Commitment—a word that often invokes a sense of duty or obligation. But what does it mean when we apply it to our mental health? I'm Tamera Trotter, and in this episode, I take you on a journey through the promises we make to ourselves and others, promises that silently shape our paths to wellness. Struggling to keep my own vow to continue this podcast while wrestling with health setbacks, I've come to understand the intricate dance of honoring commitments without compromising self-care. As you listen, I invite you to ponder the fidelity of your own pledges, whether they are to loved ones, personal aspirations, or your professional life, and how they are intertwined with your quest for mental stability.
There's a tenacity required to face life's darker moments, and I'm here to remind you, my listeners, of the unyielding strength within each of you. When the silence of night brings with it the specter of despair, remember you're not alone. I'm committed to walking this path with you, providing solace and solidarity as we collectively combat depression. Let's renew our resolve, reach out for support when we need it—be it through emergency services or an accountability coach—and continue our pursuit for the light, even amidst the shadows. Join me next time, for another episode aimed at fortifying our spirits and fostering an understanding of the long, yet rewarding, road to mental wellness.
Hello and welcome to Win Over Depression. I am your host, tamara Trotter. This podcast is dedicated to those of us who suffer with a mental illness but who are trying every single day to understand our disease and to live the best life possible. This podcast is also dedicated to those individuals who are trying to understand this disease so that they can be more supportive to those friends or family who suffer with a mental health condition. Today, we'll be talking about commitment, and I would like for you to take notes, if you're able to, and as I am sharing this episode. I would like you to think about the commitments that you have made in your life and I would like for you to complete a self-evaluation, which basically means to weigh in or think about whether or not you are living up to that commitment. So let's first define what is a commitment.
Speaker 1:
A commitment is the state or quality of being dedicated to a cause or an activity. It is a pledge or undertaking, an engagement, engagement or obligation that restricts freedom of action. There are many commitments that we have in life. We make commitments to our children, to our spouses. We make a commitment to our job upon being hired. We make a commitment to ourselves to fulfill whatever it is that we want to accomplish in life. And so, because we are a commitment-driven society, I want you to think about how important it is to in order to overcome many of the symptoms and circumstances that have caused us to suffer from a mental health condition, and I want to talk about suffering from a mental health condition for just a moment. It is true that having a mental health disorder does involve suffering, but the extent to which we suffer is largely up to us, the individual.
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And so what is your commitment to handling your mental illness, managing your situation on a daily basis? Are you 50% in and committed? Are you someone who needs to recommit because you know that you just have not been putting in the work? Can you recognize that you were never fully on board with being committed to what you said you were going to do? How has your commitment changed and why has it changed? Have people in your life influenced the change and, if so, how can you get back on track track? Is your commitment one-sided? Because oftentimes life is about relationships and if you are in a one-sided relationship, whether it is with a friend, a spouse and even a co-worker, that will affect your ability to stay committed to that situation, person or thing.
Speaker 1:
So, as we continue, I submit to you that having a commitment is a promise to deliver the outcome someone is expecting. Let me repeat that A commitment, in my opinion, is a promise to deliver the outcome someone is expecting. Now let's put that in perspective a little bit. When we're talking about commitment to overcoming our mental illness, we have made the commitment ourselves, and if we expect an outcome that is going to help us to feel better, to be a better parent, a better friend, a better, whether or not an adjustment needs to be made, when we make a commitment, there is something that is expected on the other end, and so you know that I am very transparent with my listeners, know that I am very transparent with my listeners. So I am actually sick and I have been diagnosed and tested positive for COVID for the first time in my life.
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But in January of this year 2023, I made a personal commitment to this podcast, win Over Depression, and I have lived up to that commitment the entire year up until now, except for two occasions when I had to upload the episode on a Saturday morning because I was having technical difficulty. So we always give room for human error, and so, even though I'm not feeling well, I made the commitment that, without fail, I owe this episode to my listeners. It is 1138 pm, pacific Standard Time. I have 22 minutes to finish this episode. Make any edits, complete the show notes. Complete the episode information. Complete the episode information. Do the cover art and launch it on buzzsprout in the next. Now 21 minutes. That's what commitment looks like. That's what it feels like.
Speaker 1:
So, yes, I am doing it at the last minute because I just was not up to it, because I'm not feeling well, but, my friends, oftentimes, most of the time, more than we'd like to admit, when we suffer with a mental illness, we are not always at our best, but there are still people counting on us and expecting us to deliver on a promise that we've made, with an unexpected outcome, and so I am not expecting you to be me, but what I'm saying is I want you to think about the commitments you've made in your life, and how many of them are you truly living up to? In society, we tend to be over committed. It is almost an addiction, is almost an addiction. The truth is our jobs, our employers expect way too much and we continue to do the work because we need our job. We don't know what will happen if we say we're not able to keep up and so we continue to allow other people to add more and more to our plate. I am telling you that there is nothing wrong with you speaking up about not being able to deliver. Deliver on every single promise that you've made, but guess what that means?
Speaker 1:
Before you commit, you need to find commitment of any type. You have to decide how important it is in your life. So my question is how important, how important is it to you to improve your mental health? How important is it to you to practice self-care? How important is it to you to finally stand up for yourself and start saying no? Remember this year I talked about that I would spend more time sharing information about myself. People that I coach is to help them to see their potential and the natural strengths and talents that they are equipped with, and how to leverage those talents to get their work and to be able to relax and enjoy your life.
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So, to me, if I cannot be 100% committed to what I say that I'm going to do, then I really don't want to do it. However, there have been many times when I have been over committed, and so that is no one's fault but my own, but I have learned to say no and to take several items off of my plate mainly desserts, just kidding. So think about your commitments and whether or not you need to recommit, recognize if you were never fully on board. Has your commitment to a certain project, to something that you wanted to do at your house, has that changed? And if so, then do something different. Sometimes we want to stick to what we've committed to because we are afraid to feel as if we have failed, and so that means that there are many projects that are not completed because we have taken on too many.
Speaker 1:
So, also, when we talk about commitment, there are a few other things I wanted to share. The first is your personal space in your home has a direct correlation to whether or not your mental health is at bay or you are sinking into an episode of depression, and I know when I am about to experience an episode of depression because the area in my personal space at home looks cluttered. So it is very true that when we have a cluttered space, it's very difficult for us to focus and concentrate, and therefore we all know and if you don't, I'll share it with you that many of the side effects of depression is not being able to concentrate. So what I would like for you to consider doing and I don't expect you to clean up your entire house in two days. That would not be a commitment that you can keep. So what I would ask is that you look around and ensure that you have at least one or two areas in your home that are clutter free, and you will be able to see a lifting of the inability to concentrate and you being able to focus much better, much better.
Speaker 1:
So again, are you committed to your mental health and getting better? Are there some commitments that you've made that you need to make changes in? And so, when we think about change, change is difficult for a lot of people, and not just those who suffer with the mental illness. Nobody really likes change because it's new. People don't know what to expect and they are afraid of what is unknown to them. That is a natural human behavior is a natural human behavior. However, when you decide that you are going to take a look at your commitments, you have the right to make changes. Now, does that mean that you may have to disappoint a few people Absolutely, because your mental health depends on it, and your friends, or whoever it might be, should understand that you need to practice self-care. So I encourage you to not be afraid of change, because change is absolutely predictable, because there are millions of changes every single day. There is a book called who Moved my Cheese, and if you're not someone who likes to necessarily read a book, I encourage you to get the audio book version of who Moved my Cheese, and that is going to help you when it comes to accepting change, because change is the one thing that you can count on in life. So the more adaptable and resilient you become, the easier change will be in your life.
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I never want to end my podcast without thanking you so very much for listening. There are some things that I would love for you to consider doing for me. The first one is when you have listened to any of the 80 plus podcast episodes of when Over Depression, would you kindly consider leaving a comment? Let me know how a particular episode resonated with you. The more comments that I have, the more growth I will experience in the podcast, and it is growing, but I would encourage you to talk about how this podcast has helped you. Several people have reached out to me to tell me personally, but if you would be so kind as to leave a comment, I would really appreciate it. Remember, you can reach me on Pinterest at TT Mental Health Expert. You can also find me on Instagram, twitter and Tumblr at Tamara Trotter. That's T-A-M-E-R-A last name, t-r-o-t-t-e-r. You can join my Facebook group, also called Win Over Depression.
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Win Over Depression now has a journal that goes along with the podcast episodes. Each journal will have 25 episodes and it will have homework places for you to write notes and really be able to keep a record of how well you are doing in combating and reducing your episodes of depression. In addition, this journal will also give you the opportunity to have in front of you proof of your journey and proof that you are making strides. One of my episodes we talked about how important it is to celebrate every single win that you have experienced, no matter how small you believe it is. If you have gone from two episodes of depression per month to one episode, that is a 50% improvement. You can go to my website, winoverdepressionorg, go to the tab that says products and you will be able to make the purchase of your journal there If you would like to reach me personally, you can reach me at Tamara T-A-M-E-R-A at winoverdepressionorg.
Speaker 1:
Stay in the game of life. Remember. Giving up is never an option. You are important. Your life is worth living. If you are listening to this podcast and it's late at night and you're feeling down, I encourage you to go back and listen to many of my episodes why you should not commit suicide, as well as why suicide may come into your mind in the middle of the night. Don't take your life. Please call 911 or call an accountability coach. I would love for you to know how important you are. I care about you and I will see you next time on when Over Depression. Take care.