You have spent the last couple of months hiding from people. You were telling them you were busy with work or other things, but in reality, you were busy sleeping, eating junk food, and listening to depressive music. Maybe they didn’t notice that you were depressed.
But now that you decided to climb out of the depressive mode, there are 8 things you are doing that others may not realize you are doing only because you are healing from the depressive episode that you’ve been in.
1. YOUR SLEEP PATTERNS CHANGED
You’ve been following a certain sleep pattern for years. Maybe you were always going to sleep around 10:00 pm and waking up at 6:00 am. But, you were experiencing a depressive episode about a month ago and you began spending a lot of extra time in bed attempting to escape from everything that was happening around you and mainly trying to shut out your emotions.
And even though you are getting out of your depressive episode and out in the bed, still your sleep patterns are different. You may be feeling overwhelmed during the day and still needing a nap or having troubles sleeping at night and staying up late. So, your friends may be wondering what you are doing online at 1:00 am.
2. YOU HAVE BECOME VERY SENTIMENTAL OUT OF A SUDDEN
You may find yourself suddenly wanting to spend a lot more time with your friends after being isolated for a month. Also, you may find yourself overly sensitive and vulnerable to their words or actions. You may even be overly affectionate, giving hugs to others just because. And your friends may see you as being extra loving, but the reality is that you are just thankful that you didn’t lose those you love.
3. YOUR APPETITE IS ALL OVER THE PLACE
One day you forget to eat, only to spend the next two days eating everything in sight. Your appetite is prone to change when you are coming out of a low phrase. Smells may be less intense, colors dulled, and everything may seem to you turned upside down.
4. YOU START POSTING MOTIVATIONAL THINGS ON SOCIAL MEDIA
It is normal for people who are coming out of a depressive mode to look for things that inspire and motivate them. You might look for affirmations, motivational quotes, and inspirational stories because you want to get your life back in normal. In addition, you may feel so inspired and in awe with this motivational stuff that you can’t help but post it on social media.
5. YOU LISTEN TO MUSIC ALL THE TIME
You find music as the best therapy for you. Music helps you stay mindful, it energizes you, lifts your spirit and improves your mood instantly. So, you find yourself listening to songs that make you feel all pumped up and happy. Maybe you even decided to go old school listening to pop and dance hits from the 90s and people around you are wondering what’s going on with your choice of music.
6. YOU BUY SOMETHING EVEN IF YOU DON’T REALLY NEED IT
Yes, shopping therapy is a real thing and you are a living proof. You get out of the house even for window shopping only and if you happen to find something which makes you feel beautiful, then what’s the harm in buying it? You definitely find yourself buying a lot of things during this period. Many people would think that you are only wanting to feel attractive, but they don’t realize that you are in a healing process.
7. YOU CLEAN SOMETHING
During your depression, all your organizational skills have probably gone out of the window. Even simple tasks like loading your dishwasher were too difficult for you. So, after you decided to come out of it and heal yourself, you find yourself cleaning your house and getting rid of the mess that you’ve let pile up.
8. YOU LOOK FOR SOMETHING TO FEEL PASSIONATE ABOUT
You are looking for anything that will keep you busy and ‘out of your thoughts.’ During this period you may decide to pick up a new hobby, start a new routine, or continuing to do something you were once passionate about. Your friends, of course, don’t suspect a thing because you were always someone who was trying new things.
Depression can hit anyone, anytime. And everyone feels it differently and has different ways of coping with it.
These 8 things are the most common, but of course, every person is unique. Self-awareness is essential as well as awareness of others around you if you want to help yourself or others who suffer from depression and make a change in their life.
Image: Normen Gadiel
