How can I stay motivated when I suffer from depression?

Depression is one of those tricky things. You know something's wrong, but there may not be a real reason for it. And because of that sometimes others can't recognize that there is something wrong. Staying strong during these times is difficult, but the best way to do this is to change your mindset. This can be accomplished through many ways, but the best way I've found is through a few steps. First of all, take a shower. Get super clean, and then you need to completely change your clothes. Socks, underwear, get rid of it all. Now you're in new clothes, you're super clean, hopefully you're feeling better. The last step is to go for a walk. I know, you don't want to do this. No one wants to do this if they don't have to. But get off your cute butt and go for a short walk. This physically changes the place you are in, the clothes you're wearing, and helps establish a new mindset for you to keep going and give yourself a break.

I know what's it like to be in depression for a long time. I know what's it like to be depressed for so many reasons and yet no reason at all and what's it like to stare at the walls for hours, thinking about nothing at all, just feeling the emptiness within. So for me, that is depression. The overwhleming surge of feelings and sometimes the emptiness of having no feelings at all. How did I cope with it? Basically when a person is in depression, he isn't the cheeriest person, if you know what I mean. and most people aren't willing to do anything about it. So being the stubborn person I am, I did nothing at all. What I mean is whilst in depression, if you don't want to take a postive step, that's okay. Just don't take negative or irrational steps like self-harm or suicide. That's what helped me to go through it. Doing nothing at all. just staring at the walls. Sometimes, painting all night long and writing my heart out. Also, I have seen a pattern. People with no hobbies, more likely have the tendency to become depressed. So find out what you like or enjoy. you like songs? listen to them. you like the song's lyrics? write your own lyrics and scribble them down. You like arts and the beautiful colors? Paint. You like singing? Sing. Like video games? play. Love cooking? cook. (people with wieght problems can still cook for their their family members and have a good time. you don't have to feel bad about it, just enjoy what you love.) You like reading poetry? write. It doesn't matter if you're good at it or not. what matters is that these little things make you happy. because some things you have to do just for yourself, not to prove others.

Stay away from the things that trigger you. Stay positive and stay near the people who support you and love you :)

I always find that when I look to help someone else, I am motivated and think less depressing thoughts.

Know that it will pass. You won't always be depressed. It is okay to feel low and it is okay to have days when you don't want to get out of bed. I find making a small list of things to do, like get up and get dressed, and then tick them off the list, makes you feel more motivated and like you have completed something

Motivation comes from hope. By creating new reasons to be hopeful you will find new motivation to push on. For example in my situation I am unhappy with my living situation and lack of employment. My first thought was get a job so I could move out, right? Nope, I went and got a job and still it was not enough to afford a place on my own which brought me way down. So I decided to quit and go back to school which starts in two weeks. Yes I will be stuck here for another four months but I know I will have something to hope for and that gives me all the strength I need to get through this. You have to have HOPE. If you don't have it then get out there and find some!

There are many ways to keep yourself motivated, a lot of self-help articles will tell you that, and they might be true, but the reality is that, at some point it all boils down to forcing yourself a certain discipline. If anything else doesn't help, force a different routine and motivation will follow.

Depression tends to suck everything positive out of your being, one of many things I do to help keep the negative thoughts at bay is combat them with positive messages all around me, my bathroom mirror is it's own collage of positive thoughts. When I find the mornings getting harder and harder to just get up and get going I try very hard to find something to do for myself. Have my hair done, have a manicure or just a walk in the park, but something that is for me.

I would recommend making a schedule and plans for things to do. You should not sit alone and do nothing, because then you will think about everything that is bad. Be around people and try to have fun.

It's all in the state of your mind. I mainly tried to change everything that surrounds me instead of starting with myself. That's how things started to go my way. It could be anything from the clothes you wear to the music you listen to. Say yes to more things. Example: There's a upcoming concert playing near you, go for it. Even if it's gonna cost you the money you've been saving to buy a new phone, possibly a new laptop, it's just never going to compare to the joy of you actually having fun outdoors watching a singer/band live even if you've never heard of them. Aspire to create and to leave footprints on the world, think of how small our existence on this planet lives on, we're inevitably going to die at any time in the future. So why start killing yourself from the inside from now? As I quote the great internet meme which has become, Shia Labeouf , just do it. It's crazy how you could turn things around in your head by visiting this one place, going to this one concert, or even hanging out with this one friend that might change everything. I hope this works for you and good luck