EPISODE #139- Redefining Your Approach to Mental Wellness

Can persistence truly transform your mental health journey? Join me, Tamera Trotter, in this empowering episode of "Win Over Depression," where we explore the pivotal role of persistence in managing depression. Through personal experiences and expert insights, I promise you'll gain practical strategies to combat negative thinking and embrace a proactive approach to mental well-being. We'll redefine depression's narrative, focusing on self-care, resilience, and a purposeful life. 

Discover the significance of daily routines and consistent self-care practices, such as proper sleep, nutrition, and exercise, and learn why seeking professional help can be a game-changer. I'll share the importance of finding the right therapist or medication to suit your individual needs, and how persistence is key to making these decisions. Together, we'll prioritize our mental health and reclaim our joy and resilience. Tune in for valuable tips and inspiration to help navigate the complexities of emotional health and to persist in the quest for mental wellness.

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:10

Hello and welcome. To Win Over Depression, your beacon of hope in the realm of mental health. I am your host, tamara Trotter. I am your companion on the journey to reclaiming joy and resilience, and this podcast will unravel the vital importance of managing your well-being amidst life's challenges. From practical strategies to uplifting stories and expert advice, each episode is a roadmap to cultivating mental wellness and overcoming the grip of depression. Whether you are seeking solace for yourself or supporting a friend, here you will find the tools and inspiration to navigate the complexities of emotional health. Join me as we embark on a transformative quest to prioritize self-care, resilience and the triumph of the human spirit. Let's together redefine the narrative of depression and embrace a life of purpose and fulfillment.

Speaker 1: 1:17

Today on when Over Depression, we'll be talking about persistence. So what is persistence? We'll be talking about persistence. So what is persistence?

Speaker 1: 1:28

Persistence is the quality that allows someone to continue doing something or trying to do something, even though it is difficult or opposed by others. So one of the hallmark traits of someone who deals with the mental illness is your ability to become persistent in your pursuit of getting better and being mindful of the fact that you must be proactive in your quest to get your mental health back on track. No one can be with you 24 hours a day in order to cheer you up or give you positive affirmation, so you must develop your own tools and techniques to get you there. Part of that means perhaps you need to make an adjustment when it comes to the way that you see things. Are you someone who is constantly worried about what might happen, worried about something that could cause a situation or circumstance to occur? Well, all we can do is put our best foot forward and, each and every day, wake up with a positive mindset and attitude. If we wake up every single day dreading the day and thinking that the day's not going to go well, I have a job interview. I'm probably not going to get the job All of that is negative thinking, and oftentimes we produce in our lives negative results because we build ourselves up to fail, and so when we do that, failure is not on our side. So failure obligates, so failure obliges, meaning that if we expect to fail, guess what? We're going to fail. So then, how do we maintain persistence as it relates to managing our mental health? What we do is we take positive actions and we seek help despite the challenges and difficulties posed by the condition.

Speaker 1: 3:57

Depression can make even the smallest task feel overwhelming, and the journey to manage or overcome it often requires sustained effort. And what is sustained effort? It is persistence. So how do we know when we need to seek out help, that whatever we're doing isn't working and that we may need to contact a professional? Persistent efforts to seek and engage with professional help, such as therapy or medication, is crucial, because this might involve trying on a different therapist or a different medication until the right fit is found.

Speaker 1: 4:40

You may not believe that you need medication, but when you realize that depression is due to a chemical imbalance in the brain and the medication allows you to produce more serotonin, which has a direct effect on your mood, then you may think twice about taking medication. About taking medication If you had a heart condition or diabetes or thyroid condition. If you had to take medication after a surgery, you would take it without any question. So why is it that you may be required to take medication for your mental health, and we sometimes feel that it's not the right thing to do, but why isn't it? I've taken medication for over 14 years and I take it because it helps me and it's nobody else's business, so don't allow other people and their opinions to affect you getting the help that you need.

Speaker 1: 5:48

Another key component when managing our mental health and being persistent is maintaining routines, Because when we stick to daily routines and self-care practices, even when our motivation is low, we are still able to manage our symptoms. So this includes maintaining a regular sleep schedule, eating well and exercise. If you can do those three things, your mental health is going to get a boost. When you're able to get six to eight hours of sleep every night, when you eat well for your depression Some things that work wonders for your depression is eating leafy vegetables, making sure that you are doing away with as much sugar as possible You're not drinking a lot of sugary drinks or soda, that you are eating any type of fish Salmon is perfect. Any type of nuts work well for depression, whether it's pecans or walnuts, those are very good for your depression. So vegetables and fruits help depression. And maybe you don't want to exercise. You can actually just walk around your house for 10 or 15 minutes a day and that in of itself is going to open your endorphins and you're going to get a natural increase in energy In addition to that. Anytime you can get 15 minutes of sunlight, you are giving your mental health condition a boost. Staying in the house in a dark room with the curtains drawn is only going to exacerbate depression. Staying in your bed in your pajamas, not taking a shower, is going to exacerbate your depression. Even if you get up and open the blinds in your room, you take a shower, freshen up, put your pajamas back on, that is still completing a goal that is in favor of managing mental health.

Speaker 1: 8:00

Sometimes we don't give ourselves enough credit for what we do. The smallest step that we take in managing our mental health will absolutely go further than you could possibly imagine. I talk about this very often, but it's absolutely true that you need an accountability coach, someone who is going to assist not just when you're feeling down, but just give you positive words of encouragement. Earlier I talked about how detrimental it is to have people who are toxic in your life and all that does is exacerbate your depression. But if you have an accountability coach, someone that you can confide in, someone that you trust, and they will help you keep your mental health back on track. And when you are in a downward spiral, you make a commitment with your accountability coach that you're going to contact that person when you are feeling down and low and that you're not going to do anything without speaking to that person, and that you're not going to do anything without speaking to that person. Holding yourself accountable is one of the crucial components of depression, and it's also going to reduce suicide ideation and remind yourself how important it is for you to continue to live.

Speaker 1: 9:27

I've said it many times If you feel like you can't live for yourself, then live for the people who love you the most. And let me just say that persistence, in the context in which we're speaking of, it's not about pushing through without regard for one's well-being we definitely want you to practice self-care but rather it is about maintaining effort and hope and continually working towards improvement, even when it feels challenging. So put forth the work and the effort and the hope, because nothing is perfect, because we are just looking for small increments of change. And when you are feeling the most challenged, that is when you should push yourself the most to keep going, because during that time, that's when some of the unsettling feelings can set in and you need to be able to combat those feelings of despair. Now, please be reminded that when you suffer with a mental illness, you are going to have setbacks.

Speaker 1: 10:47

Remember this A diagnosis of depression or schizophrenia, or bipolar disorder. All of these conditions are medical conditions, which means that I am sick and you are sick. So what does that mean? It means that setbacks are part of the process, are part of the process and some days, yes, depression will win and you will just decide to go and get in your bed and pull the covers over your head. I've done it, we've all done it. But on those days we just go ahead and lay down, because the next day is coming and everyone deserves to have a day when they're just saying I'm just not feeling good today, it's not at my best, I just can't do it. That's fine, but don't let that set back to cause you to fall into a deep spiral that can last a long period of time.

Speaker 1: 11:52

You've got to get yourself up the next day, dust yourself off, take a shower. One of the things that's very important for someone who suffers with a mental illness is you should be taking a shower within one hour of getting out of your bed. Why? Because when you take the shower and that water is streaming down on your face, you are thinking about how the water is replenishing you, it's renewing you and it's almost as if you are washing off the depression from the previous day. If you go through the entire day without taking a shower, you're not going to get that boost that you need to get started on your day. Number two is make sure you eat something when you get up. Within 90 minutes getting out of bed, you need to have showered and had something to eat. Both of those things are going to give you natural energy and you're going to automatically start feeling better. When we don't drink enough water, when we don't eat, all of that causes us to have a lower mood and to not feel good.

Speaker 1: 13:08

Next thing about being persistent is self-compassion, again, self-compassion, again, self-compassion, practicing self-compassion and being kind to yourself during the toughest time, that you recognize that the struggle is part of the journey and it is not a reason for self-criticism. And this reminds me of people who think that people who suffer from depression are lazy and they're like all you have to do is get out of your bed and get dressed and ready to go. No, it's not as simple as that. So don't you allow other people and don't you beat yourself up. That is something that requires you to have an understanding that that is what goes along with this illness, and you are going to have setbacks, but I say that every setback is a setup for a comeback. So just keep moving forward. Whenever you feel like you can't take another step, try and take that step anyway, and you will be so surprised at how you are much stronger than you think.

Speaker 1: 14:22

You also need to adopt coping mechanism strategy for dealing with your mental health. If you know that there's a certain person that pushes your butt, then why do you either hang around with them a lot or why do you allow them to push your butt? You need to learn to walk away or to let them know. You know what? I'm really not in the mood for it today. So could you just please just let it go, because the first time that you speak up to that person and you don't allow them to control you, they'll start to treat you better. So, as you are being persistent and better understanding your mental illness, you are fostering resilience. You are building that resilience by developing the skills, strategies to handle future challenges more effectively. When you do that, you are strengthening your emotional and psychological endurance. That is what emotional intelligence is all about. It's about you knowing what the emotional triggers are and either responding differently or getting yourself out of that situation. If you know that something is going to cause you to have an emotional rise, then stay home, effort and hope, acknowledging and accepting the ups and the downs of the journey and consistently taking steps, no matter how small, toward recovery and well-being. But it is totally up to us to make a decision that we're going to get to that better place and not stop short of getting there.

Speaker 1: 16:37

I never want to end my podcast without thanking all of you for listening. You are the best part of when Over Depression. Remember, when Over Depression now has a TikTok channel. You can find us at 14 Days to Mental Wellness channel. You can find us at 14 Days to Mental Wellness. We have over 300 videos especially for you. You can also find the course 14 Days to Mental Health Wellness on TikTok. You can click the link in my bio. We'll also have the link in the show notes. Thank you so much for being here today. Remember. You can find us on Pinterest at TT Mental Health Expert. You can like and subscribe to our YouTube channel, also called Win Over Depression. You can find us on Instagram, twitter and LinkedIn at Tamara Trotter. That's T-A-M-E-R-A, last name Trotter T-R-O-T-T-E-R.

Speaker 1: 17:35

If you are listening to this podcast episode, you are contemplating suicide. I encourage you to call your accountability coach and do not take your life. Your life is worth living and it is valuable. It is not a coincidence that you found this podcast. It is a message to you that your life is worth living and it is valuable. It is not a coincidence that you found this podcast. It is a message to you that your life is worth living, even if you have to go back and listen to each of my episodes tonight in order to occupy your mind with positivity, please do that. Remember, giving up is never an option and I want you to stay the game alive. I will see you next time when, over depression, we drop a new episode every Friday. Take care.