What to do when you feel down?
Man’s search for remedies.
Today let’s take a break from the journal and talk about a different topic. The depression. It is a medical condition and can be defined as a constant feeling of sadness and loss of interest, which stops you from doing your normal activities. To put it in a simple word, it gets quite dark in the daytime. So what triggers depression? The different life events that happen around us. I am sure there are many causes, but I will only focus on remedies in this article.
The pain demands to be felt. At first, you should let yourself be surrounded by those bad feelings, taste them for a while. Because quickly trying to get rid of them only makes it worse. Accepting and feeling them only empowers you. However, you should know when to let go and take full control so that you can turn on the light in the dark room. Nobody wants to stay in there forever, but it is required for us to visit the room once in a while in our life. There are different doors in this dark room and most of them lead you to a better place but some usually return you back. I will share with you my favorite doors that I use and the ones that I don’t.
Reading novels has always been my go-to option for medium-level darkness. If you find a good book, you start living another life once you start reading it. The feelings hidden behind the pages slowly grow and capture your attention. Not only reading takes your mind off any problems you have, but it also clears the lenses you are seeing the world through. You will start paying more attention to the small miracles that you have taken for granted for a long time. Of course, everyone has different tastes when it comes to reading. Depending on that, it is always better to have your favorite books that are waiting to be read on your desk.
The next door is calisthenics. It is training using only bodyweight and gravity, which is totally awesome. When you are down, it is almost impossible to force yourself to the gym. But you can perform calisthenics exercises at home or in parks. My body usually reacts really well to physical exercises and honestly, I get high after doing them. When the physical pain enters your body, the mental one is meant to exit. On top of that, being able to control your body gives you a feeling of control in your life. There are tons of benefits, so I better stop here. Choose this door for high-level f*cked up-ness, you will absolutely feel how beautiful it gets as you fight against gravity.
According to your preference and condition, there are some other helpful doors to use. You can have a walk around your neighborhood. Just a 15-minute walk in nature can turn things upside down. Or if you are an introvert type, you can choose to stay at home and journal what you are feeling and why you are feeling them. You will feel better after getting the stuff out. However, it is always better to talk to an actual person, who can listen to you. Though it seems to me everyone is trying to talk and it is really hard to find a person who is willing to listen. Well, you can pay for them to listen to you, we call them psychologists.
Finally, there are some doors I would not choose. Like gaming, drugs, or eating too much.Because they either lead you back to where you are or trap you in a much worse room with fewer doors. You feel good once your dopamine level spikes up, but once it gets back to normal, you feel bad for choosing the door. And do you think next time your regret stops you from doing it again? Nuh, it only makes you more addicted to these bad habits according to the “what-the-hell?” effect. You start living in a dark loop that screws you up for a lifetime. Only if you choose, of course.
To conclude, when you are depressed, try to choose activities that have long-term benefits for your well-being. Good cures not only improve your mood but also make you a better person. When you end up in the room, check carefully and make your decision wisely, because the place, where the door leads you, must be brighter.
Have a week full of lights.
