Do you feel tired all the time and could sleep all the time, even if your day wasn't exhausting at all? Are you plagued by self-doubt, even though you know you are doing a great job? Nevertheless, you have the feeling that you are simply not enough - and may be slipping more and more into a depressive mood.
Sometimes there are phases in life when you simply feel a little down. But it doesn't always stay that way. Has this not been a phase for you for a long time? Then perhaps your diagnosis is depressive mood. But don't worry, this too will pass.
We will help you to find out whether you are really depressed and show you how you can work on focusing your attention on the good things in life again.
Everyone experiences a phase every now and then when nothing feels right. Doubts alternate with never-ending tiredness and a permanently depressed mood.
It is completely normal to feel down from time to time. There are many ways you can work on this. But first you need to find out whether you are just in a bad mood and sad a lot of the time, or whether you are actually depressed.
Depressed mood is a kind of precursor to depression. An important Distinguishing featureThe first thing you can use to recognize whether you are already suffering from such a preliminary stage is the duration of your symptoms. How long have you been plagued by sadness and a bad mood, tiredness and listlessness and a negative Thought carousel? If these symptoms have persisted for three weeks or even longer and there have been no phases of improvement in the meantime, there is a possibility that you are suffering from depressive mood.
Emotional vibrations are also important. Do bad days alternate with good ones? Or do you have the Feelingto be permanently on the dark side of life? If your emotional resilience is still there, you are feeling the same as many others. You're just having bad days a little more often at the moment, but there's no need to talk about a depressive mood just yet. Is your condition persisting? Then you should pay attention.
But don't worry. This does not mean that you are in a severe depression. There is still a long way to go. This is precisely why it is so important that you become aware of the problem as early as possible. That way, you can work on your symptoms early on before you find yourself in a downward spiral that is difficult to break out of.
The good news is that you can alleviate depressive moods yourself. But first you have to become aware of the problem. Even if it is difficult and you may not want to show weakness: Admit to yourself that you need to change something.
It is particularly important to talk about mental health issues. Of course, you don't have to go to a therapist straight away. Confide in someone close to you. This could be someone from your family or close circle of friends.
If you are reluctant to talk to someone close to you about it, talk to like-minded people. There are numerous groups that have been set up for this very purpose. Here you can share experiences, give each other advice and work together to get better.
It is important that you focus on all the positive things that happen to you nonetheless. It's completely normal that you don't or hardly notice them when you're depressed. So take a few minutes in the evening Time and review your day once again. What happened to you today? Which experiences were positive that you are perhaps only now realizing?
Make a note of these experiences and keep a gratitude diary. If you once again have the feeling that everything and everyone around you is conspiring against you, reach for your Journaland remember how many good things actually happen to you every day.
What can you do if your depressive mood has taken over? We have 5 Tips that will help you to overcome them in the long term.
Did you know that sporting activities release happiness hormones? Well then off to the Sports with you! Have you been registered at the gym for months but not using your membership? Then now is the time to start. Do you actually like running but haven't been able to get yourself up to it recently? Get up and get going!
It's not easy to get up for physical activity when you're in a depressed mood. But believe us, you will feel so much better during and after! While you're exercising, you give your mind a break and focus only on the here and now. It can finally breathe a sigh of relief and relax.
You think your diet only influences your physical well-being? Far from it! Physical and mental health are closely linked, which is why your mental state is also directly related to your diet. Nutrition stands.
For example, supplying your brain with sufficient oxygen and optimizing the transmission of stimuli in your nervous system play an important role here. These and other important processes only function smoothly if your diet is right. So cut down on fast food, swap your cola for a glass of water more often and think twice about whether you really need that packet of potato chips in the evening.
Of course, you can treat yourself to something from time to time - in fact, you should! But make sure you don't eat unhealthily all the time. Take time now and then to cook for yourself with fresh ingredients. Your mental health will thank you twice over.
It is not only happy about all the nutrients you are feeding your body, but also the process of cooking itself. Here, too, it's similar to sport. You are focused on a task where you know you are doing something good for yourself, and all the jumbled thoughts in your head are quiet for a moment.
Walks outdoors are balm for your soul. The fresh air, the rustling of the trees, the chirping of the birds - what could be more relaxing? During a walk through the park or forest, you can switch off and enjoy yourself. There are no distractions here, no stress factors. It's just you and nature.
Is it too late for a walk in the evening or don't you have a park nearby? Then simply sit in the garden or on the balcony for half an hour. If the weather is cool, wrap yourself in a cozy blanket and make yourself comfortable. Breathe in the fresh air, listen to the hustle and bustle of nature and feel your mind becoming calmer and calmer.
Live in the here and now, fully appreciate the moment and don't think about tomorrow or the future. Past bobbing around - it's often not that easy. Do you practise Mindfulnessbut you will get better and better at it. How do you do that? By staying in the here and now. Actively decide to notice everything that is happening around you.
Where are you right now? Who is here with you? Why are you here? What exactly are you doing here? What do you hear and see? How do you feel in this situation? Take in the moment with all your senses.
No matter how freedom-loving a person is, everyone needs structure. A guideline that you can stick to in everyday life has nothing to do with restrictions, but actually makes things easier for you. When you're in a depressive mood, your mind can use anything that makes its work easier.
Thanks to routines, you don't have to think about every single step in your everyday life, but can call up fixed processes completely automatically. This frees up an incredible amount of mental capacity. Stimulus overload is often the reason for a depressive mood. With fixed routines, you can reduce the amount of stimuli you are bombarded with and actively work on your mental health.
Depressed moods can sometimes be part of life. This does not mean that you will find yourself in a severe depression tomorrow. Depressed mood is not a permanent condition and is by no means the end of your mental health.
If you notice that you have symptoms that are typical of a depressed mood, then take action. Take your mental health into your own hands and get your Joie de vivre back!
