depression is silent
you never hear it coming
and suddenly it's
the loudest voice in your head
- Rupi Kaur
Many of my clients are living with depression. And I think it's safe to say many of us have felt depressed at least one point in our lives. A lonely, complicated and sometimes infuriating diagnosis. You've been labeled as "having depression." Awesome, great... all of the feelings you have been feeling, or numb to in many cases, have been validated. There may be a sigh of relief, albeit quick. An exhale. A "wow someone actually is listening to how I feel" moment. But then the action steps come into play. Now what? Meditation, more exercise, more nutrients, better sleep, energy healing, supplements or medication? A little bit of each?
Sounds easy to make these changes when your mind is working clearly, but what about for those who can't even imagine getting out of bed? Or someone who sees something on the floor that needs to be picked up and can't imagine bending down? The thoughts of changing up their diet, or adding more to do during the day feels insurmountable. Depression is dark and it fucks with your thoughts. The "well just do it" approach doesn't usually work because even though you may wholeheartedly want to feel better, your body and mind is comfortable where it is. It fears change.
Through my work on myself in the past and on my clients, I have learned that you can't run from depression. It's a scary little word that can rob you of your life, and make you feel detached from your body and soul. You want to slam the door shut and make it go away. But you can't turn away from it. It will sneak in even deeper. ALL of our emotions are safe to feel. Even depression. YES, even depression. We must feel it to heal it. But...we want to try our best to release the depression before it consumes us. It's a sneaky little fucker.
So what do you do on these low low days, or weeks, or months, or years when you feel consumed by depression? You do one little thing. JUST ONE. Will it feel easy and natural? Nope. It will feel hard and most likely you'll resist it. And my "one little thing" will not be the same as yours. You may need a friend or partner to help you make that first step, even if it's a teeny tiny step. You might hate them for reminding you to do your "one little thing" today. But they know you're worth it.
Your "one little thing" may be different today than it will be tomorrow. Maybe this is because tomorrow you'll feel braver than you do today, or maybe it's because you saw the sunshine and it gave you a glimpse into a day when you felt lighter.
There is hope. There is light. There is love. In every day. And it's ok if today you don't see it. Because guess what? Each day is different, and maybe tomorrow you will.
"One little thing" ideas:
* drink a glass of water with lemon and salt when you wake up
* get off autopilot by making one change in your daily routine
* breathe deeply 5 times, maybe just one round today, that's ok
* sit outside for 5 minutes
* put one hand on your forehead and one on your head for as long as you can
* take a 2 minute walk
* write down three things you're thankful for
* plan a fantasy trip
and here you are living
despite it all
- Rupi Kaur
** An example of what my sessions with clients living with depression focus on. Releasing resistance to healing, releasing resistance to feeling depression, and releasing secondary gains to why they're holding onto the depression. We look at the creation point of when the depression started, along with releasing energy from the brain to help clear out some of the heaviness. We also release any limiting beliefs, (like "I am unworthy).
