Fatigue is a common trigger for depression. And it doesn’t have to be the kind that results from physical labor.

• It can be stress fatigue.
• I can be emotional fatigue.
• It can be mental fatigue.
• It can be excitement fatigue.

It’s easy to understand the connection between the stress fatigue, emotional fatigue, and mental fatigue. It’s harder to understand the connection between the excitement fatigue and depression.

It really doesn’t have anything to do with the actual fatigue but the let-down we feel when the excitement is gone. And if we are counting on the “highs” to make us forget about our depression, then it only makes sense that when the excitement is gone, our low mood comes back in full force.

We have to face our everyday life. That’s why I always suggest we pay attention to the “highs” and try to modulate them a little because a “high” of anything means a degree of “low” is inevitable. Be prepared for those times with a plan.

I’ve often repeated the words, “Watch out for happiness!”. That may sound awful on the surface but depression is all about moods, their fluctuations, their unpredictability. I’ve often found that after a wonderful happy day, my mood can drop. It’s almost like I’ve been eating sugar all day and nothing else. (Oh, and just so you know, I’ve actually done that.)

I think what happens is when we’re having a great time and it stops, we are reminded that life can’t always be great. It won’t always be great. It feels so good to not think about our depression. We don’t want to think about it again, either but we know we will.

Life is full of routine, predictability, mundaneness. The high moments are to be enjoyed, savored, relished. They are life’s gifts to us to keep us excited about the future.

But life isn’t a continual party. Life happens in the space between the parties.

Rebecca Platt

But in-between is a great place to be as well. It’s in the “in-between” places we find out who we are, how strong we are. Anybody can be a party-goer but it’s the wise person who knows the party doesn’t last.

For me, I didn’t want to deal with those ups and downs. I wanted to enjoy my great days without anticipating the inevitable low days the followed. It was one of the motivators for me to conquer my depression. I wanted ordinary, smooth-flowing days.

People with depression almost always do better when they keep their moods a little more “checked”.

Look forward to events. Enjoy them. Savor them. Just don’t make them SUCH a high, you are bound to fall.

God bless and have a great day.

The post, “Watch out for the “parties”. They can be a real downer.” appeared first on the giftofdepression,com.