Depression Counseling with Empower Counseling for bad habits that come with depression.
The new year is typically a time when we make resolutions… a time when we take stock about our habits and what we really need to improve upon to make our lives better.
It is difficult to even think about having good, healthy habits when you are depressed. Not only is it difficult to have healthy habits when you are depressed, it is easy to fall into bad or unhealthy habits when you are depressed, only making your situation worse.
The following are some of the bad habits that it is easy to develop when you are depressed.
Eating food that is not good for you.
When you are depressed, it is difficult to be motivated to plan, buy, and prepare healthy food. Often when depressed, fast food seems like the best option because it is the easiest.
OR you may tap into emotional eating when you are depressed, causing you to consume way more calories than you need. If eating makes you feel better when you are depressed, this will be your go to.
Seek depression counseling from Empower Counseling if you begin isolating yourself.
Isolating yourself from others is another bad habit that goes hand in hand with depression. It may seem easier to be alone that to answer the questions of those who love you, or “getting ready” to go out and be with friends. However, spending more and more time alone will contribute to prolonging your depression because you are more likely to spend time stuck in the unhelpful thoughts that caused the depression to begin with.
Neglecting self-care and hygiene.
When you are depressed, doing what used to seem simple can becomes hard. Getting out of bed, showering, brushing your teeth, can all seem like difficult tasks when you are depressed because you have no energy. The problem is that this can start a downward spiral. If you don’t care for yourself—your basic cleanliness and hygiene, you will begin to feel even worse about who you are.
The three bad habits listed above, all contribute to this next unhealthy habit that happens as a result of depression…Getting stuck in unhelpful thoughts.
Chances are it was unhelpful thoughts that contributed to your depression in the first place. But staying isolated, eating unhealthy foods and not caring for yourself, leads to more unhelpful thoughts….which leads to further bad habits. This is a difficult cycle to break free from on your own. You may know exactly what you need to do but you just can not find the strength to do it.
It might be difficult for friends and family to understand why you just can not snap out of it. They might say things like, “You have so many great things going on in your life” or “SMILE, it will make you feel better”. At Empower Counseling, we understand. We understand depression- why you can’t just snap out of it, and what you need to do instead to reclaim your life.
If you are stuck in depression and experiencing the above bad habits, reach out to Empower Counseling. Our female and male counselors are trained in Acceptance Commitment Therapy. This means we will uncover the unhelpful thoughts that contributed to your depression but also address behaviors that will help you move away from depression and back toward enjoying your life.
Empower Counseling offers depression counseling for teens, college students, young adults, and professionals living in Homewood, Mountain Brook, Vestavia, Hoover and the entire Birmingham area. We also provide in-person and online depression counseling for college students at the University of Alabama , Auburn University, Samford, and Birmingham-Southern College. Empower Counseling also specializes in anxiety counseling.
Call Empower today at 205-730-6570