Dealing with Dain Bramage: What to do When You’re Feelin’ Down

This morning I woke up in a funk. Cranky. Blue. Down in the dumps. I would have called it PMS, but biologically that probably won’t happen to many of us guys.

Now, I know I’m not the only person who feels occasionally out of sorts. Many folks periodically look up from a normal life experience to find that the fog just rolled in. Maybe there were warnings signs, but I never hear the fog horn myself.

In the past, when I found myself in this very uncomfortable place, I used to have a small panic attack and try to fix the situation. (Even though I had no idea what was broken.) But, life has taught me that things aren’t always rosy 24/7 and I will periodically experience a bout of depression. Sometimes it comes from nowhere and other times I have unfortunately put myself in a self-destructive situation that causes a momentary collapse in my sunny world view. Sound familiar?

Knowing why you got depressed in the first place is not all that important in the midst of the fog. Only two things matter right then:

Don’t make the situation worse.

Remember that the fog always rolls out.

In other words, DON’T PANIC. Not even a little justified panic will do much good. In the midst of the fog, the biggest thing is recognizing that you are in a fog. I still get amazed how long it takes me to recognize it. Being married, my wife can sometimes see it before I do. Once you’ve nailed down the fact that you’re in a funk, you can take appropriate measures:

1. No major decisions. You may not be the best qualified to make big decision right this minute. Most decisions can wait a little bit.

2. Simplify your path for the rest of the day. By this I mean, take care of the basics, but don’t stack on other issues. This is not the best time to try and solve all your life’s dilemmas.

3. Do what you know is right. Eat right, get your exercise, and spend some quiet time with God thanking him for the distance he has already brought you.
The next thing is find a friend and talk about it. Turn to a support group, if necessary. How many times do you keep from sharing because you are afraid of what others may think? Trust me, you aren’t as unique as you think you are. Some folks are going through the exact same thing right this minute. Others may be just about to enter into a fog, and still others are successfully holding firm while the fog rolls out. By sharing your own experience, it helps everyone to not feel so alone while enduring temporary craziness.

In summary, the fog will roll in again. Trust me. But, with that said, the fog will always roll out, as well. Learn to recognize when you’re dealing with a bout of depression, and have an action (or inaction) plan. Then relax.

Hey, the fog is lifting… I think I’ll go fishin’.