EPISODE #103-Navigating the Ebb and Flow of Life: A Journey Towards Mental Health Balance and Growth

#mentalhealthmaters
Navigating life's ebb and flow can sometimes feel like an uphill battle, especially when you're wrestling with mental health issues. As your host, Tamara Trotter, I've found that focusing on the flow of positivity, growth, and daily routine can help us stay afloat during the turbulent tides of life's challenges. In this episode, together, we'll explore ways to reduce episodes of depression and anxiety, emphasizing the healing power of balance and routine. Drawing from personal experiences and professional insights, we'll tackle the unique struggles those battling mental health issues face on their journey.

Also, we're thrilled to bring you along as we take our "Win Over Depression" mission global. Our aim? To create a ripple effect of positivity and strength, reaching out to those fighting mental health battles worldwide. We'll discuss our plans to amplify our message internationally and how you can help share this journey of hope and resilience. So, stick around and stay in the game of life with us, because remember, we're all in this together. And don't forget to join us in our next episode as we continue this critical conversation.

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:07

Hello and welcome to when Over Depression. I am your host, tamara Trotter. This podcast is dedicated to the millions of sufferers of mental illness and those who try every single day to feel better. We encourage you to like and subscribe to our podcast, which can be found on Spotify, google Play and Apple Music. Please share this with someone who you know needs some encouragement to help them get through their day.

Speaker 1: 0:38

Today, we'll be talking about the ebb and flow of life. So let us first define what is meant by ebb and flow. It is used to describe something that changes in a regular and repeated way. It draws inspiration from the natural movement of tides, known as the ebb, which signifies moving away from the land, while flow denotes returning toward it. The idiom is often employed to depict patterns of coming and going, rise and decline or regrowth, for instance, fashion experiences, the ebb and flow of trends, and human history witnesses similar cycles. The rhythm of life itself can be characterized by these ebb and flow patterns, where circumstances oscillate between highs and lows, much like the tides. So, whether it's the changing of seasons, emotions or societal shifts, we encounter the ebb and flow of existence in a myriad of ways. So I'm sure that you're aware and have experienced both the ebb and the flow in your personal and possibly professional life. But it's a little bit different when it comes to someone who suffers with the mental illness, because the ebb and flow of your symptoms of depression, the way that you're feeling on a daily basis, all of that can really be difficult, To say the least.

Speaker 1: 2:22

The ebb in our life represents the challenges that we face, the difficulties, the obstacles, the hurdles that we have to either go around or cross. It's when we go in a different direction because of something that's happening. So if we were to classify ebb, when we're referring to mental illness, we're talking about the challenges that you may face and the feelings that you have as a Result of your mental illness. You don't feel like getting up in the morning, you don't feel like going to work, you're not hungry, you just don't feel like going to sleep. You don't have a lot of energy.

Speaker 1: 3:00

That represents the ebb in your life, and so what we want to do is reduce the challenges of that ebb as much as we can. We want to get to the flow portion of life where life is flowing in a positive direction, where we are seeing traction, we're building momentum and we are experiencing More highs than lows. We feel as though we can make it through if we continue on, as opposed to Feeling like despair is the only thing that we have to look forward to. So I'm asking and wondering from you what does your ebb and flow in your life look like? Are you more in a flow or are you more in an ebb? Is your life going against the tide or is it going with the tide? So we want it to go with the tide, because that means that you're moving at a At a pace that is good for you. You are putting one foot in front of the other. You are accepting and realizing that when you look back, you tend to get back to those moments in your life when you're not doing well.

Speaker 1: 4:19

We don't want to continue to rely on what has happened in the past. It is true that the past often dictates the future, but when it comes to dealing with our mental illness, even though it's hard, we can't let what happened the previous day affect the next day. We have to learn how to balance ourselves in such a way that, when we have had a bad day, that we put that day behind us, knowing that the next day can get better. We don't want to concentrate on what is not going well in our lives, but our focal point should be on what is enjoyable, what is satisfying, even if you have to go back to a time in your mind when life was Easier and there wasn't so much stress and strain in the world, when racism and sexism and discrimination Wasn't so prevalent, when kids could go to school and be concerned about their lessons and not worry about their safety. Life was flowing. You had your work week and then you had plans for the weekend. Maybe you went out of town, maybe you stayed home and watched the movies, but life was simple. And now, with this ebb and flow, there is so much adversity, there are so much that is unknown, and so people are more stressed out than ever and the world as a whole is more depressed than ever.

Speaker 1: 6:01

So if you're listening to this podcast and it is the first time that you have experienced Episodes of depression or feelings of anxiety, I'm so sorry and I hope that it will be a short-lived experience in your life, because we all run the risk of, at some point in our lives, experiencing an episode of depression or a mental health breakdown that could cause us to potentially be hospitalized, need medication or need to undergo some type of therapy. But when we think about the ebb and flow, I want you to think more about the flow. What are some things that you can do in your life in the next seven days so that things are flowing better? You know, when we wake up in the morning, and especially if we have a Household full of people, if we haven't planned out what's gonna take place in the morning, it can be very chaotic. So what is your daily routine? Do you just kind of wake up and just figure it out, or do you have a plan in place, or do you have a plan in place? Just Coming up with a plan that can help start your day on a better notion Can really help reduce the anxiety and stress that you feel in your life. I really believe that, even though, when we are experiencing episodes of depression and anxiety, we're not really wanting to Do too much, but, at the same time, if we're being proactive, if we are thinking about what we're doing, when we listen to win over depression, and the point being that our goal is to reduce the episodes of Depression, but there are some natural steps that we need to be willing to take. So what are the natural steps that you can take that can help you Decrease the ebb in your life and increase the flow?

Speaker 1: 8:16

In one of my podcast episodes in the past, I've talked about the importance of building momentum, and so when you get into the flow, that's what it feels like you are building Momentum. When you start out with one task and you've accomplished Whatever you set to do with that task and you go to the next task, you start to build momentum. Because what happens when you suffer with a mental illness and you feel depressed? Starting the task is the main issue. You can't get to the point to where you actually start the task, but once you do that and you fill the success and you see the success, then you can continue and you will feel as if you've accomplished something and you will have more drive to keep going. Because when we are stagnant, nothing is going on. We are just sitting in the same place, might as well be staring at the wall and nothing has changed. We have to force ourselves to get up. We sometimes have to force ourselves to take a shower, because I know for sure that when you take a shower, you feel better, and I've said it before, even if you take a shower and put your pajamas back on, you have still accomplished something.

Speaker 1: 9:45

So don't look at the big, lofty goals that you want to accomplish. Break them down into bite sizes so that you can see that you are making progress. So if there is a huge task that you must undertake and you are Just not in the mindset of getting it started, think about what would it take to get you off to a good start. Sometimes, when we just put some food in our stomach or we drink a cup of coffee or we make ourselves a smoothie, that actually helps us to become more alive and alert, and so, because people who suffer with depression tend to have a low appetite at times, that state really perpetuates the symptoms that you're feeling. So, even if you have to force yourself to eat something, that is going to be very important. So I would like you to make a journal entry and On one side, write down ebb and on the other side flow. And as you are going through your day and through the week and through the months, I'd like for you to just keep track of how many days are you feeling as if life is ebbing and how many days is life flowing and when you do that, write down specifically what was going on when it was flowing and you want to try to repeat that particular pattern or that particular day so that you can get to a place and into a space where there is more flowing going on and less ebbing. So how are you feeling about your progress and the things that you've been doing in the last month or two?

Speaker 1: 11:44

I've talked about the importance of tracking your mood and hopefully you have downloaded the app called Moodly. This app is going to help you to identify what was going on when you were not feeling at your best. It's going to help you identify if there is someone or something that is holding you back. I also want to remind you that we now have 103 episodes of when over depression. I encourage you to go back and maybe listen to some of the shorter episodes that really can help you. If you're on a quick drive or maybe on the bus or just don't have a lot of time to listen to something. I encourage you to listen to episode 99, five ways to build momentum to overcome depression. Also, episode number 94, turning setbacks into comebacks a tale of resilience and joy. That's one of our more popular episodes as well. I also encourage you to go to episode 86, understanding and managing depression a step towards healing.

Speaker 1: 13:02

We always want to remember that when we have hope, we are able to see that light at the end of the tunnel that sometimes fills, as though it's being moved further and further away from you. But you must try to maintain hope. Hope is what will sustain you. Hope is what will give you the wherewithal. Hope is going to give you the chance and the opportunity to see another day. Hope is going to help you make it through the day.

Speaker 1: 13:36

So when you're feeling down and you're feeling like life is just too much, there are five things that you can do right away to help improve your circumstance. Number one never stay in a dark room. When you get up in the morning, open your blinds, let the sun shine in. Get 15 minutes of sunlight every single day. That's number two. Number three listen to some upbeat music, something that puts a smile on your face and takes you to a different place in time, maybe a place where you felt more joy, peace and contentment. And then think about what is it or what is the reason that I'm not feeling content right now in my life. And then, number four call someone that you've been meaning to call, but you've been putting it off. Maybe there's something important that they want to share with you. And finally, number five you have everything that you need on the inside of you.

Speaker 1: 14:39

So I want you to believe more in yourself, count on yourself and your ability, take a proactive stance in your life right now to set a new precedent that says I'm going to do something different, beginning in 2024. There are a few short days left in this 2023. Turn 2024 into the best year of your life, but don't overdo it. Don't come up with some type of lofty thing that you want to do after the first of the year and set yourself up to fail. I want you to ease into 2024 with the same drive and passion that you had in 2023. But maintain your hope.

Speaker 1: 15:29

And if there is a higher power that you believe in and I've always said that I believe in God and if you do, ask him to open the eyes of your understanding. Ask him to Give you the strength, the energy and the courage to really start living up to your truest and fullest potential. Ask him to give you more awareness into what you may need to improve in. Ask him to help you be more purposeful and intentional in your actions. Ask him to inspire you and to be there with you to hold your hand and to guide you when you feel like the world around you is crumbling. Ask him to continue to bless you and to keep you in his heart and in his soul, and he definitely will. I never want to end my podcast without thanking you so very much for listening.

Speaker 1: 16:30

I invite all of you to find me on TikTok. I now have over 14 videos, little snippets of inspiration. I encourage you to go there and become a follower. Remember. You can find me on TT Mental Health Expert on Pinterest. You can also find me on LinkedIn, tumblr, instagram and Twitter under Tamera Trotter. If you'd like to support this podcast by becoming a patron, you can go to patreoncom. That's P-A-T-R-E-O-N dot com backslash, tamera Trotter. As little as $5 to $15 per month will help me to spread this message even further and further.

Speaker 1: 17:11

We have entered the international market and we are trying to go global, and I know that we will get there In 2024, it's going to be more and more of win over depression, more products, more inspiration, more things to help you overcome the circumstances of your life. Remember, stay in the game of life. Thank you so much for being the best part of win over depression. Could you share this podcast with someone that you know could benefit from it? The more people that we can help with their mental illness is going to make the world a much better place. Remember, stay in the game of life and I will see you next Friday. Have a great week.