10 Questions I Ask When I Begin to Feel Depressive Symptoms
Sometimes I get hit with depressive symptoms seemingly out of nowhere . Maybe I'll wake up to tears in my eyes, low energy, or low desire to do what I need to do (what the psych folks call anhedonia).
I don't believe these symptoms to be spontaneous; rather, they seem to derive from an accumulation of ignored feedback. I'm often tempted to make massive behavioral shifts (e.g. move to the Caribbean, Wyoming, Bali). Yet, subtle behavioral changes can yield great results.
Before going into the questions of how to relieve yourself of depressive symptoms, I want to first encourage acknowledging and accepting them. Feel where the sadness is in your body. Sit with it and see where it goes when you bring it under the light of attention. It's easy to convince ourselves that these feelings are always present, but like most things, it's often transient. Notice when the feelings arise and when they subside. "Whatever we resist, persists," so getting to a place of curiosity and acceptance has helped me more than anything.
Now for the questions. I encourage looking for the real answers and writing them down. I say this for 2 reasons: (1) writing it down makes it all less scary, and puts distance between you and the feelings. (2) looking for the real answers helps you see what's actually going on, and helps you avoid generalities and exaggerations. For instance, "how often have I been exercising?" can be answered concretely if you use MindBody to sign up for classes, or us an app like Strava- you can see exactly how many times you exercised this month.
What have I been eating?
I'll refrain from diving deep into the weeds here. Food can tremendously alter your mood. Especially, when it comes to your gut health. {add statistic} In addition to eating well (I'll let you define that), I eat a fork-full of sauerkraut every morning, drink a glass of Athletic Greens, and drink a tall glass of ginger+turmeric tea (here's a link of how to make. All the energy, no jitters). Kombucha also does the trick- just need to figure out how to make myself so I don't have to spend $4 a bottle.
How often have I been exercising?
I primarily track this through the MindBody app, as it's linked to all the yoga studios I go to. I also check my YouTube history to see what classes I've done on there.
How has my sleep been?
you can track hours, but I'd also analyze how rested you feel in the morning. Quantity doesn't necessarily equal quality when it comes to sleep. This is the only book I've read on sleep. I really only skimmed it, but it helped a lot.
My sleep is also aided with GABA, Magnesiums Citrate, and Olly Immunity Sleep
Who have I been spending most of my time with? What do we talk about? What's the general mood? Do they often complain?
Have I been meditating?
What books have I been reading? What TV shows/movies have I been watching? What music am I listening to? How do I feel during and after I consume those?
How much time have I spent on social media? (look at the "Screentime" in your settings on your phone)
How much sunlight have I gotten?
Have I been taking my supplements?
Emphasis on Fish Oil and SAM-e. You could also try 5-HTP.
Of course, consult a doctor.
How is my posture?
It is said that depression can't exist in a powerful, positive posture. Picture someone sad in your mind- what do you see? (Actually do it if you want). Most likely you see someone slumped over, eyes down, chin down, shoulders slumped down, frown.
Instead, you can stand tall, shoulders back, chin up, deep and slow breaths to your belly, eyes up, smiling.
These questions all get at behaviors that, if out of balance, can lead to depressive symptoms. If all of these check out, and the symptoms persist (or lead to a full depressive episode), I certainly recommend medical attention. I should probably also add a disclaimer about not being a medical person etc. This is just what works for me.
Listen to your symptoms and what they have to teach you about your life and decisions. And then hopefully, these questions will help lead you to greater understanding of their origin, and hopefully peace.