Fight Depression with "me time"

I know from being a family man, professional, small business owner, and husband life can build up and take its toll. We all have roles that we play out every day, and everyday unless we fill up our own cup we can start to break down bit by bit until we finally reach a point and realise we are spent.

I know I have found myself asking the question “far out how did I get this stressed this depleted”.

Sometimes we don’t know how depressed or depleted we are until it’s too late and we are completely empty so I wanted to share what this could look like and steps to try and combat this issue.

Let’s start with work

Most people spend 5 days each week at their work, so it’s not surprising that the stress, successes and failures there can have a huge impact on how you feel about ourselves as a person. They may also affect how you feel about ourselves as a provider for our family’s.

Job loss, unemployment and money problems can have a negative impact on your physical and emotional health. If you’re not working, you’re missing out on the social support you get from workmates and colleagues.

Having a job has been shown to improve well being. However, it's also known that ongoing and extreme stress in the workplace is related to poor physical and mental health. Even if you enjoy your work, you need to maintain a steady balance between work and home.

Next, being a parent comes with ever-changing responsibilities and pressures. Many times these are related to your children’s life and money stress. It is normal for partners to argue about how to raise children and this can often be the cause of relationship problems.

When home life and parenting responsibilities are unbalanced it's common to find there’s no time left for yourself. And when blended families and/or step children are added to the mix, it can bring even more stress.

So what can we do to help us with our self-care our life, work, and self-balance when we take on so many roles that require so much attention leaving little left over for ourselves, and what does a steady life balance look like. First it’s the same old things you already know, this can be exercise, socialising with friends or family, getting creative, and seeking help from a professional. Not only are these things important but its most important to tell your loved ones and family when you are struggling so they can be a support for you as well until you’re in a positive and energised space.

Not only do we already know these things it’s a matter of putting them into practice so schedule in some you time take with this to your partner so you can support each other to have some self-time and remember open and honest communication is the driver that enables plans and action to be put into place.

Referenced

https://depression.org.nz/the-causes/major-changes/adult-life-roles/