When you are in a slump it is very annoying. But not the end. you can figure it out yourself. Even if you don’t think so. You are capable of more things than you think. You just need to have a little confidence in yourself and learn to be proud of yourself. Everyone feels down every now and then. That’s very natural. It only becomes a problem if the dip lasts longer. You start to worry, become insecure, lash out at everyone, you don’t feel like doing anything anymore. These are things you have to tackle first to get better. Don’t get stuck with the why. That will come later. You can solve problems much better if you feel good about yourself.
Causes:
There can be a number of causes for a dip:
- Shocking events: Sometimes you experience things that are very unpleasant. then you feel like you are losing control. Those events could be anything. You may have lost someone, you may have had to deal with violence (physical, mental and sexual), or you may have acquired illness at a young age from someone you care about. In these cases it is especially important to take some time for yourself. Then you must be kind to yourself above all. Even though it is very difficult at such a moment. Find the people around you who let you be yourself and where you can express yourself.
- Personal characteristics: For example, if you tend to look more at the negative side or you have a negative self-image. Above all, you have to continue to make sure that you feel good about yourself. Maybe not just look at the outside world. But to yourself. Go to people who accept you as you are and want to help you.
- Change of environment: All new people around you can make you feel insecure. Then you shouldn’t ignore yourself. Show who you are. There will always be someone with whom you click.
- Predisposition: Depression can be hereditary. That doesn’t mean you’ll get it, but you can get it. That also depends on the factors around you. But everyone can get better.
Signals:
If you don’t feel well for a while, it doesn’t necessarily mean depression. It could also be a dip.
- You are gloomy, irritated, sad, empty, hopeless, lonely and down almost every day.
- You have little to no interest in daily/fun activities.
- You suddenly feel the need to eat a lot or very little.
- You no longer feel the need to take care of yourself.
- You have physical complaints without a clear cause.
- You sleep poorly, you cannot fall asleep or you sleep all day and can hardly get out of bed in the morning.
- You feel restless, busy and have difficulty sitting still.
- You are often tired, sluggish and have a lack of energy.
- You have difficulty concentrating, thinking or making decisions.
- You feel worthless or guilty.
- You think about death a lot.
If you notice 2 of these signals in yourself for a short time, then it is a dip. If the signals last longer or you have more than 5, it is advisable to see a doctor. Or take a course. There you can talk to people who feel the same.
Tips:
For worrying:
- If the worrying becomes too much, put a stop to it for yourself. Find what works best for yourself.
- Take a worrying period.
- During the worrying period, put everything down on paper and consider whether it is worth worrying about. Complete everything one by one. You will see that your mind is a lot more organized after fifteen minutes.
- Make a mood diary. This way you keep track of how you feel. Give yourself a point.
- Be kind to yourself. Take a nice bath or exercise. This way you have some distraction.
- Do fun things. Make a list of things you like. And every day you choose a fun activity.
For uncertainty:
- Don’t try to think for someone else. You don’t know at all what someone is thinking.
- Make a mood diary. Keep track of how you feel, what happened each day, what you did and give yourself a point.
- Make a list of good things about yourself and some less good things. The list of the good things should be as long as the list of the less good things.
- Don’t set too high standards for yourself. Step by step. And think of a half-full bottle instead of a half-empty bottle. Look at what you have already achieved.
- Make a GGG schedule. The G’s stand for event, thought, feeling. There is a thought between every event and feeling. It is difficult at first to detect that thought, but if you succeed, it will be very useful to you. You can correct your misconception from it.
- Be a little kind to yourself. Take a nice bath and use a nice shampoo or do some exercise. If you feel unhappy, it is best to live a healthy life. You will appreciate yourself for that.
- Make a list of fun activities. Do one of those activities once a day.
For a dip/depression:
- Regularity is very important. Go to bed on time, get up on time. Eat 3 times a day. Shower regularly. Walk the dog on time.
- Go exercise. Exercise works very well as a distraction. And your brain produces a certain substance during exercise that makes you feel better.
- Eat healthy. If you eat and exercise consciously, you will live a healthy life. This makes you appreciate yourself much more.
- Talk a lot to people you love.
- Think of all the good things in your life. Don’t get stuck in the negative.
- Plan fun things. So you have something to look forward to.
Above all, it is very important to have a little patience with yourself. You are never completely alone. If you’re having a hard time, harass that person until you drop. If that person cares about you, he/she will do it.