a short while and look at the positive side of everything.
You Deserve to Be Better
You deserve better than your current state of depression. You deserve to be able to enjoy the things you used to enjoy. Your thought shouldn’t be about how miserable you feel or suicidal thoughts, but about how well you expect life to treat you.
Don’t be afraid to imagine good things and want them, allow yourself to want more than what depression offers you.
Subscribe to my email newsletter to get a free mental health goal worksheet
Depression Doesn’t Make You Weak
Depressed people are not weak. It’s common to assume that depression only affects the weak, even depressed people blame their weakness to be the cause of depression. Well, if you are one of those that think this way, know that even the people that are physically and mentally strong could get depressed.
Don’t blame your depression on your lack of strength, if you could handle all the awful things life throws at you that knock you down, yet you get back on your feet every time, then you should know that you are stronger than you think.
You Can Be Happy Again
We’ve all had ups and downs and we’ve also had times we’ve been happy and grateful for life. If you are feeling depressed and thinking about the terrible things you’ve experienced, try as much as you can to think about the times you’ve been happy, the times you’ve enjoyed life the most. If there are memories you can recreate, then try to do that.
You being depressed doesn’t mean you will be depressed all your life. You can be happy again, you can smile again, and enjoy the things you used to enjoy.
Check out this amazing classic self-help book, ‘Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy‘ by David D. Burns, which offers practical techniques for overcoming depression.
Focus On the Positive Side of Depression
Many people might not know this but there is a positive side to depression. Although depression affects everyone in different ways, depressive symptoms like loss of interest and social withdrawal give people an opportunity to reflect on their lives, which is a good thing.
So while you feel like crawling up on your bed to get away from the rest of the world, use that opportunity to self-reflect and re-evaluate your priorities to know what’s working in your life and what isn’t.
You might also like: Amazing Sides Of Depression No One Talks About
You Were Not Born Just to Be Depressed
Because of your current state of depression, you may begin to think that you were born to be sad or suffer. But I believe that no one was born to be sad or depressed; unfortunately, so many unpleasant things may happen.
You were born for a purpose and a reason, and that reason is not to be tormented by depression. Think beyond your state of depression and lead a more positive and happier life.
Conclusion
I wrote this blog post after having 4 days of mental breakdown, thanks to my family and loved ones, I got back up again. If I can do it, so can you.
It is good to reach out to others and be expressive of your feelings when depressed and try not to be alone always. Always remember that there is more to life than depression. If you think you are suffering, look around you and you may find reasons to be grateful because people are going through worse than you could ever imagine.
Be grateful for this day, be grateful for this moment and stay positive.
What other reasons help you stay strong during depression periods? Share with us in the comment section!
DISCLAIMER:
The content of this blog is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. It is provided for general information only.
RECOMMENDATION
If you need help or know someone who needs help with their mental health or mental illness, check out the resource page for mental health resources.
