Ever experienced life going along normally, nicely even, and then the next day, you’re spiraling into depression and low self-esteem? How did you get here, and is it possible to claw your way back before you reach rock bottom? The answer is yes. You might be plummeting now, but there’s still time to turn things round. Here are some tips to help pull back when you feel you’re reaching crisis point.
1. Take responsibility for your actions
I know this is a confronting place to start, but spiraling into depression and low self-esteem rarely comes out of the blue. Often with bad mental health episodes there’s a period leading up to them where good habits have slipped and bad taken over. So if you’ve been browsing social media into the early hours, consistently getting little sleep or drinking too much… then now’s the time to takes those things in hand.
Adequate self-care has to be reinstated, and once it has it’s probably wise to reflect on what brought you to this point.
Most people know, deep down, their triggers and what contributed to their mental health hiccough. Whether this is over working, spending time with family who bring up difficult feelings for you, or not adequately processing the past. Unfortunately, until you get honest with yourself about the impact it has then your mental health slide may keep repeating.
2. It’s fine to cocoon yourself and step up the self-care
Often when people feel like they’re spiraling into depression, an understandable panic sets in. It’s such an unpleasant feeling that it can be tempting to ignore and stay busy in an attempt to stem the building emotions. But one of the best things you can do, when you feel the descent to depression and low self-esteem, is to step up the self-care. Cocooning is fine, if not highly recommended. Many companies offer self-care or duvet days, so use them. But if it’s not practical to skip work, then just try and look after yourself as well as you can. Whether that’s being aware of what you need in the moment, cancelling pans for the weekend, or leaving work early to speak to a counsellor.
The key thing really, is to stay calm, and believe that this will run its course. You’re not going to feel like this forever. Making some small adjustments to your day at this point can pay huge dividends down the line. And see you bounce back before you’ve even really hit the ground.
3. Reach out for the right support
Sometimes when you’re spiraling into depression, you may feel desperate to talk to someone. And usually expressing and sharing your feelings is a good idea. But when depression takes hold it can cloud our judgement about who’s good and safe to talk to, and who perhaps…isn’t. Or might have their own agenda, such as a work colleague, HR or your boss. Even in a storm, not every port is safe.
If you’re feeling fragile then I highly recommend talking to a counsellor or a friend who you know is a good listener. And has previously proven themselves to be a safe pair of hands. Because telling your problems to the wrong person will only bring you more. Many employers also offer an employee assistance programme (EAP) as part of their benefits package which is free and confidential.
4. Make a back-up plan
Often, just by creating a backup plan, we start to feel so much better. And what you decide to include in your back-up plan is completely up to you. Some people go to the doctors to get some anti-depressants, but may never take them. Just having the in the house and knowing they’re there can really help with peace of mind. Some people think about whether working from home for a few weeks might help, or if a short holiday somewhere sunny could be a good call. Just by thinking about what we might do, or could do, if things don’t improve by a certain date allows us to feel much more in control and has a lifting effect on mood and feelings.
If you’ve got tips to manage the feeling of spiraling into depression, then I’d love to hear them. Simply comment below.