Coping with Depression
Firstly, I need to apologise for the lack of blogs for Run Talk Run. Part of me feels ashamed and guilty for not writing or reaching out the community of Run Talk Run. However, I think I just needed space from everything to get my head back on track.
Over the last few weeks/months I personally have been struggling mentally. I have found I have lost my mojo with a lot of things, especially with running. Which has always been my way of coping with my depression. So many things have happened, which has made living hard.
I know everyone has had their own problems especially with lockdown and everyone has their own stories. For me, I joined Run Talk Run last year when my relationship wasn’t going well. Beginning of this year I thought things was going well. Than lockdown happened and it got worse. I had pulled my Achilles in my left foot which restricted me from running, that made my mood spiral. I’ve done some stupid things to myself to try to end things. Things are slowly improving, just seems hard at the moment as I don’t have much work and he is working from home (no space).
Today I have decided to open up and to get back into a healthy head space. To reconnect with Run Talk Run and start writing these blogs again. (I have so many ideas to share with you!).
So to start off with, I have found some tips with coping with depression (wish I had found these at the beginning):
Stay in Touch - Don’t withdraw from life. Socialising can improve your mood. Keeping in touch with friends and family means you have someone to talk to when you feel low.
Be more active - Take up some form of exercise (keep up with your exercise routine and/or find another form of exercise). There’s evidence that exercise can help lift your mood. If you haven’t exercised for a while, start gently by walking for 20 minutes everyday.
Face your Fears - Don’t avoid the things you find difficult. When people feel low or anxious, they sometimes avoid talking to other people. Some people can lose their confidence in going out, driving or travelling. If this starts to happen, facing up to these situations will help them become easier.
Don’t drink too much alcohol - For some people, alcohol can become a problem. You may drink more than usual as a way of coping with or hiding your emotions, or just to fill time. But alcohol won’t help you solve your problems and could also make you feel more depressed.
Try to eat a healthy diet - Some people don’t feel like eating when they’re depressed and are at risk of becoming underweight. Others find comfort in food and can put on excess weight. Antidepressants can also affect your appetite. (I you are concerned about weight loss or weight gain or how antidepressants are affecting your appetite, talk to you GP.)
Have a routine - When people feel down, they can get into poor sleep patterns, staying up late and sleeping during the day. Try to get up at your normal time and stick to your routine as much as possible. Not having a routine can affect your eating. Try to carry on cooking and eating regular meals.
Some of these tips are quite obvious but we all need reminded. We all need to remember that Run Talk Run is there anytime if anyone wants to chat about anything.
Thank you
Rachel xx