Depression, Some Days Are Just A Hot Mess

Everyday is not perfect.  If I ever give that impression I am sorry for it.  There are some days that just are not good.  On blogs and family photos we give our best impression.  Even at work or in gathering places we try to give our best impression, but that is not always the reality of the way it is.  Have you ever heard the term “hot mess”.  Ha, ha, it is not a good phrase, or is it?  I realize I may not have the exact definition of that slang phrase right, but I do know that Saturday I was a hot mess.  No I mean I really was a hot mess.  We had been on the beach from 11:00 am till 6:00 pm.  The weather was fantastic but I was still ready for a shower and a chair that did not have sand in it.  I also did not have a great attitude.  I would not have given anyone a good impression. My grandson felt the same way.  He had had enough too, and he was having no problem expressing himself at that moment.  We were all hot and messy.  I am posting this unattractive picture to show you exactly the mess I was in.

See, I want you to know that life is not perfect everyday.  Everyone does not look like they have stepped out of a Glamour magazine ad all of the time.  Some days you just do not feel like getting out of bed.  Some days you may not feel like talking to people or fixing your hair or even eating.  The saying, “Life is not always a picnic” is true.  Things happen in life. Tragedy and adversity strike at some point in life.

MY LIFE IS NOT ALWAYS PERFECT

We look at other people’s lives with envy sometimes.  It looks like they have it all together, right.  Like, everyday together.  I had a girlfriend ask me how I kept my house so clean with four children onetime.  I almost choked on my coffee, because my house wasn’t so clean ALL OF THE TIME.  No, it really wasn’t.  Even now it is not and my children are grown and gone.  My life is not all put together everyday of the month or year.  I have bad days.  I even have bad weeks.  The word we do not like to say is we are all depressed sometimes.

DEPRESSION IS REAL

Depression is real.  It is a feeling that sometimes can not be defined out loud in our life.  Sometimes I can not even tell you why I am depressed.  There is no real explanation for it, but it is still there.  When I was younger I could blame it on hormones.  🙂  That is a favorite of the Ob-Gyn doctor.  Truth is hormones may have had a little to do with it but there are a lot of other explanations as well.

How can I combat depression?  It is a real problem some days with some real things you can do to prevent it from even starting.  If you need to see a doctor about your depression than do.  If it affect your life more often than not,  see someone about it.  Don’t be embarrassed by depression.  Life is too short not to get enjoyment out of it.  There are some solutions for fighting depression.  The ones I am listing are for the occasion days of feeling depressed.  Seeking medical help is also a solution.

GET ENOUGH SLEEP

This may sound so elementary, but  the amount of sleep I get directly correlates with the way I feel about my day.  If I wake up tired I am ill the rest of the day.  Usually my lack of sleep has a lot to due with my attitude and laying in bed longer after the alarm goes off does not help.  Sleep Deprivation  is a real thing.   It can create all kinds of problems.  To read more about that click on the link attached.  It talks about the physical damage done when we do not get enough sleep.  I know personally I can have a terrible attitude when I can not sleep.  I see things out of per portion.  I can even think properly.   Do whatever you can to protect your time of rest and make sleep easier to obtain.  7-8 hours a night are a necessity for the body and mind to rejuvenate.

EAT HEALTHY

How many times do we see this as a solution for a lot of health problems. It is so true.  Our bodies do not get the most benefit from all the processed foods we eat.  If focusing on what you can not eat it too much for you, then focus on what you can eat.  Make your daily diet of the most colorful foods you can think of .  The more colorful your plate the better it is for you.  Your mind and your body will thank you.

DRINK PLENTY OF WATER

Try to drink at least half of your body weight in H2O.  So if you weight 150lbs you should drink 75 ounces of water.  Drink it all day long, not just at one sitting.  Depression has many layers.  Keeping your mind and body happy contributes to your well being.  Keeping the cells in your body hydrated makes them happy also.  The hydration is important for your brain and body.  There is an article about this, HOW HYDRATION CONTRIBUTES TO DEPRESSION. Click on this link and you can read about that as well.

GET UP AND GET MOVING

This is essential.  If there is anything I taught my children in life is that you can not cave in to your feelings.  Your feelings will lead you astray.  When you wake up with that heavy weight on your chest and in your mind make yourself move.  Move to the shower, brush your teeth, eat something, go for a walk, talk to the cat, dog or whatever, but get yourself moving.  I have gotten the phone calls many times from my college student when something tragic has happened in their lives and we have had to talk through some intervention right then at that moment and just a little side not here,  what one person thinks is tragic may not be what you think is tragic.  Never the less to them it is and be thoughtful about that point.  The biggest advice I would give them in that moment is to get up!  Get up and get moving.  Do not lay in the bed under covers in a dark room.  Do not drink alcohol.  Do drown in your sorrows.  Make yourself get up and get moving.  This is so important.  You maybe just going through the motions but the motions may get your through.

You know depression is real.  Sometimes it last for days and sometimes it  last for moments but it is still real.  If it is so bad that you can not function or you have thoughts of harming yourself,  SEEK HELP!  All depression is not the same.  For some it is fleeting and just about our feelings for today, but for some it last longer and professional help is needed.  The medicines available today are better than the ones 10 years ago.  Just don’t let depression linger.  Get some help.  Try the things that we talked about but if you need professional help than seek it out and do not let someone tell you, your depression is not real, because it is.  Honestly, Janet