Overcoming Depression

Overcoming Depression

Overcoming depression and shaping my new reality has been all about mindset.  I hadn’t realized the extent mindset shapes our reality until recently. However, now that I do, there is no going back to old ways of thinking, previous assumptions, or old feelings. In previous posts and videos, I have mentioned that overcoming anxiety and depression takes hard work.  That hard work starts within.

Assumptions

Changing my assumptions about my circumstances, who I am, and other people (and how they perceive me) set me on a path to healing.  We have complete control over what we assume.  If we assume we are unhealthy, then we will be unhealthy.  If we assume we are depressed, then we will be depressed.  Don’t get me wrong, I dealt with depression and know it is very real.  However, I also know that a shift in mindset and changing my assumptions freed me and allowed me to overcome depression and anxiety.

I started to notice in my 30s that the same situations happened over and over.  Whether that be being without a vehicle, moving because I couldn’t pay rent, or feeling so depressed I couldn’t work.  I remember the first time I reacted calmly to my vehicle breaking down.  Before that, I would think it was the end of the world and excessively worry about what I would do.  In any case, something shifted in my mind the first time I reacted calmly and proactively.  At that moment, I had stopped a cycle of what I like to call “circling the mountain.”

A New Reality

I have learned to stop “reacting” to situations on repeat.  Meaning I noticed that whenever something came up, and I reacted the same way I had, I would experience that same situation later. It was a perpetual loop until I stopped reacting.  I am much more proactive rather than reactive now.  A couple of years ago, I stopped saying to people, “I suffer from depression.”  I stopped saying things about myself I had said for years.  Then, one day I realized I was no longer depressed.  It was surreal, to be honest; I just felt different. Overcoming depression was a monumental moment in my life.

I continually monitor my thoughts and assumptions.  I also pay attention to what I react to and how I react.  Honestly, it has changed my life, and I am living a different reality.