Have you ever been in the Doldrums? It’s this gray, melancholy kind of space. You’re Not quite dealing with depression, not quite apathetic. You are just gloomy. It’s a bit miserable to be there, especially when you can’t see a way out.
Is your lifestyle causing your depression?
While depression symptoms vary from person to person, sometimes you just know. Is your lifestyle causing you to feel down in the dumps? There are a few solutions you totally have control over, and before you know it if you try them out, you’ll be moving out of the gray back into the normal colorful world.
Your boundaries are out of balance .
Do people pay attention to you when you say no? Do you ever SAY no? Do you find your schedule crowded with favors for people rather than the things you need to do for yourself? You may have boundaries to draw. This is a normal process for everyone, and the great thing about boundaries is that if you need to adjust them, you always can. Start saying no, and start limiting the time you spend on doing favors. Being nice and being a doormat are two different things.
Your space is cluttered.
If our space is a reflection of our minds, some of us must have a very chaotic thought life. I notice that the more cluttered my space becomes, the more scattered my thoughts become. Take a little bit of time to do a clean sweep of your space. Pick up the laundry and put it in the basket, clear the clutter away and see if your thoughts don’t instantly become a little less scattered. Need help? I wrote a book about cleaning with ADHD!
It’s also important to clean up your emotional clutter! Read: Taking out the Trash: A Self-Love Story
Your screen is the only thing you see.
We are in the great age of technology, so this one is hard to change around. We go from our computers at work to our tablets and phones at night. Screens are so useful to us, but we are social creatures – and not just on social media. Stop with the screens and go talk to some people. Your family, your friends, they miss you. Spend a little time away from the computer and move around. You might like it so well that you decide to do it often.
You have too many projects.
Being overwhelmed is extremely stressful for everyone involved. This tip ties in with the boundaries we established ( you HAVE established some boundaries, haven’t you?). If you are involved in too many projects, you will become overwhelmed, and that would bum anybody out. Lighten your load: Take your time and weed out some of the projects you don’t need to be involved with or aren’t a good fit for you anymore. Prioritize the ones you would like to give more attention to. It will lift your mood for sure.
You are too hard on yourself.
Stop trying to be a superwoman. You’re laughing, I can hear you. But really: when has trying to save the world single-handedly made you anything but tired? Perfectionism, overwhelm, and the strain of trying to hold everything and everyone together can steal your joy and your health. Don’t let this happen to you.
What to do
It’s easy to get into a cycle where you feel blue, especially when life changes come at us so fast. The thing is, you are up to the challenge. Even if you feel you are not capable of making adjustments, you can. If there is work to be done, it will get done with or without you. Don’t commit to doing everything for everyone and leave no time for yourself. Be gentle with yourself when you can’t do it all. Pretty soon that blue will fade away.
Until next time,
René
