This woman's remedy for depression is NOT for the lazy.
A woman who struggled with depression found a way—actually, more than 300 ways—to improve her mental health by doing something new every day for a year. Jess Mell says she’s now the happiest she’s been in a decade after trying new things for 365 days, including a try at hot yoga and beekeeping.Jess completed a wide range of ‘firsts’, including bleeding a radiator, using a sewing machine, and joining a gardening group. From her home in Surrey, she was able to visit European cities like Vienna, Budapest, Copenhagen, Dublin, and Krakow—and, back on home soil, she tried speed dating and line dancing.
PRO TIP: She adjusted her goal midway through the year, after finding it difficult to do ‘one thing every day’. She settled on simply doing 365 new things throughout the year. “That way, I could do ten things in one day if I was free.” Joined sometimes by friends, Jess says the best part about the whole experience has been putting herself out of her comfort zone. “I feel like I should constantly be doing something.”
From entertaining ‘firsts’—like watching an ice hockey match to playing with miniature pigs—to educational quests—like learning the DIY tasks of hanging a picture and sewing a button—her list is a unique hodgepodge of items.
For the full lengthy list, check the link below:
Comments (7)
Berating people with depression (even indirectly like this) is about as sensible as telling people off for having cancer as a cure.
Tim Cantopher in his book Depression: The Curse of the Strong, proposes that those people who constantly push themselves are more likely to experience depression which is essentially a manifestation of physical and emotional exhaustion. It's well documented that (extra) sleep alleviates traits of depression and is advocated as an aspect of mainstream therapies. Tiredness and a lack of motivation are traits of depression for a reason, or number of reasons: it's a big part of the illness.
I'm glad this technique worked for Jess Mell, but she would have been in a place of fairly mild depression/recovery in order to do all these new things. I'd also be interested in how things go for her long term and whether it truly has been a 'cure', or whether pushing herself to the extreme is just part of the cycle.
I'm not knocking new activities and interests as part of creating change and improvements in depressive traits, but this extreme technique seems to be perfectly flawed, or possibly a tad on the hypomanic side.
Y'know, people may feel great when they're experiencing a manic phase of bipolar disorder and can be absolutely adamant that they've simply returned to a blessed 'normal'.
Who could keep up with her?
Berating people with depression (even indirectly like this) is about as sensible as telling people off for having cancer as a cure.
Tim Cantopher in his book Depression: The Curse of the Strong, proposes that those people who constantly push themselves are more likely to experience depression which is essentially a manifestation of physical and emotional exhaustion. It's well documented that (extra) sleep alleviates traits of depression and is advocated as an aspect of mainstream therapies. Tiredness and a lack of motivation are traits of depression for a reason, or number of reasons: it's a big part of the illness.
I'm glad this technique worked for Jess Mell, but she would have been in a place of fairly mild depression/recovery in order to do all these new things. I'd also be interested in how things go for her long term and whether it truly has been a 'cure', or whether pushing herself to the extreme is just part of the cycle.
I'm not knocking new activities and interests as part of creating change and improvements in depressive traits, but this extreme technique seems to be perfectly flawed, or possibly a tad on the hypomanic side.
Y'know, people may feel great when they're experiencing a manic phase of bipolar disorder and can be absolutely adamant that they've simply returned to a blessed 'normal'.
However, based upon the following source (as an example), Depression does have the ability to cause a person to feel 'lazy' or un-motivated to pursue and complete tasks.
" Dr Tugnait says depression or anxiety can lead to feeling of lethargy and apathy. The expert says a person with low self-esteem is also at risk of feeling lazy all the time as they may believe they are not capable of accomplishing anything and may lack any sense of purpose.1 Jul 2022 (hindustantimes.com)
But then, this isn't a blog about whether persons dealing with depression are lazy, or not.
Who could keep up with her?