overcoming Depression, Anxiety & low Self Esteem
If you struggle with depression you will know that it can be all you ever think about, but a lot of the time you might keep how you are feeling to yourself, and not tell anyone how you are really feeling. One reason for […]
When you are suffering with depression and anxiety, there is not one quick fix that will suddenly make everything better. Overcoming depression and anxiety needs to be attacked from all sides in a variety of different ways. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle, exercising (although difficult […]
It can be tempting to frantically look for answers to why your life is falling apart. You could scan the internet for HOURS looking for that 1 sentence which will make everything fall into place again.
However, at the end you might find you are no better off, maybe even WORSE OFF. You could start to despair that you have found another 10 things wrong with your life, and have even more problems than you started with!
I am so guilty of this!
I feel that if I find out the reasons WHY then I will magically feel better and all the invisible dots connect. Doesn’t work QUITE like that……. but I find it can also be reassuring to know the cause of how you are feeling. It definitely helps me understand more about my depression, and the best ways to overcome it.
In addition, hopefully it will save you any time ruminating and analysing your depression and anxiety, which will allow you to spend more time on CBT or self esteem exercises.
…….That’s the depression talking.
Minimise this thought by making sure you do something that you love and enjoy at least once a day.
Completely up to you. I haven’t tried them as I thought I should explore other ways of feeling better first. I was worried that for the first 2 weeks you apparently feel worse, and then I was worried that I might become reliant on them.
You might be scared of judgment. As my mum said…. some people may judge you, but if it makes your life happier every day what’s the shame in that?
Estimated 15% of the population will have depression at some point in their life.
You are so worried about making the WRONG decision and that your world might crumble around you if you choose the cookie instead of a donut. This is a product of having low self esteem and no confidence.
That’s an old theory which many people do now not believe to be true.
Bipolar has long periods of feeling depressed, then feeling high and elated. Depression is just feeling low.
They both commonly occur together. I call it danxiety. It is my anxiety and constant worry that led to my depression.
I found it hard to tell where one ends and the other starts. Good news is – you don’t need to.
Don’t panic.
You’re not a horrible person, it is a symptom of being depressed.
Like many things, it’s on a scale. You can have mild or severe depression. You don’t need to label yourself if you don’t want to. But you probably already know yourself.
Another symptom of low self esteem and being depressed.
Looking for answers and internet searching can be helpful, but make sure you do it in moderation and allocate enough time to doing the things which will bring positive changes in your life.
Continue to make small changes to your life every day and set aside time for your self esteem exercises.
If you’ve looked up ‘solutions’ or ‘treatments’ for depression or anxiety, you will definitely have seen that exercise is ALWAYS on the list. They make it sound so easy. “Exercise has many benefits, just go and do some every day and you will […]
With depression, anxiety and low self-esteem comes a constant feeling of GUILT. Guilt about relaxing, guilt about not exercising, guilt about not messaging friends enough – the list goes on. One of the main feelings of guilt I have is SPENDING MONEY. […]
Feeling down sucks. Especially when literally everyone else seems to be so happy in life, particularly on social media.
Sometimes when I was feeling depressed, I would just sit crying, lost and unsure what I was even crying about. I knew all my problems couldn’t be solved in 5 minutes, but in that moment I just wanted an instant fix to make me stop crying and feel better.
Luckily, there are a number of simple things that take 5 minutes that can help you feel better.
Putting on my favourite uplifting song works every time for me. If you’re stuck here are a few of my faves:
1. Maroon 5 – Misery. Uplifting yet wallowing at the same time.
2. Psy – Gangnam Style. Also great to dance to if you’re feeling it…… maybe make sure the curtains are drawn.
3. Happy – Pharrell. Speaks for itself.
Put some make-up on! You will instantly feel more confident and attractive.
Put on some of your favourite clothes. If you are lounging around in sweat pants and a hoodie all day this can add to your depression. Feeling like you don’t like any of your clothes? Perfect excuse to treat yourself!
If you take no effort in your appearance your mind will connect this with you thinking that you’re not worth anything, which will plunge your self esteem even lower.
Okay even if it’s not sunny (London), getting outside is still a good idea. 5 minute walk around the block and breathing in some fresh air can really help to clear your mind and calm your thoughts.
I often find that if I have to be in the company of someone else, I have to force myself to get it together. At least that made me stop crying for a while.
Or it could be the kind of conversation where you offload how you’re feeling. It can be difficult talking about your depression, but it makes me feel SO much better knowing that I have people there for me and I’m not alone, no matter how much it feels like it.
Everything seems better after you’ve had a shower and washed your hair! Put a few drops of peppermint oil for extra relaxation if you have some lying around.
Then get in a fluffy dressing gown and paint your nails.
Have you tried any of these? What’s your favourite way to instantly lift your mood?
It took a very long time for me to realise that I had a mix of depression and anxiety. My thoughts were on overdrive when I was trying to figure out what I was going through. I wrongly self diagnosed potential bi-polar, borderline personality […]
You’ve finally built up the confidence to talk to someone about your depression and anxiety, GREAT! However, the conversation doesn’t always go as you planned. Here are some of the unhelpful things that people may say: 1. What’s wrong? I’m not sure what […]