Depression and exercise help!!

kookanddra

I kept thinking this year was going to be different. This year was going to be great. Here we are 23 days into the new year and I don't think I have been more depressed in my life. These past 3 weeks have filled my home with the flu, vehicle problems & huge financial strain. I started MFP to get my self into a healthy living. I'm going to loose weight, exercise and find myself. I mean really find who I am. Now with these past few weeks literly kicking my behind, I don't want to get up in the morning and I can barely get myself off the couch when I get home from work. I brought shoes to work so maybe I can walk at lunch but is there something more out there that I can do to help get myself motivated? I have always been so spirited and happy. If I wanted to work out in the evening or go for a walk I would. I've never had to battle depression before like this and I'm really lost. I think exercise will make me feel a little bit better if I can get to that point where my body and mind can come to an agreement and move off the couch. Has anyone ever felt like this? If so what did you do to get you back?

jennmodugno

When I have depressive episodes, I don't give myself the option not to work out. It may start slow, but once I get moving I *always* feel better.

Also, are you giving yourself room to have treats? I avoid depression by eating my daily calories in "real" food, then eating my exercise calories in treats. It may not be as healthy, but as long as I don't go over my daily limit it's not going to slow my progress and it keeps me from feeling like I can't have the things I love to eat, which makes me depressed.

LoriIone

I am someone who has had real depression my whole life, taking meds for years...anyway I just have to tell you when your feeling like that, as hard as it is MAKE yourself get up and do something. After you will feel so much better!!! Also, maybe try taking a B vitamin supplement, that helps with depressions. Hang in there, I've been in your boat SO many time. Try not to sweat the small stuff! Things will come together! Good luck :happy: :bigsmile:

BerryH

What made a huge difference to me, especially this time of year when daylight is limited, is getting out for a walk at lunchtime. Both the gentle exercise and exposure to daylight will also help you sleep, and lack of sleep is often part of the depressive vicious cycle. I recently got a FitBit one and find the daily step goals very motivating, or you could set a challenge with MFP friends.

The main thing is to do something you enjoy, don;t punish yourself with exercise. There's a public swimming pool near my work and I often take myself off there for a lunchtime swim, which makes a great break in my day.

Good luck :flowerforyou:

MoonGypsyQ67

I am not certain if you are talking about clinical depression or just going through a rough spot, but I will try and keep this short and to the point. Don’t give up on yourself. That is the first rule and that means keep nourishing your body with good food choices and keep the exercise going. Some days are easier than others. If you can only sneak in a 15 minute walk here are there, DO IT! When I was having terrible panic attacks (and mild depression) years ago, my aunt told me to FORCE MYSELF to keep doing everything I did NOT want to do. It did not get better overnight and I suffered for months, but I just kept plugging away. You will have to keep telling yourself that you will get through it! I had to talk to myself ALL THE TIME to just keep myself going. Surround yourself with things that make you happy or bring you joy. Find affirmations and put them EVERYWHERE you will see them!!! They are NOT going to automatically snap you out of it, but it does help to focus more on positive things. It is so easy with depression to just spiral downwards and focus on negative things. Don’t get sucked in!!!! If the feelings get worse or you have any thoughts of suicide, please seek out help! Depression is very real and not something to mess around with so promise yourself that you will do everything you need to do to get through it.

aNewYear123

I heave felt the same way and making myself get up just doesn't work. I'll sit there and think about what I should be doing for an hour. The only thing that worked for me was to join a class. Pay a fee for a class that meets once a week for a certain number of weeks. Once I had somewhere I was expected to be I went, I couldn't just say I'm too tired today. It forced me to be accountable and actually go.

sweetsarahv

sometimes when i am feeling unmotivated and down in the dumps, i think about what good i am doing by NOT exercising or NOT eating right. You won't feel like this forever, and when you come out of it, do you want to be 50 pounds heavier?!!!?!?!

buddysmom35

I am someone who has had real depression my whole life, taking meds for years...anyway I just have to tell you when your feeling like that, as hard as it is MAKE yourself get up and do something. After you will feel so much better!!! Also, maybe try taking a B vitamin supplement, that helps with depressions. Hang in there, I've been in your boat SO many time. Try not to sweat the small stuff! Things will come together! Good luck :happy: :bigsmile:

I agree with what she said ^ ^. I know it can feel down right impossible - but try, even just a little - maybe a short walk. You will feel proud of yourself and that might help lift your spirits. ~take care

MaraDiaz

First question that came to mind is have you completely recovered from the flu? You might just need to take it easy a bit longer in order to heal. If so, do that then when you feel your energy come back start working out and correct your eating habits.

MoreBean13

It's a real catch-22. You know that working out will help the depression, but the depression makes you not want to work out. You have to just push through it and do it. Systematically eliminate any excuses you have, and just force yourself out the door. You don't need to move a mountain, just go for a walk, and then do it again the next day. I battled really severe depression in the past, and forcing myself to exercise was the turning point for me.

ShoshanahM

Hi- I've been through treatment for clinical depression twice. (Once in my early teens, and then again when I was 20.) Since then, I've found ways of managing stress and mood changes in a way that allows me to cope with hard feelings, but maintain some perspective while I do it. I've gone through a lot of hard times since I was last treated (about 7 years ago), but I've managed to not experience depression since then.

It sounds like you're going through a rough patch; it's good to take it seriously, but don't worry yourself sick about it. It's understandable that it's January (I'm not sure how the weather is where you are), and you're worried about your finances. This can snowball and start to feel overwhelming. My advice is to allow for some self-understanding and acceptance. You're experiencing stress, and you need to be understanding with yourself that it's taking a toll on your mood and energy. Identifying and redirecting negative self-talk is a major part of how I stay positive and motivated to accomplish things I want to/need to do in my day. Once you've accepted that it's natural and okay to feel overwhelmed, you can start taking small steps to lift yourself up again.

I'm not sure exactly what your situation is, but I'd suggest making a list of things you can do to address your financial situation. This way, you are facing a major source of stress head-on. Pick just one or two things from the list (even if they're small, such as sending some mail, planning the budget for the week, completing an employment application), and once you've completed them, you can cross them off the list, and feel the relief of getting some of the work out of your way. I know I tend to let things pile up and overwhelm me, and once I make a list and make little steps towards progress, I feel better.

You can also make a list of things you want to do for yourself: going for a walk, getting your laundry done, trying a new smoothie recipe, going to a Zumba class with a friend, etc. It's important to treat yourself well, and enjoy it!

If you're able to talk to a friend or therapist, this also helps take some of the load off of your mind. If you don't start to feel more like yourself in few weeks, or you start to feel desperate, I would definitely seek out a therapist or doctor who can refer you to someone to talk to.

krissy_krossy

I had a really rough year. Toughest one ever for sure, got depressed and pretty much did nothing but gain weight and mope for 7 months. Didn't help that I went off my meds in June.
Honestly though, exercise helps with it. People say it all the time and it turned out to be true. It was a huge PITA to get up the first few times to do it, but once I pushed through a week or two I felt a lot better. I started with eating better, lost a few pounds (which made me feel a bit better), then started walking the dog more, and then got a gym pass and I go.
It's not easy convince yourself to do something when your brain is acting wonky, but it's worth it.The more you exercise the easier it is; the less you exercise, the harder it is to get back into it, imo.

bokodasu

I work out in the morning because it helps fix my mood for the whole day. And I know this, but just knowing it isn't always enough to be motivating, because "I feel bad now" can pretty much always trump "doing this hard thing will make me feel better". One way I get going is to promise myself that if I get into the gym and I still feel bad, I can turn right around and go back to bed. I've only done that once (and it turned out I was really sick that day); pretty much as soon as I walk in the door it's like it's more effort to go home than to just do the workout, so I do it, and then I feel better.

Zicon

Do you have a workout buddy? Having some external motivation when your internal motivation fails can work wonders, and socialising a bit helps with depression, too. If no workout buddies can be found, then go for a class. Having a set time to be there and a program all done for you really helps.

w0nderkitten

It sounds like you are letting everything pile up on you; feeling pressure to sort it immediately. Granted certain practical things like cars HAVE to be sorted quickly but you have the year to reach your fitness and life goals. Finding the real you is a big task. Don't add to the pressure by thinking that you should already be well on your way to be a gym bunny less than a month into making lifestyle changes.

This year CAN be great. 23 days is nothing and you have had a lot on your plate. As someone has said already if you are recovering from the flu it will knock you down for weeks after and gentle exercise like walking might be the way to go. From what you have said it sounds like you don't have a history of clinical depression so this may well just be a blip. A lot of badly timed inconveniences stressing you out. This will pass. Once you are feeling physically well and your mind isn't on sorting out so many things at once you can focus on getting fit. Don't let a difficult start put you off. There will be ups and downs to your progress and they won't defeat you. However if you do find that this lack of motivation and ruminating on stressors continues for a month or so more, I would speak to your doctor.

I would also second the ideas of signing up to a class-particularly with friends so you are more likely to go and making sure that what you do is something you enjoy and not a punishment. I also find setting mini goals if you do something repetitive like walking, running or swimming helps get through it when you are really tired. Make a goal of what you really want to do i.e distance/time but tell yourself you'll only do half so it doesn't seem daunting (some is better than none!) then when you reach the halfway point tell yourself (e.g) just 10 more lengths/minutes, then do that and decide if you can do 10 more.