I recently had a discussion with a good friend about what to do when her child’s depression didn’t go away even when on medications.
This is where our regular Dr’s may let the ball go a little bit.
They know that the medications that they prescribe work, but what to do beyond that is the hard part.
The medication, when you find the right one, helps to level you out so you aren’t stuck in that deep dark place of hopelessness, but there are still going to be lingering symptoms.
Luckily, there are things you can do to get out of this place, and usually without shifting your medication, and it’s probably simpler than you think.
Even if you’re not on medications, this is where you feel down and don’t know how to get back to being who you’ve always been.
This is what I call the fog.
This is where I was stuck when I was working my way out of my own chemical depression.
This is where I began researching on my own what I could do to get my life back again!
This is when you need to be start finding ways that help you manage your thoughts and emotions in ways that work for you.
That can feel overwhelming, especially when you’re trying to find solutions while still in the “FOG”.
***I suggested to my friend that a good place to start is simply by paying attention to how you are feeling and even more than that, pay attention to what you are thinking.
It’s totally normal and natural to begin looking for solutions OUTSIDE of yourself, when typically, the answers are already there inside of you.
Begin by looking at your SELF talk.
How are you talking to yourself?
Maybe you didn’t realize that that is even a thing…but it’s a BIG thing. ***
We hold conversations with ourselves practically all day.
Start by paying attention to the conversation that is going on.
Then, listen to the words you are using.
It’s an interesting thing to start paying attention to.
Next, pay attention to how you react to things.
How do you respond to the circumstances you are dealing with in your normal, everyday life, in your thoughts?
Are you kind and encouraging with yourself?
Do you tell yourself you are doing the best you know how and that you’re proud of yourself?
OR
do you shame yourself and tell yourself you’re stupid, or dumb, or incapable of doing good?
These are the first steps to feeling better.
You have to be aware of your thoughts.
Just begin by paying attention.
When you start doing this, you have more control over it.
Just observe.
Then, when you have become familiar with your internal dialogue, and start taking charge of how YOU speak to YOU, you can start doing more. And that’s only when you decide you are ready.
Learning to define the emotions that you are feeling is a big part of all of this.
Naming your emotions after you notice them and then allowing yourself to feel them.
Sounds simple, but I know that it’s not.
But it does help get you going on the right track.
I never realized how many different emotions there are.
I used to only think of the basics, like, sad, happy, mad, scared. Words like that.
Did you know that there are at least one hundred different emotions?
I found an emotions wheel when I started looking into this and it really opened my eyes.
There are so many different ways to express how we feel.
That’s why I suggested that you read:
Brene Brown’s
Atlas of the Heart
For our Book Club Book this last quarter.
If you are watching this episode on YouTube, I’m showing you the emotions wheel I found and our book club book.
In Atlas of the Heart, I marked the emotions that I was really interested in studying more about. Look at how many tabs I placed in here!!!
I want to dive in deeper about:
Empathy
Belonging
Connection
Gratitude
Humility
Narcissism
Shame
These are the emotions that really caught my attention.
As you read the book, which ones do you want to learn more about?
Did you know that shame is the intensely painful feeling or experience of believing that we are flawed and therefore unworthy of love, belonging, and connection?
Did you know that narcissism is the shame-based fear of being ordinary????
Humility is openness to new learning combined with a balanced and accurate assessment of our contributions, including our strengths, imperfections, and opportunities for growth.
This book has blown my mind!!!
Brene Brown has done some amazing work here about connection.
When I started reading it, I thought I’d learn some new emotions, but she took all of those definitions and created an entirely new theory of cultivating meaningful connection.
And since connection is my jam, I can’t wait to learn even more!!
I hope you took the opportunity to read this book, and if you haven’t, I hope you will add it to your “Must Read” list!
Having the right definition of emotions that you are feeling, help you to develop a stronger connection to who you are and what you want.
It is the fastest way to reach the goals you want, instead of hoping someone else will find the solutions for you.
If you’d like a great little course to help you begin to create a connection with yourself, may I suggest Camp Connection?
The skills I teach you in this workshop will help you to become more aware of your thoughts and take the time to notice that you have more control over what is happening in your life than you ever realized.
Register for Camp Connection at hunkeedori.com/camp.
Tip Tuesday Video Link: https://youtu.be/1XqeeXuLsnY
Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/J5T_gJnYNNc
Sign up for a Free 30-minute consult: https://hunkeedori.com/Consult
Complete Show Notes and Blog Post:
Join the Keeping it Together Community: www.hunkeedori.com/community
Etsy Shop: http://hunkeedori.etsy.com
Hunkeedori Website: https://hunkeedori.com/