Inspiration

New month… New season... New suggestions to try to alleviate depression.

You might think: ‘What’s the point! How can these simple and ordinary actions possibly help me to escape the dark and thick cloud of depression?’

Each of these ideas individually is unlikely to cure your depression. However, they are capable to give you the momentum to try something else, reminding you each and every time that life should and can be vibrant, exciting, rewarding and very enjoyable.

In my previous post, I promised to illustrate the importance of planning your day. So, here it is:

Let me introduce a fictional character called Maggie. She is suffering with depression. She is in her mid-thirties, married to James and has an 8 years-old son Dillon. Maggie is a housewife, as she does not feel she is fit to go back to work since having her first episode of depression 6 years ago. She still drives and sees her old school friend Sally on occasion.

Take 1
Maggie’s alarm clock rings at 7:30am. She remembers the first item on her 'To Do' list:

May is here! What can we do differently this month to alleviate our depression and start enjoying life again? Small changes followed consistently go a long way.

Here is my list of suggestions to implement in May:

1. Eat outside (alfresco) whenever weather is permitting. Eat by the open window, if it’s raining or windy.

Six weeks ago, I started my decluttering experiment. Although I made some progress, the results that excite me most lay not in the renewed order of my personal environment but the knowledge I gained during these past weeks.

Allow me to share this knowledge with you, as some of my insights may be of value to your life too.

Lesson #1: Knowing what and how to do is not enough. Nothing gets done without taking action.

Judging by the comments left on depression forums and blogs, many people would like to find food that can cure depression fast. Last weekend, I stumbled across a list of food that really lifted up my spirit, ignited my creativity and imagination, and reminded me that my future is full of excitement and joy.

Do you remember the last time you felt fascinated? Did you ever feel fascinated by a form or a colour, a reflection of the light or a natural phenomenon? What about by an intricacy of design? Or by people and their behaviour? It is probably not too hard to recall moments of total absorption before you got unwell. But what fascinates you these days?

I would like to share a story with you. I first came across this story about 10 years ago. I have kept it ever since, as every time I read it, it touches my heart.

Also, while I move through various stages and tribulations of my personal growth, I derive different meanings from this very simple and elegant piece of folklore.

Here it is:

Today is Thomas Edison’s birthday. He was born 163 years ago and was one of the most prolific inventors in history.

I really like some of his quotes:

‘As a cure for worrying, work is far better than whiskey. I always found that, if I began to worry, the best thing I could do was focus upon doing something useful and then work very hard at it. Soon, I would forget what was troubling me’.

‘If we all did the things we are really capable of doing, we would literally astound ourselves...’.

Years and years ago, while in my teens, I read this wonderful novel by Daniel Defoe and admired his character’s determination and resourcefulness. 28 years of being a castaway trapped on an island!

Being depressed often feels like you have been kicked out of society. You are struggling and surviving on your own, day in, day out. The pain and suffering of being lonely is immense. The trust and hope that someone will come to your rescue is fading away with each day.

What kept Robinson Crusoe going? How did he manage to find the strength for over a quarter of a century?