As we've talked about at The Depression Project before, one of the most common causes of "depression numbness" is your system "shutting down" in order to "protect you from pain that it perceives to be unavoidable". And, when this happens, then in order to break out of "depression numbness", it helps to show your system that it no longer needs to be in "shut down mode" – or in other words, that it is "safe for you to come out of hibernation".
On that note, in this blog post, we'd like to share with you a free excerpt from our "Depression Numbness" Journal that includes a simple strategy to help you do just that.
Free excerpt
Strategy #1 To Break Out Of "Depression Numbness": Doing Safe, Comforting, Uplifting Activities That Engage Your Senses
The first strategy we’d like to share with you in this journal to help you break out of “depression numbness” is to do something that makes you feel safe, comfortable and uplifted while engaging your senses. Activities such as these:
- Contribute to you feeling – as the name of course suggests – safe, comfortable and uplifted;
- By engaging your senses, they also help you to gently reconnect with the world around you.
Now, while different activities are effective for different people, some common ones that members of The Depression Project’s community turn to and recommend when they’re feeling “depression numb” include:
- Going for a walk amongst nature;
- Listening to your favourite music;
- Having a bubble bath;
- Driving to a restaurant to eat your favourite meal, or to a convenience store to pick up your favourite soft drink;
- Hugging someone you love or cuddling your pet;
- Doing some gardening;
- Having your morning cup of coffee outside in the sun;
- Picking flowers and displaying them nicely around your home;
- Painting your nails a new colour;
- Playing a musical instrument.
End of free excerpt
We hope you find this simple - yet effective! - strategy helpful when it comes to breaking out of "depression numbness".
All our love,
The Depression Project Team.
P.S. If you'd like to better understand "depression numbness" as well as learn a lot more strategies to help you break out of it, then please click the button below to learn more about our "Depression Numbness" Journal and to get your copy!