074: What to Do When You Just Aren't Feeling Up to It

Blue days happen.

I'm talking about the blues that might be signaling an oncoming storm of feeling down or worse, a bout of depression.

However the blues hit you its common for those emotions to drag you into an abyss of hopelessness.

This is where a strong sense of self-awareness is helpful.

Perhaps you can feel the blues coming on or maybe an emotional ambush sets it in motion.

Knowing your triggers as well as where to find the light at end of your approaching dark tunnel gives you the help you need to avoid getting swept up in the blues.

From the outset, I'm not dismissing the real, gut-kick you might be experiencing that could actually be pure, unfiltered depression.

And if there's an indication that its headed down that path don't delay getting some professional help (those blues are real and they ain't playin').

Let's circle back and talk about those blue-days when you just aren't feeling up to it (whatever IT is).

Life goes on whether or not you choose to engage.

And engaging when you aren't feeling motivated to do so could have a lot to do with your attitude and actions before, during, and after your bout with the blues or being depressed.

Hope is a powerful resource when you aren't feeling so hopeful and some compelling habits can help you reset yourself when the blues hit you

If you're feeling the blues coming on or you're bordering on a season of depression take action before you plummet and even if you've already plummeted.

• Stick with a routine
• Seek resources
• Survive through renewal

Stick with a routine

Daily or momentary routines are predictable but they're also empowering.

A routine or ritual is the one thing you can have uncompromised control over.

You do it. It's done. You feel better having done it.

My personal routine jump-starts my day (and coffee isn't even #1).

Here's my common daily routine:

• Prayer and scripture meditation
• Yoga
• Coffee and breathing fresh morning air
• Journaling

And I do these even before the most common ones I'm about to remind you of - the standard routines that could have a surprising impact on your bluesy season.

You might not be inclined to follow my above mentioned routines (though I would encourage you to give 'em a try if you aren't currently doing so) but the following and simplest of routines can make a world of difference, especially when you're in a blue-season.

• Make your bed: the discipline of making your bed when you awaken gives you a sense of control over your day and whatever dark cloud of emotions are circling overhead.
• Take a shower: feeling sluggish naturally aligns with being unkempt...so wash up and you might wash off some of that bluesy funk you're carrying around.
• Get dressed: pjs and robes are for sleeping and lounging not for living and thriving past your waking hours.

Simple routines could be the secret to keeping the blues away or at least giving you a pathway out.

Seek resources

You're not the first to experience the blues or depression.

And you won't be the last.

Someone, somewhere, right now is or has discovered a way to the clear skies above the dark clouds.

Is there really any excuse for wallowing around in the blues?

In fact, if the blues have become your crutch you really should deal with that by seeking some help before it worsens to a toxic level.

If you're looking for a no-excuses approach to actually confronting and dealing with the blues...

• Read more: books carry you to another world of experience or they carry you into new ways of thinking about whatever you're facing.
• Save and savor useful quotes: brief sound-bytes of wisdom from a fellow blues-traveler can inject some emotional adrenaline into your current mindset and change your mood.
• Ask the hard questions: an inquiring and curious mind creates a resourceful response to whatever has got-you-down.

Survive through renewal

Debby-downers or Danny-depressed (no offense to the Debby's or Danny's out there) might give you nothing more than a sense that you're not the only one singing the blues.

But your survival rate will plummet if you expect that surrounding yourself with the complainers and victim-minded will give you hope.

If anything, they become a reflection of what you would best avoid.

If you're looking to crowd-source your blues and find renewal:

• Get around replenishing people who build you up and challenge you
• Recall memorable places that stoke your happiness and joy
• Hold onto restoring things that create compelling memories or that energize your creativity

Hope can give you relentless energy to power through a bout with the blues when you take responsibility for your emotional well-being

• Stick with a routine
• Seek resources
• Survive through renewal

Press on...

Eddie