How to have a good day with depression

Depression does strange things to the mind. It always surprised me how quickly bad days would follow good days. But over time, I started to recognize a pattern in my behavior and learned the possibility of being in control of my good days.

GONE FOR GOOD? I remember the times when I had my good days. My depression seemed to be suddenly gone. You know, those days you managed to get out of bed, shower, get dressed, and go outside to do some groceries. Sometimes that one day turned into two days or even half a week. The hope came with it, the relief; 'would it be different this time? 'Would it take longer this time? But so abruptly, the good days would pop up; the more suddenly they would disappear.

WAITING FOR A MIRACLE?

Was that what I was doing? Waiting for a miracle? Waiting around, hoping for the good days to randomly show their face?

I always felt those days just randomly said ‘hello’ whenever they felt like it. Pure luck, like spinning the reels on a slot machine and hitting the jackpot. But what if that was not true? What if the good days had something to do with my thinking? What if the good days were a sign for me to start paying attention instead of just living that moment in unawareness until it passed again?

TAKING NOTES The time came when I started to pay attention to my good days. I took notes and analyzed my thoughts, feelings, and behavior [why do we hold on to trauma]. At first, I wasn’t sure what to look for, but after a few weeks, I noticed a pattern. Creating new thoughts and activities built on those thoughts would usually be followed by a good day. I realized that a good day often happens when my thoughts and actions are aligned and born out of consciousness.

MAKING SCHEDULES The time came when I started to write down schedules. There were certain times of the day when I would pay attention to my thoughts. If they were negative or pre-programmed at that moment, I would change them around. I would participate in set activities. Making sure I was physically tired before going to sleep. Not even having the strength to lay in bed for hours and my negative thoughts having a run with me. [ how to snap out of obsessive thoughts]

I was in control this time, in control of my thoughts, emotions, and actions.

It took much effort, self-discipline, and commitment, but I knew I had to do it. I wanted more good days. I didn’t want to wait around anymore for a miracle to happen. CONCLUSION Good days are no miracles. Your thoughts and actions can create them. All you have to do is start analyzing your thoughts and behavior. By creating new thought patterns, your behavior and actions will transform. You will see that you will automatically begin to generate more good days over time. When was the last time you had a good day, and do you feel you can start creating more good days? Let's talk about it in the comments below.