Today I am having a super rough time. I have been over sleeping a lot recently, which is actually a symptom of depression. Looking back to when I was in college over ten years ago, I wish I would have noticed that oversleeping was a symptom of depression for me. Because then I could have started taking care of my mental health faster… BUT nowadays (now that I know what’s up), if I’m oversleeping it is a trigger for me to take a moment and look at what’s going on in my life.
I pause and look at my feelings to see if there’s anything that’s externally or internally causing my depression or triggering it.
I’ve been oversleeping four days in a row now and it’s really taking a toll on me. Oversleeping is preventing me from being able to get things done, working, being able to connect with others in a meaningful way. It’s really hard on me right now. It’s making me distance myself from others. My pets can tell… they’re a little more attentive and seem to be looking at me saying, “hey… are you okay?????”
This morning it was painfully obvious to me, that it was obvious to other people, that I was having a hard time. My husband was a little more clingy than he normally is. How is it that my cats are attentive and my husband is clingy???? Anyway… he was just giving me more attention because he loves me and wants me to feel better, which was honestly annoying. Do you know what I mean?
But at the same time, it was very reassuring. I’ve found that with my depression, if I’m having days where I’m turning inward and withdrawing away from people, that any kind of physical touch is not well-received by me. I used to get really mad about that, and be like, “what are you doing?! leave me alone!!!!!”
Now it’s just a indicator for me for me to take a second for pause and ask myself, “Hey are you okay Jenny? How are you feeling? Why are you feeling this way?”
I’m grateful that he was annoying this morning, because in the end he really wasn’t annoying. He was being a good husband and a good partner. I really appreciate that he can tell when I’m feeling down.
If you find yourself over sleeping, it could be a symptom of depression. That’s what it is for me. If you find that you’re distancing yourself from other people and you just don’t want them to touch you, talk to you, and you’re caught up in your own head… use that as an indicator that you need to find a way back out. It’s a sign that you need to connect with others and to bond with others. I know it’s hard, but you have to take that step. Whether it’s bonding with your pets or bonding with your plants if you don’t have pets. I’ve talked about plants before and how you can find affirmation in caring for plants. That’s what I did last time when I was having a really down day.
Today I am going to focus on taking care of my pets, reconnecting with people, and taking care of myself. I’m not going to do it in the normal self-care ways. I’m going to take care of myself by having a normal day! I’m going to get ready and do my hair, I might do some makeup, and then I am going to G.S.D. and G.Y.S.T. which is something that really helps my depression.
L I N K S M E N T I O N E D
Finding Affirmation in Caring for a Plant
Get To Know Olena The Best Black Cat
