Count both your big and small accomplishments and feel proud of your strengths and capabilities. Birthday sadness is attributed to the day itself, but it can lead to a real depressive episode down the road if the warning signs aren't recognized and preventative measures aren't taken.
To make sure you don't slip into a depressive episode, here are three great tips that will help to prevent sadness from gaining traction once your mood changes. Many of us know that exercise is one of the best ways to battle depression but will skip our daily workouts due to lack of time or motivation.
However, when you are fighting sadness, exercise along with a healthy diet is necessary to make sure your mental health is on track. As little as a walk in the sunshine for 30 to 45 minutes, a day can do wonders for your state of mind. They're supposed to be a good time, but when they're not, it's easy to feel bad about yourself. Depression is a real thing and nothing to be ashamed about.
Here's what you need to know about depression and how you can cope with it if you struggle with depression on what is supposed to be a happy day. We sometimes call it the birthday blues or birthday sadness, but birthday depression is often caused by fear of uncertainty or fear of aging. Softer terms like these can undermine the difficult reality many people experience. What's more, the transient nature of sadness makes it even easier to brush off.
Regardless of whether sadness arises from that specific date or chronic depression, it is significant and can increase feelings of sadness, hopelessness, and other negative emotions, possibly evolving into a depressive episode. This is why it's important to take depression seriously and approach it with kindness and understanding.
No matter the duration of your depression, we will touch upon some of the causes and concerns later in this article. Risk Factors. If you've ever struggled with chronic depression, it can have a significant impact. And if depression runs in your family, genetics could also be a factor for birthday depression.
Introverts are often labeled as anti-social, but that is not necessarily true. Many introverts are social, just like anyone else. They just have less of a capacity for stimulation than extroverts. There's quite a lot of freedom in creating a path for yourself. From your career to your family to your finances, you are in control of your life once you reach adulthood.
However, there is still a fair amount of pressure from society to accomplish and hit certain milestones by specific times. A husband, a house, a family, and even a K are all things that we "should" obtain by a certain age.
If you don't reach these milestones within the expected timeframe, this day may be a source of depression. When we feel happy, it's an easy and wonderful experience, but you can't force the best time of your life. That goes for everything, including other milestones and important events. If you wanted something much better than what you received, it can be easy to get down about your celebration.
As social creatures, interacting with other humans is vital to our happiness and allows us to work through issues with the right support and perspective. If you are feeling down during your birthday as well as before and after, make sure to schedule plans with friends and family to keep yourself looking forward to something as you overcome your sadness.
The professional therapists at BetterHelp understand that sadness can be tough. If you feel as though you need support or expert guidance to help you navigate your sadness, you can easily reach out to connect to BetterHelp to receive the advice and tools you need to thrive. You might feel wonderful on your birthday. If so, good for you, this article is not for you. If you, too, feel alienated by birthdays, fret not. Lucia Montesi , a clinical psychologist and psychotherapist based in Macerata, southern Italy, says there is absolutely nothing wrong with not wanting to make a big deal out of your birthday.
Montesi says there are many reasons why someone might not like their birthday; some come down to personality traits, others to personal history and even social pressures. First of all, birthdays are a time for self-reflection, reminding us of our place in the world. Health Conditions Discover Plan Connect.
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The answer is, there is no clear-cut answer. This year competed with personal illness and the coronavirus pandemic, so the day came and went without fuss.
A few years ago, one of my aunties forgot to send me a card and I felt painfully unloved. I decided to ask a psychologist why this recurring pattern might be, well, recurring. Lesley Russel is a clinical psychologist and counsellor who specialises in depression and anxiety. After speaking to Lesley, it turns out that birthdays can be challenging for many different reasons, and many different people.
Lesley also goes on to mention that traumatic memories of past birthdays can be triggering for people, as is the concept of ageing in itself.
People struggling with mental illness and lack of social support can be even more vulnerable to these emotional challenges. Basically anyone and everyone can struggle with their birthdays for a multitude of reasons. Celebrate in a way that makes you feel good.
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