Embarking on the relentless climb out of the depths of chronic depression, I, Tamera Trotter, have fought tooth and nail to reclaim my mental well-being. It's a battle I've been waging for five years, and I'm pulling back the curtain to share the strategies that have been my lifeline. From the transformative power of professional counseling to the mood-stabilizing rituals of exercise and nutrition, I lay bare the tools that have helped reshape my existence. This episode isn't just a recounting of my journey; it's a treasure trove of practical advice on mindfulness, the art of relaxation, and the triumph of setting and achieving incremental goals. Each step forward is a victory, and I'm here to celebrate those with you, one small win at a time.
To those entangled in the darkest corners of their minds, contemplating the unthinkable, I extend a heartfelt plea: stay with us. Your life is a priceless tapestry of experiences that far outweighs the present shadows. I stand as a testament to the strength that can be found in community and shared wisdom, urging you to partake in this ongoing dialogue as a beacon of hope. Together, let's walk the path of recovery and rediscover the value hidden within life's struggles. Until our next chapter unfolds in episode 110, hold fast to the promise of brighter days, for you are an integral part of this world, and your story is far from over.
Hello and welcome to when over depression. I am your host, tamara Trotter. This podcast is dedicated to those who suffer with a mental illness but try every single day to feel better. It's also dedicated to those people who have friends who suffer with a mental illness and they want to learn more about this debilitating disease. Remember, if you suffer from a mental illness, you are not alone. There are thousands of people who suffer every single day and the fact of the matter is no one wants to share that they suffer with a mental illness because of all the stigma surrounding mental health. But if you had heart disease or diabetes or any other medical condition that required you to take medication, no one would question it. However, if you take medication for your mental illness, all of a sudden people want to call you names, thinking that you're crazy, that you don't have control of your emotions, and that is why most people do not share that they suffer with a mental health condition.
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Today, we'll be talking about doing the work. So when we talk about work, what exactly are we thinking about? We are thinking about effort. We are thinking about a task. We are thinking about doing what it is we need to do to achieve a goal to get to the next level. So that is what we're talking about when we say what is doing the work?
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When it comes to managing your mental health, you have to put in the work, and I'll be the first to admit that it's not easy. It is a condition that really is tiring and you feel like you'll always be in this mental health condition. But I am the first person to let you know that I suffered with chronic depression for the last 15 years, but in the last five years I have managed my depression, coped with it better. I've been on my job for 27 years and I know that when you put in the work, you can get to a better place. But first and foremost, you have to believe that you must believe that you also can get to a better place. So I want you to think about what is it that you do that has nothing to do with your mental health. Where you put in work, it's the same concept I'd like for you to think about putting in the same work and the same effort in managing your mental health or illness that you do with everything else that's important to you, and your mental health should be important to you because it affects every facet of your life and, yes, you will have to persevere. You will have to invest the time and the energy. It involves being consistent, learning to problem solve and overcoming challenges. It also will require you to pick and choose your battles.
Speaker 1:
Everything that happens in your life cannot be a crisis, especially if you are wanting to keep your mental health at bay. So you have to first make a conscious decision that you are going to do something different in your life. There are some people who simply need to seek professional help and consult with the mental health professional a counselor, a therapist or a psychiatrist. Only you can determine whether or not that is a road that you need to take. But if you are not one who wants to see a mental health professional, then there are other things that you can do to manage your depression. One of them is exercising. If you exercise 15 minutes a day, you will feel better and better every time you do it. And when you're exercising, it doesn't have to be a long run or something that takes a lot out of you. You can simply walk around your house and feel better. It doesn't have to be anything major, but you do need to be committed to doing it. There is a commitment involved. There are also some foods that you can eat that are going to naturally help you manage your mental health, and a few of them are avocados, any type of fish, all types of nuts, green leafy vegetables and anything that is going to help your brain function, and that's what food does. But when you eat sugar, it exacerbates depression. So that is what you can do when it comes to overcoming your symptoms of depression. So we're talking about putting in the work today on this podcast episode.
Speaker 1:
Another thing you can do is practice mindfulness and relaxation techniques, incorporate meditation, deep breathing exercises or yoga, and focus on the present moment and develop strategies to manage stress. So stress is definitely an area that you need to keep at bay when you suffer with the mental illness, because you can have stress that can cause you to have a stroke. So you want to make sure that you keep your stress at bay. The other thing is, you know how important it is to accomplish and to set goals, but what happens is we think too big and then we get overwhelmed with the goals that we've set for ourselves, and then that causes us to feel depressed because we feel like we're not achieving anything. But you need to break your task into smaller, more manageable goals so that you can celebrate the small wins when you have a victory. See, the small wins help you to build the momentum that you need in order to get to that big goal. So break it down into small chunks, especially when, generally speaking, people who suffer from depression or mental illness have low energy.
Speaker 1:
So if you have low energy, is it realistic for you to say I'm going to get up in the morning and I'm going to clean my house for three hours until it's cleaned Guess what? You're probably never going to get started because in your mind you're thinking three hours is a long time. This house sure does look a mess. I don't feel like it. But look at this If you said I'm going to get up in the morning and I'm going to focus on one area at a time, first I'm going to wash my dishes. That's going to take about 20 minutes, and it is okay for you to then rest for 20 minutes, and that's what we have to do for ourselves. Set small, realistic goals and then, after you've rested, say, okay, I'm going to vacuum one room at a time, and as you are vacuuming and you get tired, then you take a break, but guess what? You've already accomplished two goals. You've washed your dishes and you have vacuumed one room, and that's fantastic. So, even if you didn't do anything the rest of the day, you can say I accomplished two goals today and that is going to give you a good feeling.
Speaker 1:
We also need to think about the outlook that we have in life. Do we have a positive outlook or do we feel like everything that's happened before is going to come and happen again? You either speak life into your life or you speak challenges, issues and problems. But when you speak life and you believe that life is going to get better if I keep moving forward, I keep pressing on. I forget about the past and I look to the future, because the future is where the magic is going to happen in your life. But you've got to look forward. As a matter of fact, I've learned that in certain situations, when you had something that happened to you that wasn't favorable, and you start thinking about that, when you start thinking about it, you program your mind and you go back to a place in time when you felt good about what was happening in your life and you replace that negative thought or feeling with something positive and it works. Replace something that bothered you, something that caused you so much pain. Don't focus on that. Replace that pain with joy and do that over and over again. You have to challenge your negative thoughts.
Speaker 1:
The brain of the person who suffers from depression is much different than the brain of someone who does not, because at the front frontal lobe of your brain, where all your mood is stored, for whatever reason, we lack serotonin. And that's the reason you take medication, because the serotonin is in the medication to help positively affect your mood. So when you think about it, don't think about oh, I'm so sick and I had to take this medication. Think about it as if this medication is replacing what you don't have. Because your brain is different and because your brain is different, because you suffer with a mental illness, what happens is you sometimes develop paranoia and paranoid thinking. You think people are talking about you or you're in a situation and you think that it's one way and it really isn't. And I experience it because, remember, I've suffered from depression for most of my adult life. But, as I mentioned earlier, I do not suffer from chronic depression, but I have episodes of depression at times.
Speaker 1:
But I am living proof that when you do the work and you are proactive, you can and you will Get to a better place. I guarantee it. So tell me what are you gonna do to get to that better place? Are you willing to commit to doing the work in order to feel better? It's an easy decision, so say yes, I'm in. I want to feel better. And guess what? You deserve to feel better. You deserve to be happy. You deserve to be able to get up and experience the joy of life. You deserve it. So put in the work so you can get to that better place that you deserve.
Speaker 1:
I never want to end my podcast without thanking you so very much for listening. You are the best part of when over depression, my loyal listeners. I cannot thank you enough for being so supportive. Remember, you can find me on Pinterest at TT mental health expert. You can also subscribe to my YouTube channel, also called when over depression. I also invite you to join my Facebook group called the when over depression Community in addition. In addition, you can find me on, linked in at when over depression. Please like and subscribe to the when over depression podcast. That can be found on Spotify, google Play and any other platform when podcasts are played.
Speaker 1:
If you would like to be a patron of when over depression, you can go to wwwpatreon that's p? A t r e on dot com. Backslash to Maritrotter that's t a m e r, a t r o t t e? R, and a one-time donation of $50 or, if you would like to be a monthly donor, as little as five to ten dollars per month will help us to grow this Audience even stronger and further. We are in an international market and we are growing and growing. So thank you so very much and I will see you next time on when over depression.
Speaker 1:
Remember, giving up is never an option. Stay in the game of life and if you are listening to this podcast and you are contemplating suicide, please do not take your life. You are valued. Your life is worth living. I encourage you to go back and, even if you have to listen to all of my podcast episodes To get you to a better place, please do that. Your life is worth living and we want you to stay in the game of life. Thank you for listening and we will see you next time for episode 110 on when over depression. Take care.