Do you ever feel like you’re often the one people turn to in times of difficulty and despair? The one who people seek advice from when they’re in a dilemma? Or even the one they simply just want to vent to? Have you always had a natural desire to help others? If you’ve nodded whilst reading and your answer is yes to any of these questions, then hopefully this post will well resonate with you! Or perhaps you know a few people this applies to.

In light of Mental Health Awareness Week, I figured it was the perfect time to share my experience with depression. I’ll also be sharing some helpful tips on how to cope, so be sure to read to the end!

There’s a difference between having a bad day or feeling sad and having depression. People often have it misconstrued. In fact, so many people are quick to say, “I’m so depressed”, without having any real understanding of what that actually means. The ignorance of using the words ‘depressed’ or ‘depression’ in vain is quite frustrating and inconsiderate! Depression is a tree with various branches and leaves. It also has many forms and can affect people in diverse, unimaginable ways. Going through depression is like a rollercoaster of emotions with no one there to turn it off when you yell “STOP!”

Depression affected my ability to sleep, work and socialise. It even affected my eating habits and ability to complete typical daily tasks, such as house chores. This may sound shocking to some, but that was truly my reality. People often neglect the fact that although depression is a mental illness, it also has an immense impact on one’s physical health and capabilities. It is battling with extreme low mood whilst sometimes feeling numb and disengaged.

So… Now that I’ve given you a brief visual of what I endured, I hope you’ll bear with me as I endeavour to take you on a journey through my tumultuous experience.

Social media can be quite overwhelming when you’re trying to figure your life out – especially when timelines are flooded with snapshots of people’s success and (seemingly) lavish lifestyle. We are drawn to measuring our success against another person’s highlight reel. What we see on social media is rarely ever a complete picture or accurate representation of a person’s life – yet somehow we often fall prey to the comparison trap.

One day I was on the treadmill at the gym. I already felt a lack of energy and motivation before I arrived. As I was speed walking, I kept feeling exhausted and after only a few minutes in, felt dizzy. I had already felt that enough was enough. I wanted to give up! The voice of doubt crept in and told me there was no point in continuing. After 10 minutes, I decided to go on the cycling machine in the hope that I would feel less dizzy and still resume with exercise. I ended up doing 25 minutes of cycling, which may seem minor to some people, but was a triumph for me in that moment. I began to reflect on WHY I had even decided to go to the gym in the first place.

It’s the day after Valentine’s Day and while some are buzzing with happiness, others may be crippled with loneliness, so I decided to write about the seasonal pressures and the importance of self-love at this time.

The 14th of February has always been that one day people choose to go out of their way, making elaborate gestures to show their love. In fact, I can remember the hype of Valentine’s Day from as early as Primary School. Many of us received cards in our trays from ‘secret admirers’ in an attempt to make us feel special.

I thought the best way to kick-start my blog would be through sharing what I learned in 2017, and how these lessons have put me in better stead for this year. I hope that you can relate to some, or even better, gain more wisdom and understanding from some of these.

The Author & Curator

I'm a conscientious, creative empath from London; blogging about love, lifestyle, faith and general life lessons.
I am enthusiastic about discussing relationships, mental health, young people, education and more. I strongly believe in finding one's true purpose in life; so I'm sharing my thoughts, reflections and lessons I've learnt along the way.
💜

Follow Blog via Email

Enter your email address to follow the Gifted Lily Blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.