I love my sons and husband to death and for the most part, I love not working outside of the home at the moment. But I’ll be honest - there are times when I get extremely bored and overwhelmed at the same time. These are often combined with feelings of depression and anxiety. It feels like falling in a mud pit and nothing seems that interesting. Not even a chocolate doughnut or a Netflix marathon (In fact, I found that too much of this makes it worse!). All of a sudden, it feels like a huge project to take the dog out or do the dishes. Then I begin to ask why I suddenly feel so down and immediately I start to think whether my thyroid levels are off, or whether I am not exercising enough or whether my binge eating has finally taken a toll on my mental health. Realizing that I could answer yes or no to many of these things, I have confirmed that my well-being is dependent on a variety of things.
GOOD OL’ EXERCISE - I sincerely believe that we were designed to thrive through regular movement - ideally outside of the house where the sun can shine on our bodies and the fresh air can rejuvenate our lungs. Without the good ol’ exercise, our health which includes our mental health will have a hard time working properly.
GOOD FOOD - There is so much food out there that should not have been allowed for consumption in the first place. These food are not real food and they make people sick not only physically, but mentally. I am talking about food with 10,000 ingredients that are hard to pronounce and will last 10 years on the shelf. I will be honest that food is one of my weaknesses. I simply love to eat - and yes, sometimes, even food that are bad. I tend to binge-eat these crappy food products when I have bad feelings or when I feel bored. Choosing to eat good healthy food is definitely a step in the right direction.
HOBBY - As a mom, it is very easy to get drowned in a sea of routines and chores day in and day out. However, I believe that people were designed to be creative and to engage in activities that interest them. Sometimes, it is better to let the laundry wait and spend an hour or so feeding your soul by engaging in art, music and other areas of interest. It is taking one step back to be able to take many steps forward in everything else.
FAITH - As a Christian believer, my faith is a powerful force in my life. When all else fails, this is my safety net and my catch-all-else (for computer programmers, wink, wink). God affirms my existence and loves me to the core. I like how C.S. Lewis says it, “I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen: not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else.” In simple words, it does your soul good to believe in God.
PURPOSE - I believe that a sense of this is crucial in everyone’s lives. I am convinced that this is foundational for a joyful and satisfying existence. This will motivate you to keep going every day despite all the challenges that life brings.
Life is hard and seeing a doctor for their mental health may be the best route to take for some people. If you sometimes go through episodes of depression, I encourage you to consider the things I have mentioned above. Take a deep breath and know that you are worthy to not only exist in the world, but to thrive and be amazingly satisfied.
