I have some familiarity with depression.
When I talk about depression, I don’t mean extreme sadness. I mean, it’s a cousin of sadness, but it’s not a matter of degree. It’s more like a hope deficiency, a corresponding lack of motivation, and an undercurrent of negativity.
So, when you’re depressed, even if all of the objectively measurable things are going well, it feels like the opposite. If the objectively measurable things are going poorly, it’s really easy to believe that’s the cause of the feeling. But it’s not.
But over time, enduring the bouts gets more manageable. Here are the things that make it more manageable, for me:
- Take care of the physical. Move regularly. Eat regularly. Sleep regularly. Regulate your caffeine intake.
- Through experience, no matter how deep the bout, I know that it always passes. That somehow makes it easier to tough it out.
- Keep an emotional bulwark. (In my case, I have people and a dog that let me know I’m valued/loved.)
