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The thing that has always allowed me to ward off depression was having a goal to reach and keeping myself busy. Completely ran out of those this year, I'm just floating through life right now in my free time wasting time.
I'm trying to find goals and a purpose but I can't find it. And it's getting harder the longer I stay in this mental hole.
You ever got to the same point? What is supposed to help me snap out of it. Watching a motivational speech on youtube? I'm lost here.
Have you considered going for a gentle walk outside? Perhaps listen to some music on your phone while you stroll and enjoy feeling your body move.
Exercise boosts endorphins, which are the happy mood brain chemicals. If you are able to walk for 5 or 10 minutes each day for a week and you enjoy your walk, after a while maybe you can gradually increase the walk time a little each week.
You might consider making a goal to walk x minutes every day and build up your time walking to x minutes every day by the end of the year.
I don't think anybody can help me with this. Not that they wouldn't try, but they wouldn't have an answer for me. I appriciate it though.
You know what they say about assumptions OP. Remember, that "somebody" isn't supposed to solve your problem for you, their job is to support, suggest, educate, collaborate, and help YOU do that for yourself. Big difference. If you never ask, you'll never know. That looks like a self-fulfilling prophesy to me. Just like you, counselors are all individuals. You might click beautifully with one and it could change your life.
Last edited by Parnassia; 11-19-2022 at 03:37 PM..
I get the occasional funk like yours OP. What has helped me --and may help you--is to get outside your own thinking by helping someones else: tutoring kids, working in a soup kitchen or homeless shelter, volunteering as a museum docent, working at a food bank, or just putting in some time at a charitable organization that needs volunteers (https://www.volunteermatch.org) and that you think is doing interesting work. You'll meet new people, broaden your perspective on things, and quite possibly find a new direction to take.
The thing that has always allowed me to ward off depression was having a goal to reach and keeping myself busy. Completely ran out of those this year, I'm just floating through life right now in my free time wasting time.
I'm trying to find goals and a purpose but I can't find it. And it's getting harder the longer I stay in this mental hole.
You ever got to the same point? What is supposed to help me snap out of it. Watching a motivational speech on youtube? I'm lost here.
My life changed a lot when I was 15. My dad lost everything and I had to go to work to help support the family. I had 2 or 3 jobs plus going to HS and then college always part time so that took forever.
I kept so busy I didn't think. Even when I had to make a decision, I didn't think about it much.
Looking back, I think parents and kids were kept busier in the past (chores, work) and then today, sometimes, you have more free time and I find myself getting bored.
When I get bored, I think I get depressed.
I know exercise helps and also volunteering for something you like. I like animals so being around dogs I could take them all home. My mother used to always say "stressed - what is this stress? Go find less fortunate and your problems will seem like nothing. (She was right).
My life changed a lot when I was 15. My dad lost everything and I had to go to work to help support the family. I had 2 or 3 jobs plus going to HS and then college always part time so that took forever.
I kept so busy I didn't think. Even when I had to make a decision, I didn't think about it much.
Looking back, I think parents and kids were kept busier in the past (chores, work) and then today, sometimes, you have more free time and I find myself getting bored.
When I get bored, I think I get depressed.
I know exercise helps and also volunteering for something you like. I like animals so being around dogs I could take them all home. My mother used to always say "stressed - what is this stress? Go find less fortunate and your problems will seem like nothing. (She was right).
That's a good point. Now that I think about it, Last couple of months I've arranged a deal where I get a day off every week because of all my overtime. And this recent depression seems to coincide with that timeframe. Got way more time to think about things without being exhausted.
Maybe thinking that I needed more time off from work to get better mentally has had the opposite effect.
If you're introverted (I'm not saying that you are, I'm only guessing here) or simply don't feel like the people around you can help you, I can recommend that you learn to play the guitar. Compared to most instruments, guitars are cheap and maintaining them is relatively easy. Plus, they're easier to master than a piano or a violin.
You can set "weekly" goals for yourself, something like learning to switch the basic chords in a 3/4 time, or learning how to play easy songs like Nirvana's "The Man Who Sold the World" or GnR's "Don't Cry" (Slash's solo excluded for now, of course...) by the end of the second month since you embarked on that journey. My guitar has been my trusty companion through life since I was 15 (I'm 35 now), and it's always been there to remind me who I am and pick me up when I'm feeling low.
I can also recommend the book "The Portrait of a Lady" by Henry James, which is a very, very nice read and kind of an underrated classic!
If I were you I would stat with a short meditation each morning. A few minutes. A guided meditation for peace for example. To calm the mind. I would also incorporate some form of exercise daily. Walking outside then some stretching done at home. I would start listening to some calming music each day. I would start feeding the birds or grow a plant/small garden or other things like that.
Take care.
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My own opinion
