What is Depression?
Everyone gets sad or depressed on occasion, it’s a natural part of the ups and downs of life.
Depression as an illness however, is an entirely different story.
Depression is a mental health condition characterized by continuous low moods including sadness and irritability, as well as difficulty concentrating and changes in eating and sleeping patterns. All of which negatively affect daily life.
Depressive signs and symptoms vary from person to person, but people who suffer from this condition typically share many common features like the ones mentioned in this article.
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While some symptoms gradually occur and may appear minor at first, they can quickly escalate into something much more serious such as reckless behavior or suicide ideation.
If you think you may have depression or any other mental health concerns, it’s important that you tell someone right away (i.e., a doctor or therapist) and put a support system together as quickly as possible.
Depression is not a condition to take lightly, and the sooner you get help, the sooner you can get back to living your life the way you deserve to.
5 Ways Depression Affects Daily Life
While this is in no way an exhaustive list, here are 5 ways depression affects the daily lives of many people, including me.
If you have depression and experience symptoms other than the ones mentioned here, please share them in the comments at the bottom of this article, as well as what helps you to manage them.
You never know, your experiences may help someone cope better.
You May Struggle to Concentrate or Complete Tasks
When I am depressed I struggle to get anything accomplished. I can sometimes force myself, but it takes a tremendous amount of effort and will.
I’ll frequently find myself dazing off and reflecting on my life.
Even things like getting out of bed and brushing my teeth feel like daunting tasks.
Often, people who suffer from depression experience little to no motivation, decreased energy, or a sense of apathy.
You may find it hard to focus, to concentrate or even make simple decisions like deciding what you want to eat or drink. Decisions are the worst. 🙁
Going to school or work may feel, or even be impossible depending on the intensity of your depressive episode.
As a husband and father, depression sometimes severely affects my ability to just spend time with my family; even watching a movie can seem overwhelming.
PRO TIP: Task Management
Try using a habit tracking mobile app (e.g. Loop Habit Tracker) to stay on top of your daily tasks. Set notifications for tasks you often forget or struggle to complete.
This won’t solve all your problems, but it may provide some motivation, as well as a sense of purpose and direction. It works wonders for me.
You May Want to Withdraw or Isolate Yourself
Because it’s so difficult for me to do anything when I’m depressed, I don’t feel like going anywhere or being around anyone.
When someone isn’t feeling well or acting what is considered normal, people will sometimes pry, asking a million questions to find out what’s going on.
I hate it. The truth is I don’t know what is wrong most of the time, and sometimes everything in the world is going wrong.
I just want to be left alone. The fact they love and care about me is irrelevant at the time.
When there are too many people in a room (even if it’s my family) , I feel dizzy and smothered. Sometimes I even panic.
If you have depression you may feel like no one even comes close to understanding what you are going through; that everyone is judging you, just waiting for you to magically snap out of it (they don’t understand it doesn’t work that way).
In my experience, if someone doesn’t go through depression themselves, it’s nearly impossible for them to understand.
The people who are able to provide the most help either: also experience depressive episodes, or… admit they don’t understand, trust what you say is true, sympathize, and do the best they can to be supportive. Thank God for these people. 
PRO TIP: Time Management
First and foremost, if you’re going through depression sadness, being alone is not a good idea. Find someone immediately and tell them what you are feeling.
On the other hand, if you’re just feeling angry and bitter, you can actually use the time to catch up on uncompleted tasks.
When I can’t be around other people I either walk, lift weights, or clean. It’s therapeutic and provides a productive way to release negative energy.
When I don’t feel like doing anything, I just clean a little of my house at a time and celebrate each milestone with dark chocolate.
You May Have Difficulty Controlling Your Emotions
My lack of control over my emotions is the first sign I am entering into a depressive episode.
I have to fight really hard and constantly remind myself it’s not me, it’s the illness.
😒 Irritability and Agitation
This is the very first emotion to hit me when depression sets in.
Irritability can cause you to overthink everything and become easily agitated and disagreeable with everyone around you.
I always know when it’s happening because I can’t seem to get along with anyone; everything annoys me, and I can’t let go of even the smallest infractions.
If I don’t get control over my irritability right away it quickly turns into anger.
I have to tell myself over and over “breathe deep and be agreeable”, “Just let it go man, just let it go”, “You are better than this.”
Sometimes the words work, sometimes… not so much.
😠 Anger and Aggression
Depression can make you get angry fast and lead to outbursts, or even aggressiveness.
I used to drink alcohol when I was depressed and would quickly become destructive.
I would never physically hurt anyone, but I would put holes in walls, break appliances, and even destroy things that were important to me.
When I gave up alcohol many years back, my destructive tendencies completely vanished.
Of course it might not work the same for everyone, but it’s certainly something to consider if you find yourself angry often.
Whenever I feel myself getting angry now, I try to distance myself a bit and listen to calming music while I clear my head. My favorite is Riopy.
😢 Sad and Weepy
When the sadness hits I cry in the shower, I cry writing, I cry listening to music, I cry eating breakfast… I cry off and on all day no matter what I am doing.
Sometimes it’s over little things, other times it’s for no reason at all.
Depression sadness is by far one of the worst feelings I have ever felt in my life.
Partly because it’s constant and partly because it makes me feel like my life is purposeless and pointless. It’s just awful. It makes me want to cry thinking about it. 😞
Remembering why I’m feeling sad is extremely important.
If you leave depression sadness unchecked, it can sometimes turn into despair and lead to suicidal thoughts and contemplation.
When I am extremely sad I make sure I am not alone. I know all to well what can happen if I am. The struggle is real.
If you ever feel this way, tell someone immediately! Create a support system so you have a plan in place when you feel that way again.
It’s not the end of the world, it’s an episode that will pass. Fight hard, and if at all possible -with a team. You CAN beat it.
PRO TIP: Emotion Tracking
While there are a variety of ways to track your emotions, I use a mobile app called Bearable (available for both Android and iPhones). I cannot brag enough about this app! It tracks everything including moods (emotions), physical symptoms, meds, food, sleep and more.
Tracking your emotions works because you learn your triggers and patterns which results in smarter decision making.
You May Have Insomnia, Hypersomnia or Both
Nearly everyone suffering from depression experiences some form of change to their sleeping patterns or another.
In most cases it’s insomnia. In fact, according to all my sources, only a small percentage of people oversleep (I do on occasion).
However, some people can actually experience both insomnia and hypersomnia within the same depressive episode.
Not being able to sleep at night is difficult enough, but for those with depression, insomnia can make it much worse.
Lack of sleep leads to mental and physical exhaustion, can cause terrible moods swings, more depression, and leave you with an overall feeling of being unwell. Meh.
Oversleeping isn’t good for you either. It can cause headaches, backpain, inflammation, disorientation, and more depression.
Both sleeping too much and too little puts you at a greater risk for a variety of conditions including obesity, diabetes, and heart disease.
PRO TIP: Sleep Preparation
Create a sleep schedule and stick to it as best as you are able. For example, lay down on your bed at the same time every night and set an alarm to get you out of bed at the same time every morning (train your brain).
Abstain from electronics (computer, TV, phone, etc.) and just read 30 minutes to 1 hour before bedtime. This provides numerous health benefits including relaxing your eyes and mind.
You may find drinking caffeine-free herbal tea like Yogi Bedtime Tea to be soothing, relaxing, and aide in the sleep process (it also gives me pleasant dreams).
Try using a Cooling Weighted Blanket. I thought it would make me feel smothered, but instead it effectively calms my anxiety and helps me sleep a lot better.
You May Crave Unhealthy Food
Dark chocolate, ice cream and chips anyone?
These are the 3 things I crave the most when I’m depressed; and to be completely transparent, I often give in.
Why? Because they make me feel better (there’s an explanation for this). Unfortunately, it’s only instant gratification.
There are of course, multiple reasons why eating unhealthy can be a big problem.
For one, rapid weight gain can lead to low self-esteem, poor body image, as well as physical health concerns. These symptoms can cause even more depression.
Second, eating unhealthy food can make you feel tired, weak, and sluggish which can also make you feel more depressed.
PRO TIP: Not So Unhealthy Food
If you’re like me and struggle to give up the few things that actually make you feel better, try healthier versions of your cravings.
For example, instead of regular ice cream, try something like Halo Top, low-fat frozen yogurt, or even non-dairy ice cream made from coconut milk.
Instead of your go to chocolate bar, try dark chocolate sweetened with stevia. It’s pretty much a health food.
Rather than a bag of greasy fried potato chips, try grain-free chips cooked with 100% avocado oil (I absolutely love these).
Of course I realize it’s not the same and may not be a viable option for everyone. The point is, you may be able to satisfy your cravings without further sacrificing your health. For me, that’s a huge win.
Conclusion
Depression negatively affects daily life in many different ways.
It can affect your daily routine, your relationships, your social life, your emotions, your eating and sleeping habits and more.
Finding a way to cope with it all is crucial for sanity, as well as your physical health.
Create a support system, stay strong, and never give up.
If you experience depression, I hope the information provided in this article helps in some way and I sincerely wish you the best on your journey to a better life.
