Mental Health Update: The 3 Major Changes I Made to Get Out of Depression

posted on May 7, 2019 | by Amanda Holstein

The last year has been a lot harder than it’s looked in photos. I’m not gonna lie, my depression was getting out of control. I would start to feel better one week and then—BOOM, it was back. I felt like I couldn’t escape it, as much as I tried to. (Don’t worry, this ends happy, I promise!) I’ve been in and out of depression since I was 22 (you can read about that here), meaning I’d struggle for a few months and then be good for a few years. I continued that cycle for a long time. But this time was different. The depression just wouldn’t go away. It wasn’t there every single day, but it was there for the majority of this last year. And let me tell you, 9 months of depression can make you think, “Is this just who I am?”.

But a few months ago, I decided to change the way I was trying to get better. Because, clearly, my usual methods of therapy & meds weren’t working on their own. They were absolutely helping, but I needed to think outside the box this time around. So I wanted to share with you guys everything I’ve been doing over these last few months to get out of depression, and why today, I honestly feel the happiest I’ve ever felt in my entire life (so far!).

1. I took a lonnngggggg break.

I’ve taken “breaks” from work before. I’ve taken the week off or only posted on Instagram. But my business was still constantly on my mind. So back in November 2018, I decided to take a true break from blogging. I didn’t publish any posts, I didn’t check my email, I didn’t take on any campaigns, I stopped posting to Instagram, and basically decided to just take this massive responsibility off my plate altogether. This meant I wasn’t making money or being productive every day, which is a scary thought for most of us. But there comes a time where you have to choose your mental health over anything else. Because you need to be YOU in order to do anything else.

And I’m so glad I did. Money will always come and go, and I know it will come back. My blog wasn’t going anywhere either and I could always come back to it. Relieving myself from that pressure and creating more headspace to focus on my well-being was essential to kicking this depression in the ass.

2. I started seeing a Functional Medicine doctor.

Here’s a great article that digs into what Functional Medicine really is. But, basically, it focuses on your entire body, mind, and lifestyle. It’s heavily science-based, but it takes a holistic approach. To resolve whatever you’re struggling with, these doctors look to natural remedies (changing your diet, supplements), as well as adjusting your lifestyle habits, environment, and more. I could go on forever, but for now I’ll just share an overview of my personal experience. Basically, I’ve cut out a ton of things from my diet: gluten, processed sugar, dairy, and more, with the goal of cleaning out my gut. I’ve also added in a ton of supplements, based on bloodwork that showed where I was lacking.

And you guys, I have real energy for the first time in my life! I wake up, without an alarm, at 6:30am. Happy. With energy. Even my bio says I’m not a morning person! I can last throughout the day without needing a nap. I can think straight and don’t experience as much “brain fog”. Don’t get me wrong, I miss donuts like crazy. But this diet isn’t forever and it’s teaching me just how important it is to take care of my body. I’m always so focused on improving my way of thinking that I forgot how much the body can affect your mood as well. More on this in another post!

3. I’m prioritizing activities that truly bring me joy.

I don’t know if you guys know this about me, but I’ve been playing soccer since I was 2 years old. And it was seriously my life. I played on multiple teams in high school and planned to play in college (fortunately, I chickened out last minute). I played on some pick-up leagues in college, but once I got into the real world, soccer just wasn’t a part of my life anymore. I hated working out, though I never admitted it, and I was honestly too scared to get back into it. I had many excuses — time, not knowing anyone, being out of shape, etc. Then, after 5+ years of not playing and only doing Pilates classes (which I tried so hard to like), I decided to find a team. I was depressed and I knew soccer made me happy so I pushed myself to bring it back into my life.

And, you guys, there’s a reason it made the list here. I feel like me again. I found girls who have my sense of humor, I’m exercising in a way that I actually enjoy, I have a social life again, I could go on and on and on. Here’s the thing: doing things you love is happiness! How can you be happy if your time is filled with things you don’t love to do? It seems so simple, but we forget to prioritize what truly brings us joy. Your life is defined by how you spend it. So spend it doing things you love!

18 Comments

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Melina Elisa Says

I actually relate to this a lot. I’ve been struggling with depression on and off since I was 17 years old. It’s definitely not always on, but it never completely goes away. While I never went to one of those types of doctors (and that sounds amazing), I did do the therapy and drugs, taking a break from life, and doing things that actually make me happy. At first you kind of have to push yourself to do those things even though you don’t really feel like doing anything, but it works wonders. Great post! I know for a fact this is going to help someone xx

Melina | http://www.melinaelisa.com

Elite Says

The last year has been a lot harder than it’s looked in photos. I’m not gonna lie, my depression was getting out of control. But I’m glad I stopped and picked myself up, because now I’m much happier and healthier than when I was having trouble accepting things.

My goal was to have five children by 25 and, of course, I didn’t, and no, neither did the two women in that photo. But the thing is, even though I didn’t take that picture, I’ve made myself stop hating myself. I have become a different person, both emotionally and physically.

A lot of guys have told me, “It looks like you’ve lost your mind.” I want you to know that I know you’re wrong. The same goes for the women.

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Rachel Says

I especially needed this, Amanda! I’ve struggled with depression since I was 19 and Covid has really triggered my depression. This last month has been ROUGH. I’m starting to pull myself out of it but am terrified of it taking over again. Thank you for sharing what has helped you – it’s given me a lot to think about and implement in the coming weeks and months.

Tail Bone Says

Thanks for finally talking about > Mental Health Update:
The 3 Major Changes I Made to Get Out of Depression – Advice from a Twenty Something < Liked it!

zkittles strain Says

Thank you for sharing this. In fact, many of us never even consider doing things that we really enjoy and benefit from mental health. We are always chasing money and just forget that they are not the most important thing in our life with you. But as a rule, we remember this when for quite a long time we just spat on our mental health and it responds in kind to us. This is terrible and worth fighting with because nothing is more valuable than health.

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This blog is so motivational as I believe that mental health is such an important thing to focus on. I loved how you created a comfortable environment within your post that reassured me that it is OKAY to feel down sometimes. I also loved how you shed light on aspects that sometimes get looked at as a negative thing. For example, seeing a doctor or taking a break from work is never something to be ashamed of. I cannot stress the importance of mental health enough. Thank you so much for sharing your story and creating an inviting environment to remind others that they are not alone.

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