It is that time of the year, where the days get shorter and we find our daylight limited. I call this time of year, the wait period. Waiting for the ice to get nice, the ski resorts to open, avoiding avalanche danger and the downpour of rain the mountains offer. Yeah, it's basically the time of year I dread the most, because my depression seems to kick into high gear. After a rough year that kicked off its reign last November, I decided I was no longer going to be a prison to my depression.
I decided to be brutally honest with myself and re-examine the things that help me live a happier, healthy life. I am no expert and never will claim to be. But I want to share what it is I do to be the best me I can be throughout the winter and anytime of the year.
1. Acknowledge How You Feel/ Self-Awarness:
It is okay to look in the mirror and say, " I am not fine today." Being able to acknowledge where you are at, but not beating yourself over your emotions. It is okay to say, I am depressed and that does not define who I am. For me, I try to hold myself accountable for self-scans of my mind and body. The number one way I do this is with my yoga practice. I go to class 2 to 3 times a week to stay in tune. When I feel a certain way I feel it, I acknowledge the presence of the feeling. There is something empowering about being able to sit with your feelings and say, I am feeling this way and that is okay.
2. Friendship
Having friends that you can talk to and be there for you when you are not feeling too hot is very important. People who love you no matter what. It has also become a personal rule to not drag my support system down with negativity (or myself). Your friends hold you accountable when you feel like you cannot fight the depression alone.
3. Working Out
I make it a point to include cardio in my weekly routine. Sometimes it's just jumping on the stationary bike or row machine for 30 minutes. But most of the time it's going to a group class that pushes me and makes me work hard. Trust me, most of the time I would rather go straight home and crawl into bed after a long work day, but I feel so much better about myself after a work out.
4. Going Outside
I feel like this is a no brainer, but for me, it is probably the hardest one. It's COLD, and I don't like being cold, and I don't like getting rained on. Recently, I have made "getting outside" apart of my routine 4-5 days a week with my bike/walk routine. I get 15-30 minutes to and from work to be with my thoughts. To notice the beauty of the world around me, like cute squirrels or the changing of the colors of leaves. When the sun is out, even if I have only an hour, I make myself go hiking. Even if it's the local hiking spot. When I have a full day, I do everything to do a bigger hike.
5. Setting Small Goals
I am guilty, guilty of obsessing over the big mountains, the big picture. Recently, I have slowed down. Realized that small goals get you to the big goals. Maybe it's getting in a certain amount of mileage on the trails, having a route at the climbing gym as a project, or one winter goal. For me, that winter goal is becoming a decent skier.
6. Healthy Eating
We are what we eat. Yeah, it's cliche, but it works for me. I get lazy, it's easy to eat pizza, fast food, and out a lot when I do not want to cook. At the end of the day, what I put in the body has a lot to do with how I view my body. I put crappy food into it, I feel pretty crappy about myself. The thing that has worked best for me is cutting meat and processed food out of my diet. I've even made it a point to ensure that lunch and dinner are Vegan meals. It's amazing how little you crave bad food when you are eating healthy, yummy food.
7. Positive Self Talk
I have said some pretty terrible things about myself. Looked in the mirror and picked out ever imperfection. But you know what, that isn't good for me. I often repeat a few times a day, " I am capable, I am smart, and I am strong." I try not to let myself bad mouth me. I look in the mirror and focus on the positives that make me great. I don't allow myself to say things about myself that I would not say about my friends.
8. Routine
Sounds funny right? But working and having a routine helps me to keep my life in check. I am not consumed with my thoughts and I don't have a ton of free time to feel sorry for myself. I work a schedule that doesn't change very often. I have certain yoga and gym classes that I go to every week. In my opinion, we all crave a little bit of routine.
These are all just suggestions, but they have really helped me. I know that things will always be changing, but I hope by following along with these things I will be a better healthier me.
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