When I feel better. . .

As a therapist, one of the most common sentences I hear from from individuals struggling with depression begins with, "When I am no longer depressed, I will ---"

 If you are struggling with depression, the words at the end of that sentence should be at the beginning of your "To Do" list. The best thing you can do if you are depressed is to connect with people and engage in rewarding and meaningful experiences. 

 Reflect on occasions and activities that you have enjoyed in the past. Go ALL the way back to childhood! Are there hobbies or talents in which you no longer indulge? Reconsider those. Something you have wanted to try but haven’t. Do it. Externalize. Like an auger, internalizing digs deeper and deeper into the bowels of the earth, out of reach of light and air and life. Create something. Plant something. Nurture something. Help someone else who feels as bad as or worse than you. Reach for a hand and have your own hand held. Walk back the hard road together.