Dealing with Daily Depression

Depression is a sinister evil I must fight every day. Most people who know me would never even think I suffered from depression. Ha, ha I’ve got them fooled. I have not found the right medicine or the best doctor. I have found a plan that keeps me light and bright. There are several things on my regimen that keep the blues at bay. 

First and far most I have a plan. Sounds simple but if you have depression it is essential. I wake up early and chauffer children to school. When I return home I have a set amount of time I can loiter on the computer. That is the time I answer emails look at kittens and indulge the email beast. I make time to work out; I work out hard so that I might get my endorphins engaged. My goal is the runners high, the euphoria. This is good.

I work in a restaurant during the mid day. When I am there I am surrounded by young energetic, happy go lucky people and the guest who like it when their server is, well, happy. So, on days I don’t feel happy I fake it and most days it makes me feel happy. I am happy to come home tired and ready to greet my family and have a good meal. I enjoy making good healthy meals while listening to the radio.

I try to have an event or entertainment planed after dinner also. I may exercise again, crochet or work in my studio. The old saying idle hands are the devils work shop comes to mind. If my hands are busy My mind is at rest. Before bed I plan my next day.

For me the best thing I can do is do the things I enjoy. Crafting painting, reading and I have designed my day to force me out of the house to engage with others in a positive way. A few years ago my sister was fighting cancer and I lost control of the fight with depression and only did what needed to be done. I had crying jags and no desire to do anything. I would spend hours playing a silly game on the computer hiding. When my sister died I felt lost. But My sister was awesome I think she would have been pissed with me wallowing in pity. I’m the person I am because of her and I refuse to live half a life because of depression. So, I’ve got a plan.

Fight Depression with Life Style Choices

Fight Depression with Life Style Choices
 A few years back my sister was diagnosed with cancer and after along battle died.  In the middle of her battle I became very depressed and decided my life style was contributing to my depression.  My usually demanding outside sales job became my prison.  I could and often did stay in my Pajamas all day doing my necessary calls.  Showering , getting dressed and eating came in second to Bejewel.  I functioned on a must basis.  Finally, I quit my job which was worse because I had no incentive to do anything and my family could use my income having grown fond of food and living indoors. 

I decided to find a job close to home that forced me to be positive.   A job that demanded I get out of bed and leave the house.  I had waited tables off and on so I went to restaurants and got a sever job that let me work the hours I wanted.  I wanted to work when my family was out.  Some time alone was good  but not too much.    The atmosphere and  the people are positive and make me feel positive too.  This was a very good change and I am there still.  I don’t make a lot of money but I can’t put a price on sanity.

The second thing I did was to exercise regularly.  I feel a tightening of the screws when I go to long without strenuous exercise.  It, for me, works.  I plan my day around exercise.  Waking up and putting on my exercise clothes and planning when I will start and finish is part of my day.  I have tapes, machines and a gym membership.  I plan fun activities around exercise too. 

I also plan time to just be quiet.  Call it meditation what ever makes you feel good.  Sometimes I am over stimulated and can’t concentrate.  I turn off everything and just listen to my own thoughts.  Yeah, scary.  I keep a pad handy and write down things that race through my mind.  I maybe the 10 minute trip to work or an hour or more but I have quiet.

I tried medication.  My doctor asked questions and prescribed some expensive pills which made me crazy.  The price made me crazy no the pills.  After pricing was worked out I went generic and for a few months that made me feel better than just blaw.  I am anything if not blaw. So I stopped taking the meds.  I also stopped having crying jags out of the blue.  This did not work for me but if you feel out of control talk to a professional and medication might be just what you need. 

It is not easy to share this problem.  But because I am dealing with it I feel  sharing might be the next step to healing.  I like my life, adore my family and one day soon I’ll step back into life at full tilt.  For now I’ll be waiting tables where smiles are easy to come by and my work mates are amusing and carefree.  Simple Mat

 

Simple mat is just that simple.  If I can do I think anybody can.  I am finding that taking mortar out of the equation has made arrangement of the tiles and tile cutting the hard part.  I had a paper template of my wall to help me lay out the tile and decide on cuts.  I used a small tile cutter from Harbor Freight to cut my tiles.  The cutter was awesome for the first four tiles and than I had issues.  I took a break and set the Simple mats on the wall.  Very easy.  Because I have everything laid out it was simple.  I would use Simplemat again in a heart beat. 

Simple Mat

 

Simple mat is just that simple.  If I can do I think anybody can.  I am finding that taking mortar out of the equation has made arrangement of the tiles and tile cutting the hard part.  I had a paper template of my wall to help me lay out the tile and decide on cuts.  I used a small tile cutter from Harbor Freight to cut my tiles.  The cutter was awesome for the first four tiles and than I had issues.  I took a break and set the Simple mats on the wall.  Very easy.  Because I have everything laid out it was simple.  I would use Simplemat again in a heart beat. 

Simple Mat

 

Simple mat is just that simple.  If I can do I think anybody can.  I am finding that taking mortar out of the equation has made arrangement of the tiles and tile cutting the hard part.  I had a paper template of my wall to help me lay out the tile and decide on cuts.  I used a small tile cutter from Harbor Freight to cut my tiles.  The cutter was awesome for the first four tiles and than I had issues.  I took a break and set the Simple mats on the wall.  Very easy.  Because I have everything laid out it was simple.  I would use Simplemat again in a heart beat. 

Simple Mat

 

Simple mat is just that simple.  If I can do I think anybody can.  I am finding that taking mortar out of the equation has made arrangement of the tiles and tile cutting the hard part.  I had a paper template of my wall to help me lay out the tile and decide on cuts.  I used a small tile cutter from Harbor Freight to cut my tiles.  The cutter was awesome for the first four tiles and than I had issues.  I took a break and set the Simple mats on the wall.  Very easy.  Because I have everything laid out it was simple.  I would use Simplemat again in a heart beat. 

Simple Mat

 

Simple mat is just that simple.  If I can do I think anybody can.  I am finding that taking mortar out of the equation has made arrangement of the tiles and tile cutting the hard part.  I had a paper template of my wall to help me lay out the tile and decide on cuts.  I used a small tile cutter from Harbor Freight to cut my tiles.  The cutter was awesome for the first four tiles and than I had issues.  I took a break and set the Simple mats on the wall.  Very easy.  Because I have everything laid out it was simple.  I would use Simplemat again in a heart beat.A few years back my sister was diagnosed with cancer and after along battle died.  In the middle of her battle I became very depressed and decided my life style was contributing to my depression.  My usually demanding outside sales job became my prison.  I could and often did stay in my Pajamas all day doing my necessary calls.  Showering , getting dressed and eating came in second to Bejewel.  I functioned on a must basis.  Finally, I quit my job which was worse because I had no incentive to do anything and my family could use my income having grown fond of food and living indoors.  

Environment
I decided to find a job close to home that forced me to be positive.   A job that demanded I get out of bed and leave the house.  I had waited tables off and on so I went to restaurants and got a sever job that let me work the hours I wanted.  I wanted to work when my family was out.  Some time alone was good  but not too much.    The atmosphere and  the people are positive and make me feel positive too.  This was a very good change and I am there still.  I don’t make a lot of money but I can’t put a price on sanity.
Exercise
The second thing I did was to exercise regularly.  I feel a tightening of the screws when I go to long without strenuous exercise.  It, for me, works.  I plan my day around exercise.  Waking up and putting on my exercise clothes and planning when I will start and finish is part of my day.  I have tapes, machines and a gym membership.  I plan fun activities around exercise too.
Quiet
I also plan time to just be quiet.  Call it meditation what ever makes you feel good.  Sometimes I am over stimulated and can’t concentrate.  I turn off everything and just listen to my own thoughts.  Yeah, scary.  I keep a pad handy and write down things that race through my mind.  I maybe the 10 minute trip to work or an hour or more but I have quiet.
Medication
I tried medication.  My doctor asked questions and prescribed some expensive pills which made me crazy.  The price made me crazy no the pills.  After pricing was worked out I went generic and for a few months that made me feel better than just blaw.  I am anything if not blaw. So I stopped taking the meds.  I also stopped having crying jags out of the blue.  This did not work for me but if you feel out of control talk to a professional and medication might be just what you need.
Sharing
It is not easy to share this problem.  But because I am dealing with it I feel  sharing might be the next step to healing.  I like my life, adore my family and one day soon I’ll step back into life at full tilt.  For now I’ll be waiting tables where smiles are easy to come by and my work mates are amusing and carefree.