TOP TEN WAYS TO GET OUT OF YOUR DEPRESSION SLUMP
Today’s blog post is going to be transparent AF. I had this whole schedule planned for a fashion related post (that will come soon!), but I feel so uninspired. My motivation is at an all time low this week. I’m struggling to even get words out as I’m writing this. So let’s talk about it.
I started the week off with the intention of getting my sh*t together. I planned out my week by day and wrote out all the tasks I needed to get done. Then I’ll feel complete, so I thought. After 3 pm the first day, I was slumped. Like wtf? I had the desire to get things done. My heart was in it. My body and mind had other ideas.
Most of you know, but I WFH. So staying on task can be a struggle some days. In school, I never had an issue focusing. It wasn’t until around COVID quarantine, I started losing focus so easily. I can barely sit through a movie without scrolling my Pinterest feed. I get bored so fast, I feel like a toddler. Your attention span is supposed to increase as you age, mines gotten worse!!! I blame Tik Tok.
Despite getting distracted from work, I always get it done. But I started to notice I prioritized my tasks based on other people’s needs. I would always make it my goal to make content for my personal brand (IG posts, blog posts, graphics, etc.), but I would push it to the back of the list. Usually, I would never get around to doing it that day. Once I started sacrificing these tasks, I pushed self care back too. When I was in school last year, I started skipping breakfast & skimped my morning routine. I had a morning routine all planned out to set me up for a successful day. Skincare, workout, breath work, journal, etc. But, I would push those back for later to get my work done. I would get on my computer around 8 am and I would be on it all night until I went to bed. I was getting screen drained. No matter how many “productive” things I did, it was never enough.
I was doing a long distance relationship last year, so when I was bored I would just work (or go on Tik Tok ngl). When I moved home, I was able to take a break from my work after 4 (when my boyfriend got off work). I go through moods where when I’m not productive, I get anxious (very opposite ends of the spectrum from recent moods). So if I didn’t have plans, I would create tasks for myself. One night I stayed up till 3 am making a budget for a fictional person. I got burnt out so easily when I did this. So cutting my hours off at a certain time really helped me relax. However some nights, I feel guilty for taking this break. My anxiety is talking. I never feel like there is enough time and every minute spent ‘lazy’ is one ruined.
I pushed myself so hard when I lived in Chicago, that my productivity took a plummet. Since I wasn’t listening to what I needed (RELAXATION) it decided to override everything else. Suddenly, I couldn’t bring myself to get anything done. All I wanted to do was lay in bed all day. Part of me lived in fear of not being productive. But the other part just wanted to slow down. When I stopped paying attention to my mental health it became a slow burn from within.
“When I stopped paying attention to my mental health it became a slow burn from within.”
I started getting lost in the moment. And not in a indie teenage film way. I was struggling to feel any joy from situations. I started to dissociate my mind from the world. I became hyper aware of my existence. My anxiety only worsened.
Eventually I was able to get out of this slump, but here I am again! The worst vacation ever. When I first got this feeling, I figured out ways to cope with it. And i’ll get to those in a little. However, you have the best judgement on what to do when you’re feeling down. You literally need to listen to YOU.
Full disclosure: I’m gonna get super emo here. There’s so much media in the world nowadays. There’s constantly something new on the internet. There’s always a new video or Instagram post. When I’m bored, I try to find something to watch, but nothing interests me anymore. It’s like my brain is used to so much stimuli, that it got cocky lol.
I think one theory of mine is that humans aren’t meant to be online all day. We lived for like 90% of our human existence without technology (that is so not a fact, don’t look that up). Humans used to learn how to entertain themselves. They found their own hobbies. Now an algorithm figures out what we like. It’s not fulfilling.
Despite knowing this, I still lay in bed on Youtube whenever I get a spare moment. And when I’m feeling super down, I’m not in the mood for most my other hobbies. I’m a social media manager and graphic designer, so most my “hobbies” are on my computer. But, when you’re on a computer, you’re not interacting with the world around you. It becomes easy to get lost in everyday life, you taught yourself to zone it all out.
Emo rant over.
Everyone copes in different ways. We’re all different people. That being said, the ways I handle getting out of a depression may not work for you. However, I found most of these methods worked for a majority of people I’ve recommended them to or read about.
I’m gonna elaborate quickly on the idea of making a routine you enjoy and stick to it. I used to HATE waking up in the mornings. I was a sleep till noon if I can girl. I never thought I would be someone who chooses to wake up early. But, I made a routine I loved & put my needs first. Now I’m set up for the rest of the day. It’s not an 100% guarantee that if I follow my morning routine that I won’t end up in bed by 3 pm (did that today, yay!), but it definitely makes you feel more accomplished. Do this with your night routine. Do it with your shower routine. Anything that can be a routine, make it yours and make it fun. Put your happiness first for once god damn it.
*lmk if you guys want my morning, night, etc. routine for inspo! can def make a blog post about it (:
TOP TEN WAYS TO GET OUT OF YOUR DEPRESSION SLUMP
#1 accept you’re in it
#2 lay in bed, but not all day
#3 try a hobby you know if fulfilling for you, the more you interact with the world, the better
#4 interact with the world: facetime someone you miss, go to a coffee shop to get your sh*t done, go on a walk outside, drive around town, hang out with friends
#5 write it out. (i’m on step #5 clearly)
#6 clean up your living space, like actually clean it. also, no one ever regret taking a shower. clean yourself while you’re at it. and not just your basic rinse. i’m taking exfoliate, shave, hair mask, the whole ten yards. do it. you need it.
#7 meditation, breath-work, sound therapy, smell therapy
#8 exercise: you don’t need to go pump iron at the gym, move your body in a way that feels necessary; stretch, take a walk, dance, etc.
#9 focus on what you’re consuming. are you listening to tik toks full of drama? music that promotes negativity once you break away the lyrics? think about the media you watch and how it makes you feel. try a day where you change that. listen to a podcast or video about manifestation, money habits, healthy living, etc.
#10 MY BEST TIP: this one is a personalized one
make a list of all the things you love to do, but ‘never have time’ for. literally anything that gets you a tad excited.
my list (for inspo)
going for a drive alone
taking a relaxing bath
organizing my desktop
doing a face mask
making a new playlist
styling my hair
go shopping (buy something you’ve wanted for a while)
reading
baking/cooking with my boyfriend
date night is always a mood boost
Do at least one of your things a day. This way you’re listening to what your inner self wants and showing your brain that making this task a priority makes you a priority.
Some days you can have everything planned out and decide certain tasks are not in the cards. Do what you can, but do overwhelm yourself. Create a day you want to live.
I’ve learned over the past year that your mental health is literally number one. If you’re not taking care of that or putting in effort towards it, everything else will crumble. My therapist (hey girl) was telling me how I grew up putting everyone’s needs before mine. I don’t listen to myself. Since I don’t put what I want first, I lose trust in what I need.
Please, please, please just know your mental health is so crucial. It’s so important to your every day life. Every little detail adds up. If you’re struggling, please tell someone you trust. You’re definitely not alone.