Maintaining Self-Care During Depression

The past week I’ve been going thru the motions a bit.  It’s been more of a challenge for me to get tasks done, stay focused, and stay alongside my schedules that I pre-plan at the beginning of each week. Sometimes I would cease working early, feeling “over it” and retire to reading, watching Netflix, or spending unplanned time on social media.  I had fallen into my “bubble”, which I sometimes call my #BlackCat.  #BlackCat is another word for “depression” for me.

I am not clinically depressed. I’ve never been diagnosed, but I know what it feels like to experience waves of feeling down, out, and not very worthy, even temporarily.  My #BlackCat moments are always situationally triggered by something specific, very rarely random, but even still, for the past week, I found myself sitting beside the looming Black Cat all week long and it was not a good place.

Climbing out of that bubble and making the Black Cat walk away from me has been a bit of a challenge.  It is something that I have found I have to work thru in order for her (the Black Cat) to leave.  I absolutely hate being in a negative head space to the point where I forcibly push myself out of it, if I feel I have been in it for too long.  That is, I realize, a fortunate part of my own cycles, as I do realize that not everyone is able to just force themselves out of it. I completely use the power of my mind to just PUSH as hard as I can………..after I let myself feel the feels a bit, of course.

So here are some things I’ve done to try and push myself from that negative space I found myself in this week.  Hopefully this list helps someone else as well:

1. Talk with close friends and family

Talking with the loved ones I am close with has helped me quite a bit. As a person that keeps a lot close to the belt, trusting others can be a challenge for me.  However, when I am able to share with others and trust, I feel a lot better about things.  Sometimes I feel inspired and encouraged.

2. Doing something that makes me happy

The one constant that seems to always bring me back to center is the nail salon.  I feel a sense of peace and relaxation.  At any time where my anxiety and even depression is at an all-time high or low, heading to the nail salon really seems to make me feel better.

3. Reading a good book

I have always been a book worm, hence the “What I’m Reading” tab at the side of this blog.   Reading, for me, is a form of self-care.  Picking up a book that directly correlates with my business or in empowerment helps me to try and stay focused even when I am down. Right now, I am reading this book!

4. Immersing myself in WORK!

I’ll be the first to admit- this hasn’t helped me that much this time around.  While I have tried to get work done and stay focused on my tasks at hand, the reality is….my attention would wane elsewhere.  So in turn what I have tried to do is simply get as much done as I possibly can.

5. Journaling

Writing helps to fuel my spirit and sit the things in my mind in their proper place.  Things I cannot nor have not yet spoken about, I am able to write them down and get a better perspective on a particular topic that is plaguing me.  As I said earlier, my Black Cat episodes are always situationally triggered.  Because of this, journaling always helps me to put things into perspective so that I try to approach things in a different and better way.

6. Meditation

For the past week, I have meditated every morning.  Sometimes meditating has helped me and other times it has simply made more exhausted.  One thing I would like to eventually do is meditate on a regular basis, when I am feeling good as well.  This way, when I need to meditate as a form of self-care, it can be more purposeful for me.

If you have ever had a Black Cat or Black Dog moment or moments, perhaps doing a bit of these things to help you push out of the funk may help.