Small Steps to Lift You Up During Depression
“When it rains, it pours” – Proverb
Boy, oh boy, is there a quote that is more appropriate for life? Seriously. How many times have you noticed that when one “bad” or “inconvenient” thing happens, it is more than likely to be followed by events that are just as “bad” or “inconvenient” – if not more!? That same thing has happened to me more times than I care to count. The truth is, that it happens to everyone. Some are able to handle these events, while others slip into a depression. There is not one human being that is protected from such a predicament. Sometimes life becomes just so hard. So, what do you do when things get this bad and your depression creeps in? When just about nothing goes right or as planned? Or when bad things keep happening, one after the other, consistently?
How do people cope with depression?
Some people cry. Others bottle it up. Some self-harm. Some shut down. Others self-medicate. All of these are usually the most common responses to grieving, depression, anger, and resentment.
So, what do we do when things become so bad that it becomes difficult to get out of bed? What’s the point of getting out of bed when there is no way that anything can get better? Why, oh why, would we even try when life is going to be so cruel and unfair? This act of giving up hope contributes to inadequate thoughts and emotions. This is how hopelessness becomes depression.
Counseling and Depression
I am not here to tell you that you need to snap out of it or to move on. I am also not telling you to get up and stop moping. I am here to tell you that as an adult, we all go through it. The trick is to recognize what we are doing is just our way of coping. I am here to tell you that IT IS OKAY FOR YOU TO CRY. I am here to tell you that IT IS OKAY FOR YOU TO STAY IN BED. What I am also here to tell you is that you HAVE, you CAN, and you WILL get through this. Whatever “this” may be for you.
Allow yourself the time to grieve but put a time limit on how long you will cry or stay in bed. No rush. Take your time but know that you will have to get up sometime. Here are a few ideas to help you take the smallest steps to help you get back up so that you can continue to move along in your journey… so that you can get to where you want to go. Do one of these things a day. You can choose to do one, some or none of these today. You can try again tomorrow. Baby steps. You’ve got this! No judgment!
Steps for Coping with Depression
Small Steps:
- Sit up in bed instead of laying down.
- Pull back the curtains and let the sunshine in.
- Brush your teeth – it’s okay to get right back into bed after.
Slightly Bigger Steps:
- Wash your face – get back in bed if you need to, but try to get out of that room, if you can.
- Make something to eat – even if it is just buttered toast or a bowl of cereal.
Bigger Steps:
- Take a shower – come on, you know you should. No? That’s okay. Try again tomorrow.
- Call someone you know loves you. Just a call to say hello or to pour your heart out. Whatever you need.
The Best Step?
You can call me. I’m a licensed counselor with experience helping others deal with grief and sadness. I can listen, sit patiently while you cry it out, or talk you through your depression. All you have to do is schedule a session with me by clicking here or calling our office at 817-778-0522. SEVN Therapy Co. conveniently offers teletherapy sessions, so you can even do a session from the comforts of your bed! Let’s discuss the steps you can take to cope with this depression and possibly how you can deal with the next bad event in a less all-consuming manner.
Sonia Noorany, LPC-Associate
Supervised by Scott Martindale, LPC-S
