Hump Day, Get Over Your Bump Day!

Good morning everyone. I wanted to check in with everyone and give you the chance to share your story. This winter has seemed longer this year… Hence the trip to Arizona! I’ve found it harder to stay in Washington through the winter and hope to plan a trip once a year to some place warm and sunny 💛 I wanted to write about ways we cope with depression, sadness, SAD(Seasonal Affective Disorder/Seasonal Depression) and those random bumps in the road that we face as humans. While I was in Arizona I noticed a few things, and a friend who also went to Arizona at the same time said the same thing: we both noticed that our joints didn’t hurt while we were in a warmer climate and we didn’t have muscle aches like we do here. Most likely because we weren’t tensing up and constantly shielding our bodies against the cold. Aside from seasonal depression, I wanted to ask how you deal with bumps in the road all year round. I have a couple things I do on a regular basis that I know will instantly lift me up when I’m feeling down and make me feel healthy and accomplished while doing it. When I’m feeling sad for whatever reason, my go-to is to run! Even running a mile or two will immediately give me a sense of accomplishment, feelings of worthiness, confidence and empowerment. It’s a way to feel good in my body while also feeling like I’m doing something worthwhile. The combination of being active, and feeling good while doing it, is a sure fire way to pick my mood up! Another thing I like to do, when I can’t run, is write! I used to journal a lot in my high school/young adult days, but now I like to take my experiences and turn them into a story. This helps me get things off my chest while also using creativity to do it. It also gives me a sense of accomplishment as I eventually turn my story into a novel or short story.

Another thing I’ve been doing lately is spending time with a friend or other positive person who will lift me up, give me advice and just laugh/spend time with. In the past when I was feeling down, I would often retreat from others and curl up into my hole; but I found that this just feeds my depression and causes me to dig myself into a deeper hole. I agree, however, that sometimes going off on your own whether it be going for a drive, spending time at the beach, spending time in nature, etc… is often necessary for us to recharge and find answers to questions we needed to ask ourselves. As an Introverted person, I often need time alone to recharge, but instead of spending my alone time at home, I find it helpful to get out while doing it. There are healthy and unhealthy ways to cope with these Bumps in the Road; luckily, I found running at an early age and it has been my constant companion that has kept me focused and has helped me cope with feelings of sadness/depression when I get in these moods. What are some of the things you do to improve your mood when you’re feeling down? Do you find yourself resorting to unhealthy habits to cope? Share your story in the comments below!