My Best Advice for Depression.
How I started turning it around.
Depression. I’ve been fighting it most of my life in one form or another, from being picked on in middle school for being a fat kid that led to me having body image issues for all long as I can remember. I’m 35, and I still hesitate to take my shirt off because of poor self-esteem. Video Games were my reality of choice. In there, I could be something better than who I was in real life. Command armies, tank dungeons, kill demons, top leader boards.
We all have a cause and live in it every day, but few of us can find a way out organically.
I’ve honed in on some things that helped me start to come out the other side. It’s not all sunshine and rainbows by any means, but it’s definitely brighter here.
I hope this is helpful for people out there struggling. If even one person turns it around by reading this, then I have accomplished my goal.
Let’s get started.
Being on a schedule is important for many things, so set a time to wake up and stop sleeping the day away. If you get up every morning at 6 am, you will start finding things to fill your day, get tired early at night, and naturally develop better sleep habits.
Change your mindset by looking for new things to do or finally pursuing something you really love. For me, it was writing. It’s something I have always enjoyed but never really did anything with. Having the written word as my outlet basically saved me from myself. What will you find as your outlet?
Get back on a routine. You will really not want to do it; you won’t see the point. Yes, you’ll grumble and complain. There is a point, though, trust me. When you get up, brush your teeth, comb your hair, shave, shower, all of it. Especially if you are unemployed, this is a critical step. If you refuse to start each day, then you can’t get anywhere.
Start setting times of the day where you are going to be productive no matter what. Even if it only starts with being two hours, that’s still two more hours than you were using. Think of it like working out. You must move your body to strengthen it. Depression is like a muscle that isn’t getting used enough. Setting a time to being productive is like setting aside time to go to the gym.
Found what you enjoy doing? Here is where you can really make forward progress. Figure out how to use it to make money for you. Thanks to the Internet, just about anything can turn a profit these days. Don’t go to any of that nonsense on YouTube.
Speaking of which…
I watched the YouTube videos. Digital side hustles, simple jobs that take no skills, this one simple trick for 500 dollars a day, use this new AI and it will practically print money for you.
It’s not real, and it will make you feel worse.
It’s a giant lie that is being propagated by predatory individuals who want to take advantage of you and your emotions. Those videos aren’t for you. They make money by feeding you that nonsense. Even if some of those creators made some cash doing something advertised in one of those videos, as soon as they posted it online, it was no longer a viable source of income.
++ I remember not too long ago when I wanted to start proofreading and editing for some side money. The sheer amount of videos on YouTube that advertise using Grammarly or some other AI to do all the work for you… Hey, don’t forget that you and the other fifty-thousand people who watched that video also went to set up a Fiverr account because the guy said it was a great way to make money. Or how many of you have watched the video about beta reading? Using Canva to make clip art t-shirts. The list is so long.
Anyway.
You want success? Come up with an idea and stick to it. Don’t worry about being original; just make sure you make it your own. Finding a niche isn’t everything. You can be your own niche, and I’m going to prove it. Don’t go looking for the quick paycheck. Build something that’s sustainable and that you take pride in. Even if it only starts off making you pennies, that’s money you didn’t have before.
If you found what you love and want it to make money for you, then you need to start small. You are fighting depression, so you need to be realistic. Setting goals that are too lofty is setting yourself up for failure or burnout, and you will compound your depression. You doing YouTube? 1, 10, 30, 50, 100 subs. Make it incremental and celebrate every single victory. There is nothing wrong with it! Increments also make your giant goal much easier to digest, and it won’t seem impossible. Writing a blog? Try to publish one entry a week, maybe two. Don’t start off with every day.
Chasing a project, whether for money or for enjoyment, like the ones mentioned, will force you to come face to face with a lot of the pieces of your depression that are holding you back.
++ Side note: I just started an absolutely massive challenge to post on Medium and go to the gym or exercise every day for 365 days. This isn’t a boast by any means. I’m riding a high from finally breaking some chains, and I’m sharing it so you can know the potential you have within yourself!
Get yourself familiar with imposter syndrome. It is one of the largest road blocks that people face in their lives. It’s the eternal millennial existential crisis. Ever heard of a “positive imposter”? Go check my out my “Words for the Weary” post for some more info on that. I’m going to post on that concept in further detail as well, so if you are interested, stay tuned.
Don’t let anyone take away your hope. Your imposter, your depression, the world, and people in your life might not believe in you or have faith in what you are doing. You might have days where you can’t find the faith in yourself.
Never give up.
Push even when you feel weak.
Put in the work.
Have enough faith for everyone.
The bottom line is you deserve to be happy, and your family deserves to have you at your best. So stop fighting the battle of who could care less, and go find some happy.
Let’s make this a conversation.
Comment at the bottom if you have seen all the YouTube treasure trove nonsense. What’s your opinion?
People reading this might be in need of inspiration. Comment the idea that gave you wings to soar with.