Re: Moving past the WAW to a stronger me Pt. 5

[Davide]

I would say that I am not depressed right now. I certainly have low moments where the weight and reality of my situation presses down on me, but I am more in control of my emotions and reactions now. When things were bad the negative thoughts would spiral uncontrollably and it felt like a there was a fog in my brain, everything was less sharp and the future seemed dark and without possibilities. I know that I have and probably will always have a tendency to lapse into that if I am not careful. Yoga, meditation, and a focus on living mindfully in the moment have really helped me stay balanced.

Like I mentioned this week was a little tough because the weather was simply miserable and I was suffering from a bad cold (not to mention interacting with W!) That meant that I didn't get to go out and do my normal social GAL activities, it also meant that I wasn't able to exercise very much. Those are the very things that I use to feel good about myself and keep depression at bay. However, I think that I was able to stay even-keeled by practicing self-compassion, not beating myself up for not exercising, listening to my body, getting extra sleep. I also tried to appreciate the positive moments of the week - my first visit to IC in 5 weeks, a surprise piñata party at school for my belated birthday. For me the balance is in recognizing and acknowledging the pain of my situation, not denying it but accepting it as a given and still finding a way to be positive. It is very much a work in progress, but I can see how far I have come and that helps.