Depression has set in, and my attempts to lift my spirits

@patgalca (18370)
Orangeville, Ontario
January 21, 2017 1:47am CST
I've been feeling pretty blue lately. My husband has worked 5 straight days of 12-hour shifts arriving home at 8pm, eating and falling asleep shortly thereafter. So I've been pretty much alone. I have had no desire to go out, though the grocery list is growing. Maybe tomorrow. Honestly, I have been doing everything I can to lift my spirits. Because my daughter invited me to the work week challenge on Fit Bit, which is ridiculous because she is running around at work all day and I'm home all day. But I've been throwing myself into exercise including a couple of hours on the treadmill. Exercise is supposed to lift your spirits. It doesn't seem to have helped. Another method is to do volunteer work or do something for others. First, I cooked 4 dinners out of 5 this week. That's got to be a record for me. I also went to a meeting at church for a new prayer group and because I am the youngest of the group and the most tech savvy (i.e. I know how to type with all my fingers), I volunteered to be the coordinator of the team. It's all in my hands. So I am helping people by praying, organizing prayer, and offering to help the other team members. Seems like more work for me but I don't imagine this will be a very busy project. Besides, helping others is supposed to lift your spirits. Well... sort of. I've joined this new network of friends online. Because my daughter insists on watching Netflix I cannot live stream when the group is online. That kind of makes me feel a little left out of the group. I'm a little po'd at my daughter and the fact that for some reason Netflix gets internet priority over my computers and phone. So feeling a little left out brought me down a bit too. The weather has been gray and gloomy and today even foggy. Definitely not weather to cheer you up. As I was making dinner tonight I was on a vocal chat with some of the members of the group and that cheered me up considerably. But then the snapchat stuff happened (see previous post) and I felt out of it again. My friend that was in a car accident that is going to take her months and months to recover from texted me today saying how gloomy it was and depressing. I feel bad I haven't made an effort to get out and visit her again. I'm going to try next week but she has a couple of visitors coming and a lawyer's appointment. We'll see if we can fit a visit in. She has it worse than me and I should have reached out to her sooner. Good news, I lost 3 pounds this week. I've been reaching my 8 hours a night of sleep most nights, some nights not, some nights as much as 9, but Fit Bit indicates that there are several interruptions to my sleep throughout the night. So, I'm exhausted no matter how much sleep I get. I'm reaching my water drinking goals, and got my 10,000 steps I think twice since I started a week or so after Christmas. You'd think stuff like this would pick me up but I still feel left out of the group at times. And I haven't managed to get to my writing. Exercise has taken precedence. By the time that's done it's time to make dinner and then I'm too exhausted to focus. So I'm doing all the things you're supposed to do to help lift depression but I still feel kind of down. Maybe tomorrow will be a better day. We'll see.
8 people like this
8 responses
@NJChicaa (119652)
• United States
21 Jan 17
Winter is just a tough time of year I think. Even on medication I struggle with it.
2 people like this
@patgalca (18370)
• Orangeville, Ontario
21 Jan 17
Yes, winter really does bring people down. The lack of sunlight is playing a bigger role than I ever thought it did for me.
2 people like this
@NJChicaa (119652)
• United States
21 Jan 17
@patgalca I go tanning and even with that light I'm struggling.
2 people like this
@JudyEv (340278)
• Rockingham, Australia
21 Jan 17
I'm sorry you're so down. I guess all you can do is take it one day at a time.
2 people like this
@patgalca (18370)
• Orangeville, Ontario
21 Jan 17
Yes, it was a long week with hubby working long days the whole week (he usually works 4 on 4 off and is home shortly after 7 but he has been working a little later). I'm feeling better today though.
2 people like this
@tammys85 (30086)
• Baltimore, Maryland
22 Jan 17
I'm sorry. :( Maybe talk to your daughter and come up with a schedule so she knows during certain hours, Netflix is off-limits? We cannot have too many things streaming here either, which is really frustrating when we wanna use Netflix, YouTube and/or the WWE Network at once.
1 person likes this
@patgalca (18370)
• Orangeville, Ontario
22 Jan 17
The leader of the EZ Life group posted a link today to check your speed stream. Some people posted a picture of their results. Mine was the lowest with a note that indicated our stream was so low that only one streaming unit could be used at a time. I don't know whether I can call our provider and get it boosted or not. I had this conversation with my daughter's boyfriend in the room and he said that if we changed providers they would only be piggy-backing on the company who installed the lines when the houses were built, which is our provider now. So it wouldn't make a difference. My younger daughter said she notices a big difference when she goes back to university because they have a different provider there, possibly picking up from the States as they're close to the border, and internet is better at the city where her school is. Our limitations are probably due to the fact that we are living in a bedroom community outside of the big city of Toronto.
1 person likes this
@patgalca (18370)
• Orangeville, Ontario
23 Jan 17
@tammys85 Yeah, I supposed I could call them... AGAIN. For the fourth time in the last week and a half.
1 person likes this
@tammys85 (30086)
• Baltimore, Maryland
22 Jan 17
@patgalca Oooh. It may not hurt to call your provider about it. The worst they're going to say is "we can't do that".
@reskyyandi (3608)
• Indonesia
21 Jan 17
Uhh, that is really bad. I think you should go hangout with your friend so you dont get stress or depression
1 person likes this
@patgalca (18370)
• Orangeville, Ontario
21 Jan 17
I mentioned visiting her but she lives in the country and unless the weather is nice it is not recommended. And her long, long driveway is a sheet of ice right now. My weekend is busy so I have to wait until next week anyway. I wish I had called her sooner.
1 person likes this
• Indonesia
21 Jan 17
@patgalca hmm so sad for you
• Indonesia
21 Jan 17
@patgalca so sad for you
@mayameen (126)
• United Kingdom
22 Jan 17
I hope the new day is a better day. I would also suggest taking some natural remedies like herbs to rebalances hormones. Passion flower and valerian are great for depression mixed as a tea infusion. Aromatherapy oils lavender and sandalwood are great to be burned on a burner in the room. I am very much about the natural remedies for depression of late. Keep strong
1 person likes this
@patgalca (18370)
• Orangeville, Ontario
23 Jan 17
I like to use natural remedies but I have to be careful as some don't mix well with medications.
1 person likes this
@patgalca (18370)
• Orangeville, Ontario
26 Jan 17
@mayameen I do have a lavender candle in my room, as well as lavender oil. And I have a Himalayan Salt lamp which is supposed to help. I could probably use a bigger one, and in the room where I spend most of my time.
1 person likes this
@mayameen (126)
• United Kingdom
25 Jan 17
@patgalca Yes best to check first which ones. Oil burner of Lavender shouldn't have any side effects. Some relaxation techniques. Depression is a daily battle. But keep going and finding your way ?
1 person likes this
21 Jan 17
I'm sorry you feel so down even though you try your hardest to beat it out of you. My best suggestion is find a hobby that could perk you up. i know you did try Netflix, and exercise is a good way for the body and you also did try cooking but try something in line with your interest. why not try to get a good book and read an hour a day as a start or learn baking either make a cake or make a cupcake and also learn ways to decorate. Learn stuff you never dreamed of doing in the past like making soaps or candles. Try crocheting or knitting and make a blanket.
1 person likes this
@patgalca (18370)
• Orangeville, Ontario
21 Jan 17
The last thing I need is to be baking and bring fattening foods into this house. We finally got rid of all the chocolates we got for Christmas. I'm really not interested in any of those things. That's part of depression, lack of interest in anything. I didn't think the lack of sunshine over the winter ever bothered me, and maybe it didn't. But it's bothering me this year. Very gloomy rainy weather. I'm feeling a bit better today though.
1 person likes this
22 Jan 17
@patgalca that's good to hear you feel better today.. If not baking because with all those calories that it brings in the i would really push that you learn something new. Even if you're not into those things it will help little by little. Try indoor gardening since you mentioned it is winter - learn how to plant and make yield with tomatoes, cucumbers. If you don't know how try checking videos on YouTube. I know its hard but you need to work for it in order to beat what you're feeling. Don't let depression rule your life. Fight it! Anyways, we are here to help you out - talk it out.
1 person likes this
@marlina (154131)
• Canada
21 Jan 17
Better days are bound to come soon.
1 person likes this
@Slayqueen (918)
• India
21 Jan 17
Only you can make yourself happy..
1 person likes this