Dealing with life after depression is not always straightforward. You might feel like everything should be back to how things were before straight away, but this journey is not linear, and you could feel frustrated that life isn’t all sunshine and rainbows now that you are doing a bit better. That’s why we’ve got this guide together – to help you manage expectations and understand what the journey might require from you.
Don’t expect everything to be perfect
Journeys like this one take time, and just because you have come this far, doesn’t mean there isn’t still work to do. We aren’t saying you can’t do everything, and do it well, but instead that it’s common for us to think everything will be perfect when we feel healed. But, this is not the case. Life is life, and shit happens, and now is a great time to start building some resilience and self-esteem.
For tips on how to build self-esteem, read this.
It’s OK to have bad days still
Just because you might have completed part of your journey out of your depression, it doesn’t mean you are not allowed to have days when you feel down or anxious. The trick is not to dwell on the small stuff, and instead focus on the bigger picture. You have come really far, remember that.
Take your time getting back into stuff
Rushing into doing all the stuff you used to do or trying to get loads of stuff done might not have the effect you would think. It’s important to keep busy, but overloading yourself might cause more anxiety and panic than it actually helps.
Don’t put too much pressure on yourself
Try not to load on the pressure to be good all the time and back to normal, whatever normal even is. Take your time, pace yourself, connect with a handful of people that you can trust. Don’t feel like you have to overperform at work or school, and just try to keep doing a little better and a little more every single day.
Keep those you love close
There are going to be ups and downs to this journey, that’s just a fact of life. When we are doing better emotionally and mentally, we might feel tempted to put distance between who we are now and who we were before. But the thing is, we might end up keeping those who have backed us through the hard times at arm’s length, simply because we associate them with the hard times. But, they have been there through thick and thin, and you might need them again.
For more information on dealing with depression, visit our mental health hub here.
