The past few weeks have flown by. I’ve done some book signings – at The Twig Book Stop in San Antonio and at Barnes and Noble Sunset Valley (Austin area). I talked with a LOT of people and sold a bunch of books. It’s been very gratifying.

But the past week moved slowly. No imminent deadlines, lots of administrative “stuff” to manage, a slow down on my marketing. I had too much time on my hands – and THAT”S always an invitation for depression to rear its head.

And so it did. There were glitches (computer, miscommunications) to be dealt with, health stuff (was it a cold coming on or could it be the flu or COVID?) and downright boredom to face. Boredom’s always been my nemesis. Growing up I remember saying time and again how I HATED begin bored! And that hasn’t changed. I like being busy. I LOVE making a difference. And those 2 together make my heart sing.

Don’t get me wrong. I HAVE been busy – just not as harried as usual. I‘m preparing for a couple of BIG events – a new workshop that I’ll be leading soon and an exciting book tour later this summer! (More on these soon!)

I definitely need to handle the admin side of things to prepare for both of them. But sometimes it feels like I’m spinning wheels, going nowhere fast. Tedium leads to boredom which, for me, can lead to depression. And so I found myself standing at the edge of the dark pit once again, for no really good reason. And there SHOULD be a good reason, right?

HA!!

It took me a while to recognize what was going on – a few days actually. When the lightbulb went off, I stood at my desk and said “Really? Again?!” And then I did what I needed to do to step back from it. 

I know the actions I need to take to help myself. As I’ve said to countless people, being aware of what’s going on is the 1st step to being able to say “no” to depression. But it takes recognizing the symptoms to then be able to take action to step back from that edge.

Do you know the signs and/or symptoms of your own stress / anxiety and/or depression? Can you recognize those when they start to show up or do you ignore them and fall into the pit anyway? If you really pay attention, you can catch the signs before they grab you by the throat and throw you over the edge. You can stop – even if it’s right at the very edge of the abyss – and say “not today, thank you!”

Fortunately, I was able to catch on to what was happening and stop. I was able to turn my week around and end on an upbeat rather than a downer. In my book You Aren’t Depression’s Victim, I discuss the many different signs / symptoms of depression that can show up. It’s super useful to be able to be able to recognize them early. It definitely makes for a more satisfying ride in life.

I know life has its challenges – I’ve been through my share. But I don’t believe that we have to suffer through life. Challenges can be tough. But they’re filled with lessons we can learn, lessons that can help make us stronger and more empathetic. So when “stuff” happens, you may want to take a page from what I’ve learned (and written about) and learn how to recognize what’s going on so YOU can take your life back into your own hands and not be a victim in that moment. It can really make a difference.