Depression and Some Hard Questions:Part Four

I am asking some hard questions. My intention is to help you know yourself better. In order to set up strategies to help you recover from depression, you need to know yourself. We have discussed your social, physical and emotional tendencies. Today I would like to ask you about your recreational life. In other words, what do you do for fun?

Okay, I know. Depression is NOT fun. But I am still going to ask you some questions.

When you want to have fun, what sorts of things do you enjoy doing? Don't rush into this answer. Take your time and make a list of the things you enjoy now, the things you used to enjoy before you suffered from depression and the things you would like to enjoy if you were totally well all the time.

Are you having any fun? Is there a possibility that doing something you used to love to do would add a little joy to your life?

How about some of your favourite childhood activities such as building a snowfort, or climbing a tree? Or dancing like you did when you were a teenager? Maybe you took up tennis as a young adult and haven't tried it for years.

Is there some activity you could try again that might make a difference? What have you got to lose?

For the last four posts I have been asking you some questions. I hope you have tried to answer them.

Now take your list of answers and see if you can circle some of the ideas that you might be able to use as one of your depression coping strategies.

A popular craft these days is scrapbooking. I have a theory why it is so popular. It take woman back to their childhood. Little girls love making scrapbooks, I know I did. Women who scrapbook can feel like little girls again.

One of my favourite childhood activities was swinging. Even now, if I take a walk in a public park, I will swing for awhile on the swings. For the few moments that I am swinging, I feel great. I love swinging. It is a little depression getaway for me.

How about you? If you have come up with something helpful, I would love you to share it if you can. We all need some encourgement.

Depression is hard. When you are truly in the lowest depths of depression you wouldn't be able to do any of these questions, let alone the strategies I am encouraging you to come up with. But when you are feeling okay, but not great, these strategies can make a lot of difference. And if you don't have strategies in place when you are well, then you will have nothing to fall back on when you are not well.

I have a silly post for you tomorrow.

For a dose of laughter medicine click here.

May Dipsy Doodling Around Depression be better than a therapy session!

Don't give up, I'm praying for you!

Wendy Love