I’m alive! As you may recall, I wrote not long ago about some difficulties I have been dealing with, and the consequent depression and lack of energy that has kept me from being more active on here. I’m happy to say that I have begun climbing out of the pit. And in case it’s helpful for anyone else, I want to share a few things that have helped me.
It started when I was chatting with my sister. Several very young children, including learning disabilities; a husband always at work or night classes; and now isolation thanks to Covid-19. And she does all the chores in the home by herself: laundry, dishes, pickup, etc. And with school closed she now has to educate the kids, too.
So I asked her, how did she do it?
“I read a bunch of books on how to be a good CEO.” When she speaks, her words punch. “And they all agreed that You need a schedule. So I made a schedule. And when I stick to it, I find everything gets done and I have more time. So I can schedule in more.”
I think the world of my little sister. So I gave her recommendation a shot. First I made a schedule just for my professional work. And after a week of sticking to it, I found I felt much more productive and much less weighed down.
After a couple more weeks, things were going well, so I started scheduling some of my private life as well: when to sleep, that sort of thing. A regular sleep schedule in particular helped my mood a lot.
And with more energy, I scheduled in daily exercise. That was a game changer. Just 10 minutes a day. Everyone said that good sleep and exercise are important for getting out of depression, it’s just that I couldn’t summon the mental and emotional energy to do so. Until I made a schedule.
Welcome back!
Glad you found a process that works. I can tell you that the schedule idea works for me. Without that, I’d be pretty much done.
Thank you, Crow! And thanks for sticking around while I was gone. 🙂
Glad to see you on the blog! Schedules and lists don’t work for everybody, but they definitely changed my life for the better the past year. Happy that it’s working for you!
Thank you! And hey, we’re almost done with the Toradora collab: would you be interested in doing another series? I’ve really enjoyed this one.
That would be fun!! Not sure I can commit at this moment, but we can definitely talk about it after Toradora!
Great, no worries! 😁
I’m glad to hear you’re coming out of the dark tunnel of the soul. Schedules, lists, help me to some extent, but also can create overwhelm, so use with caution. Meanwhile, welcome back! (sneak in ten minutes of meditation)
Thanks, foovay! You’re absolutely right, it’s a balancing act between too much and too little. And yeah, I make sure to get my quiet time each day, it really helps.
It is a constant balancing act. For life. Sorry. But you do learn little coping methods as you go along that will work for you. Always be open to suggestions, too. Even if some of them make you want to clobber the person suggesting it and then say “there, now I feel better”!