Don't say the D-word!!
I am sure you are aware that being an entrepreneur is tough. It is lonely, it's a catalyst to burnout and filled with daily reminders of failure and many more inevitables that I can list.
In the past few months, I've experienced one or a combination of all. Earlier last year, I did hit the burnout wall and since then I've developed a few key things to prevent me from going that route again. I share a few tips on slowing down in this article.
What I'm talking about today is "Depression", yeah the D-word. Even as we advance in many areas as human beings, there is still a stigma when it comes to opening up about our mental health challenges. I recently had a chat with someone who said that when they hear of someone going to therapy their immediate thought is, that person is crazy.
Sigh...... isn't that something? How is the person 'crazy'? Going to a therapist does not mean you are crazy. I hope that is not your belief!
Actually it might be that the people who don't see a therapist are the crazy ones, because believe it or not we ALL suffer from some sort of mental health issue, be it anxiety, depression, OCD, etc. because we have experienced some type of trauma in our lifetime.
As a simple example, (for those of us who live in the US or even in places where there are four seasons), when winter comes it brings with it seasonal depression or what most would call "winter blues". It's quite simple to recognize the symptoms but it can also be hard to admit it. No one wants to be depressed or walk around sharing how they feel inside. We mask it with an "I'm fine" and other fillers. Trust me, I'm a filler expert. I've used all the fillers I can think of.
However, there are several ways to know if you are experiencing seasonal depression. Here are some signs you can look for:
Less energy
Trouble concentrating
Fatigue
Greater appetite
Increased desire to be alone
Greater need for sleep
Weight gain
If you've been feeling a bit depressed and have some of the above symptoms, I recommend that you see your doctor as soon as possible. Even if it means just setting an appointment to talk about how you feel.
My goal in this season is to let you know that you are not alone in this and to share with you one of the biggest healing tools that helped me. For many years, to combat depression, I've used Exercise, mostly running to help me combat the many seasons of depression in my life.
As we entered this new year and new decade one great way to beat your depression and/or get to your fitness goals is to know what exercise program works for you.
(Take the Quiz)
