| It's no secret that unemployment can be depressing. | | | | yourself an opportunity to engage the larger world. |
| For many, the initial news can be followed by days of | | | | Laugh at funny movies, listen to jokes, practice laughing |
| laying on the couch eating Cheetos and watching TV. | | | | at every opportunity. If you are feeling at a loss for |
| Perhaps you just can't believe that you no longer have | | | | what will make you laugh have a funny movie night |
| somewhere to go in the morning. And the idea of | | | | where you watch nothing but comedies. Humor |
| putting in the energy to get another job sounds | | | | lightens our spirits, relaxes are bodies, and connects us |
| overwhelming. characterized by numbness, disbelief | | | | to other people. |
| and even lethargy. While for most people this period is | | | | 3. Connect to people who love and energize you. Ever |
| a pretty natural response to loss, you can take one of | | | | see the Saturday Night Live character Debbie |
| the many online depression tests or seek help from a | | | | Downer? She can turn any event sour with her dour |
| qualified mental health counselor if you feel like it is | | | | view of the world. We all know people like this. Maybe |
| seriously disrupting your life. For those who are | | | | you even are one. What matters most is that when |
| experiencing mild depression, this article offers some | | | | your energy is low you spend time with people who |
| tips on how to move forward. | | | | can fill you up. You can't afford to give away your |
| Bruce Levine, Ph.D. argues, in his book Surviving | | | | precious reserves to other people while you are |
| America's Depression Epidemic that, as a nation, we | | | | recharging. Make a list of people that fill you up and |
| are drowning in depression. We have become so | | | | make plans to spend time with them. |
| disconnected from each other and from the world | | | | 4. Imagine the possibilities. When you are depressed, it |
| around us that it is hard to keep our heads above | | | | can often be hard to see your way beyond the end |
| water even when we are working. The high rates of | | | | of the day much less into having your next job. Giving |
| anti-depressant medications that people take (maybe | | | | yourself the space to imagine what yourself working |
| as high as one in eight people) are a good sign of this. | | | | can go a long way in motivating you to keep on |
| Working helps distract many of us from the emptiness | | | | looking. Having the sense of possibility seems to also |
| we are feeling so losing our work can be a real wake | | | | open up your field of visions so that you see |
| up call. For others, their identity is built around their work | | | | opportunities that you might otherwise miss. The |
| so being unemployed is like not being a person. | | | | easiest way to do this is to set five to ten minutes |
| The beginning of coming out of depression, as far as | | | | aside. Begin by doing about one minute of deep, |
| Levine is concerned, is to understand that depression is | | | | diaphragmatic breathing and allow your body to relax. |
| rooted in an energy crisis. We simply don't have the | | | | Then imagine what your new job will be like. Imagine it |
| energy to move forward. This means that before we | | | | down to the smallest detail. You will be happy, laughing, |
| change our thinking or engage in work finding | | | | enjoying your co-workers. See yourself doing the |
| strategies we have to find ways to get filled up. | | | | work you love. Imagine the sense of accomplishment |
| Asking people to do otherwise is like asking them to | | | | you have at doing it well. When you are done |
| drive an empty car a few more miles to the next gas | | | | visualizing, ask yourself what is one action you can do |
| station. If the car is out of gas its stopped. We must | | | | right now to move you towards that goal. Intuitively |
| first address this before we do anything else. So here | | | | calling an old friend may come up or checking out a |
| are five strategies that can help fill you back up. | | | | company you heard of. Follow those insights and see |
| 1. Stop beating yourself up. It's simply exhausting to | | | | what happens. |
| beat yourself up because you are feeling depressed. | | | | 5. Move your body. For most people exercise is a |
| And it only makes matters worse. You can begin to | | | | potent remedy to depression. It moves us out of our |
| plug your energy leak by simply acknowledge that you | | | | minds and into our bodies. It increases our blood flow |
| are feeling depressed and accepting that your feelings | | | | to the brain (which helps us think of new ideas), |
| are valid. Feelings pass much more quickly when we | | | | decreases our stress level and can even help us sleep |
| accept rather than resist them. | | | | better. It doesn't really matter what you do from taking |
| 2. Find something to laugh about. There is little else that | | | | a fifteen minute walk to playing tennis with a friend or |
| lifts depression like humor. I am convinced that this is | | | | running around the park with your dog. Just move your |
| because depression is largely self-focused while | | | | body, at least three times a week for twenty to thirty |
| humor moves us outside ourselves. Even when we | | | | minutes, and you will feel an increase in energy and a |
| laugh at ourselves we do so as an observer. Give | | | | better sense of balance. |