NAVIGATING EMOTIONAL LOWS

Do me a favor and take a moment to ask yourself the following questions.

Are you struggling with falling asleep, staying asleep, or sleeping too much? Are you chronically tired or have little energy? Poor appetite or overeating? Difficulty concentrating or making decisions? Feelings of guilt? All those questions indicate symptoms of depression, and if you answered “yes” to most of them, you might be fighting depression.

I know that might sound scary, it was scary to me when I asked myself those questions. Please understand depression and anxiety have dramatically increased during this time.

The good news is there are some steps you can take to help combat depression and anxiety.

1. BE KIND WITH YOURSELF

The fluctuating emotions, the lack of energy, and poor sleep are all connected to the daily stress we are experiencing. The tendency is to get down on ourselves for not feeling “normal,” which makes us feel worse. It’s a downward spiral.

Not every moment of every day is going to feel great. Maybe you are more aware of the emotions you are experiencing.

In the moments you catch yourself not at your best, acknowledge it, identify a cause of it, embrace it for a period, and then let go of it.

For example, if you are feeling sad, acknowledge that you are feeling sad and identify something that is making you sad. Next, give yourself permission to feel that sadness for an appropriate period of time, and then let it go. You may have to be kind to yourself multiple times a day.

2. STICK TO THE BASICS: EAT, SLEEP, EXERCISE.

• Eat: Try to eat something healthy every day. Food is fuel, and you need it to combat stress and overwhelming emotions. Eat an apple as a snack. Make sure you have something green on plate at least one meal a day. Cut bac on some of the snacks. Feed your body with something healthy every day.

• Sleep: Try to develop a regular sleep schedule. Many of us are home more now than normal, and it’s easy to go to bed late, sleep in, and take naps throughout the day. Changing sleep schedules can disrupt the quality of your sleep at night. Go to bed and get up at the same time every day.

• Exercise: Exercise releases endorphins, which triggers positive feelings. Simply getting out and take a walk every day will release endorphins.

Try these simple steps, and if your anxiety and depression continue, give me a call. I would love to team with you during this difficult time.

Until next time.