Take a career-break and go do some volunteer work with the malnurished somewhere in Africa...

.

You'll return different im sure of that!

Depression doesn't need a reason, it's an illness just like any other. Like you said Carrie, perhaps it's time to mention something to a doctor. You shouldn't have to go around feeling like this, it's not good.

i don't think depression is the only cause for feeling like you're in a rut. sure, if the things that used to thrill you are like dust in your mouth - then maybe depression is a factor.

but i think that we often mistake boredom for depression, and our 21st century lifestyle is not giving us the thrill we need as animals, physical or mental. too many aspects of life have become automated.

it's tricky to maintain the daily grind and stay alive, on track with goals, while also being an interesting person, interested in life. it's a mindset. i think that's one of the points of life, one of the lessons we have to learn.

travel, taking classes, exercise, new people, new projects - these things that help me snap out of a rut.

well, that's all i got. good luck!!

[Edited 8/2/11 17:37pm]

it feels like i was in a rut for over10 years , and i suffered from severe depression, but slowly, in the last 6 months things have improved for me, only because i wanted them to and i made some changes, which helped.

beside the changes i made here r some of the things i did....

get in touch with old friends

go out and have a bit of fun

go shopping for U only

get stuck into a book... reading is great

do drama/art/ something fun classes...... not yoga (You will just feel sleepy)

re-arrange your house

plan a holiday

i am still in a rut but not as bad

hope u feel better soon

I'm doing ok, and am pretty contented at the moment, but I know there's a bit of a rut there, some treading water, that I'm only just keeping at bay by concentrating on exercising. Maybe it'll pass while I'm kinda ignoring it, but maybe it'll really dawn on me, I'll be forced to face it head on, and I'll be well and truly stuck too. I smile every day, I'm generally happy, but there's something there in the background, in the back of my mind, that's just nagging a little bit. I'll sing, chat with some ppl, play with my nephew and enjoy some nice food with the missus, and I won't feel anything like sad, but I think something may be missing. For now I'm just going to continue to trundle along being ok.

Take a risk. The bigger the risk, the bigger the reward. Get out of your comfort zone by trying something completely new or attempting to do something you once thought was impossible/not the right time/scary, etc...

Straight away -

* Go shopping

* Arrange to go out with a friend tonight. Go have a fantastic meal out, drink cocktails and dance. Even if it's a work night - you'll catch up on your sleep soon enough.

Then -

* Check your diary. What's in it? Do you have a lot of fun stuff to look forward to? If not, do something about it.

* Get out of the house. See different people, catch up with friends you haven't seen for a while, go for a walk, whatever it takes to keep you occupied.

That's what works for me, anyway. Hope you get out of the rut soon.

[Edited 8/3/11 4:01am]

I am in a bit of a rut myself but one way to forget your problems is to help someone else you will feel better and forget your own problems

PurpleJedi said:

Maybe the key to happiness is finding a balance between Chaos and Bliss?

Perhaps the human mind needs some challange in the form of adversity every now & then to keep you going?

I will admit that for myself, with all the shit that's happening and the unraveling of my life...I actually feel more "alive" than I have in a long time. I mean, not that I particularly enjoy feeling shitty all the time and the fighting and the bitterness and all the other negative feelings that come with this...but I'm actually less NUMB that I was previously.

I don't know if I'm describing it properly.

Maybe you just need a little bit of adversity or angst to pull you out of the complacent bliss?

Did I tell you that me and the kids are rooming with you for the next couple of months? And I need to borrow your car and I have 2 dogs and a monitor lizard as pets.

[there...did that help?]

Ya I kinda know what you're saying here.

I get really bored really fast and then I start nagging my husband about how bored I am.

He said to me the other day 'why do you always have to be doing something? It's annoying'.

I guess because I usually AM always doing something. I always have some sort of big obstacle to overcome. Right now I don't have one, so you'd think I'd be happy with finally being able to take a deep breath and relax.......but no. It's like my brain is hard wired to always be fighting some sort of battle.

CallMeAdreamer2 said:

I am in a bit of a rut myself but one way to forget your problems is to help someone else you will feel better and forget your own problems

Can you snap out of doing that blue shit?

I would love to be at that place of boredom and security! I'm jalous.

Eventhough I'm not at the same page, I can understand that you pressure yourself because you assume that you should be happy.

However, hapiness is not the same thing as no trouble or no drama in your life, is it?

I have a lot of trouble and drama in my life, and I'm not happy about it, however, I do have moments of happiness more than once a week.

Did you consider a coach in stead of counselor? Talane Miedaner has written a few books, one of them is 'Coach yourself to succes'. I'm still working on it, and already a lot has changed in my life, by just obeying her tips and implementing her advice. Maybe you can check her out and see if she can enforce you to lift yourself up again.

Wish you the best

TotalANXiousNESS said:

PurpleJedi said:

Maybe the key to happiness is finding a balance between Chaos and Bliss?

Perhaps the human mind needs some challange in the form of adversity every now & then to keep you going?

I will admit that for myself, with all the shit that's happening and the unraveling of my life...I actually feel more "alive" than I have in a long time. I mean, not that I particularly enjoy feeling shitty all the time and the fighting and the bitterness and all the other negative feelings that come with this...but I'm actually less NUMB that I was previously.

I don't know if I'm describing it properly.

Maybe you just need a little bit of adversity or angst to pull you out of the complacent bliss?

Did I tell you that me and the kids are rooming with you for the next couple of months? And I need to borrow your car and I have 2 dogs and a monitor lizard as pets.

[there...did that help?]

Ya I kinda know what you're saying here.

I get really bored really fast and then I start nagging my husband about how bored I am.

He said to me the other day 'why do you always have to be doing something? It's annoying'.

I guess because I usually AM always doing something. I always have some sort of big obstacle to overcome. Right now I don't have one, so you'd think I'd be happy with finally being able to take a deep breath and relax.......but no. It's like my brain is hard wired to always be fighting some sort of battle.

I just think (and this is in no way, shape or form based on any scientific fact, just my own opinion) that the human body is conditioned to be challenged. It's probably why we thrived as a species. Take for example HUNGER...our bodies are designed to function in a state of hunger (THAT I read in an article) but nowadays we have so much food so readily available that our bodies do not get to really experience "hunger". As a result, we lose the ability to properly digest and process what we ingest, resulting in all the food-related maladies that our modern society suffers (obesity, diabetes, cholesterol, etc.).

That's what I think happens with our complacency...we aren't out hunting game or plowing fields or fending off barbarians, so we compensate with the stress of modern life...then when that stress isn't around, we're "bored" instead of joyous.

thekidsgirl said:

I totally have been feeling the same way for about the last year and I had been feeling kind of guilty about it, because now I'm in a place where I can say my life is completely satisfactory...It just kills me cause there is this looming feeling that something is missing, but I can't figure what it is.

My friend says I should just take a week off

You know, I'm going to DC for work in September. Aren't you kinda nearby? We should have dinner or something. I've been meaning to message you and John on facebook.

I may even spend an extra day or two since I"ve never been there. We should get together and rollerskate through the Smithsonian or something.

me, when i'm starting to feel like i'm on a tread-mill.

about 2x's a year i pack a small overnite bag and go to a nice bed-and breakfast type of place near the beach or near the mountains (by myself. i inform a coupla friends b4 i take off) and just relax and reflect on where my life is going. i take a few cd's and and interesting magazines related to my interest and goals. (very little or no tv)

i do an aroma bath w/candles, meditate and thank myself for my many accomplishments. take a walk, go to the local downtown area and window shop.

it may sound weird to some, however it rejuvanates my spirit, mind and who i am as a person.

sometimes we do need to "stop and smell the roses" of our successes.

i hope this helps if you decide to try it.

Lisa10 said:

Straight away -

* Go shopping

* Arrange to go out with a friend tonight. Go have a fantastic meal out, drink cocktails and dance. Even if it's a work night - you'll catch up on your sleep soon enough.

Then -

* Check your diary. What's in it? Do you have a lot of fun stuff to look forward to? If not, do something about it.

* Get out of the house. See different people, catch up with friends you haven't seen for a while, go for a walk, whatever it takes to keep you occupied.

That's what works for me, anyway. Hope you get out of the rut soon.

[Edited 8/3/11 4:01am]

This is good stuff.

I had an inkling to go take a new class at my gym last night and instead flopped down on the couch. I should have done it.

I also spent a good long hour on the phone with my bf. He’s really pushing me to start school. My trouble is I have no idea what to study. He kept throwing out topics and I kept thinking nah, that doesn’t interest me. Not much interests me these days. I’ll figure it out eventually.

I rode my bike to work today and it was nice. I’m picking a new recipe to make for dinner tonight (cooking does interest me) and will likely go for a bike ride after that.

Teacher said:

Depression doesn't need a reason, it's an illness just like any other. Like you said Carrie, perhaps it's time to mention something to a doctor. You shouldn't have to go around feeling like this, it's not good.

Personally, I would resort to medication last. And only then, I'd not use medication unless I needed an urgent stopgap or I was going to come loose at the seams.

Fauxie said:

CallMeAdreamer2 said:

I am in a bit of a rut myself but one way to forget your problems is to help someone else you will feel better and forget your own problems

Can you snap out of doing that blue shit?

Theres nothing wrong with a bit of blue!

Spinlight said:

Teacher said:

Depression doesn't need a reason, it's an illness just like any other. Like you said Carrie, perhaps it's time to mention something to a doctor. You shouldn't have to go around feeling like this, it's not good.

Personally, I would resort to medication last. And only then, I'd not use medication unless I needed an urgent stopgap or I was going to come loose at the seams.

Well, you haven't experienced a depression. Good for you.

SexLovely's smiley pic is enough to snap anyone out of a depression...

TheFreakerFantastic said:

SexLovely's smiley pic is enough to snap anyone out of a depression...

Then I should be earning millions by making a banner out of it and walking through psychiatric clinics, and perhaps just wandering around mainland Greece!

.

Bet my profile pic didnt cheer up anyone up eh?

.

Actually talking of ruts i'm so in debt I may ask Greece to bail me out!

[Edited 8/3/11 11:07am]

Do something that you:

1) need to do but hate doing/have put off

2) rarely or ever do.

that deed doesn't have to be big or small. but do one every day for a while.

SexLovely said:

TheFreakerFantastic said:

SexLovely's smiley pic is enough to snap anyone out of a depression...

Then I should be earning millions by making a banner out of it and walking through psychiatric clinics, and perhaps just wandering around mainland Greece!

.

Bet my profile pic didnt cheer up anyone up eh?

.

Actually talking of ruts i'm so in debt I may ask Greece to bail me out!

[Edited 8/3/11 11:07am]

Yes although i think you'll need to do more than smile to fix the Greek issues!!

Why are you in debt, are you a student? What and where do you study?

I graduated in 2003 but i still haven't paid off hardly any of my loan, don't worry though its not like a bank where you have a set deadline....

Fauxie said:

CallMeAdreamer2 said:

I am in a bit of a rut myself but one way to forget your problems is to help someone else you will feel better and forget your own problems

Can you snap out of doing that blue shit?

CarrieMpls said:

A friend posted on facebook that if she were a rock star, today would be the day she’d cancel her tour.

Dehydration? someone asked.

Exhaustion, was her reply.

And it made me envious. I have no doubt she’s exhausted because of hard work. It’s been a really long time since I was exhausted and genuinely earned it.

I posted along and asked if it was OK to cancel my own tour due to ennui.

I’m in a rut, folks. All things told I should be ecstatically happy and yet somehow I feel like I’ve just been going through the motions for quite a while now. I have a great boyfriend and a great relationship. I have great friends and a good social life. I have a roof over my head, nutritious food in my fridge and money in the bank.

I have a good job with a great boss, I am recognized for my intellect and efforts and I like the people I work with. I’m even given preference for the projects I want to do. And yet I’m bored to tears most of the time. I hardly want to drag myself out of bed to go most days.

I really have nothing to complain about. And I’m still feeling “stuck”.

How do you snap yourself out if it?

You might be up to the challenge of a new job! Today might be the day you decide to have a look around at what else is around.

You have good reasons also for sadness worry and fear though do you probably repress your thoughts of the future? I imagine taking each day as it comes can be both liberating but also unhealthy too - I'm just speculating. (I'm talking about your partner's MS) Do not feel guilty for having contrary feelings to others expectations (or even your OWN).

I have had a horrible few weeks recently. I have a LOT of worry (health issues, financial AND emotional issues etc), but things are working themselves out for me now (or at least they have started to). I decided in my lowest point to go out and get a job in addition to running my own business from home. Somehow within a week I had one. I get very depressed and unmotivated when I'm alone for long periods of time, so I NEED social interaction (even though I keep saying I prefer my own company )

Deal with your feelings, examine them and think how change could affect you - would it be positive?

I know I'm someone who is hooked on CHANGE. I hate for things to stay the same for too long (I blame my parents for moving house less than every 2 years )

TheFreakerFantastic said:

SexLovely said:

Then I should be earning millions by making a banner out of it and walking through psychiatric clinics, and perhaps just wandering around mainland Greece!

.

Bet my profile pic didnt cheer up anyone up eh?

.

Actually talking of ruts i'm so in debt I may ask Greece to bail me out!

[Edited 8/3/11 11:07am]

Yes although i think you'll need to do more than smile to fix the Greek issues!!

Why are you in debt, are you a student? What and where do you study?

I graduated in 2003 but i still haven't paid off hardly any of my loan, don't worry though its not like a bank where you have a set deadline....

Should I dance aswell...??

.

Yup! Il Studento! Im doing a BA Combined Honours in Drama and Psychology! Studying at Chester University (near Liverpool)....

.

Yeah true, but I literally have NO MONEY!!! ARGH!!

ZombieKitten said:

CarrieMpls said:

A friend posted on facebook that if she were a rock star, today would be the day she’d cancel her tour.

Dehydration? someone asked.

Exhaustion, was her reply.

And it made me envious. I have no doubt she’s exhausted because of hard work. It’s been a really long time since I was exhausted and genuinely earned it.

I posted along and asked if it was OK to cancel my own tour due to ennui.

I’m in a rut, folks. All things told I should be ecstatically happy and yet somehow I feel like I’ve just been going through the motions for quite a while now. I have a great boyfriend and a great relationship. I have great friends and a good social life. I have a roof over my head, nutritious food in my fridge and money in the bank.

I have a good job with a great boss, I am recognized for my intellect and efforts and I like the people I work with. I’m even given preference for the projects I want to do. And yet I’m bored to tears most of the time. I hardly want to drag myself out of bed to go most days.

I really have nothing to complain about. And I’m still feeling “stuck”.

How do you snap yourself out if it?

You might be up to the challenge of a new job! Today might be the day you decide to have a look around at what else is around.

You have good reasons also for sadness worry and fear though do you probably repress your thoughts of the future? I imagine taking each day as it comes can be both liberating but also unhealthy too - I'm just speculating. (I'm talking about your partner's MS) Do not feel guilty for having contrary feelings to others expectations (or even your OWN).

I have had a horrible few weeks recently. I have a LOT of worry (health issues, financial AND emotional issues etc), but things are working themselves out for me now (or at least they have started to). I decided in my lowest point to go out and get a job in addition to running my own business from home. Somehow within a week I had one. I get very depressed and unmotivated when I'm alone for long periods of time, so I NEED social interaction (even though I keep saying I prefer my own company )

Deal with your feelings, examine them and think how change could affect you - would it be positive?

I know I'm someone who is hooked on CHANGE. I hate for things to stay the same for too long (I blame my parents for moving house less than every 2 years )

I'm sure there's some lingering-something going on. My BF worries my feeling lousy is his fault (though I assure him it's not) and when we talked tonight he reminded me this has been going on for a few months now, it's just seeming to come to a head the last few days.

Sorry things have been rough for you, but it sounds like you're getting them sorted. Things always work out in the end, right? They have to. I need to remember that better.

Make a list of five things you would normally NOT do...then do them.

[Edited 8/3/11 18:54pm]

Carrie is there any lingering self-doubt, any regret or cognitive dissonance resonating in your head? Either as a thought you once buried or a recurring dream?

.

Maybe youve subconsciously buried something about yourself that can you can never properly confront and its eating away at you...

CarrieMpls said:

ZombieKitten said:

You might be up to the challenge of a new job! Today might be the day you decide to have a look around at what else is around.

You have good reasons also for sadness worry and fear though do you probably repress your thoughts of the future? I imagine taking each day as it comes can be both liberating but also unhealthy too - I'm just speculating. (I'm talking about your partner's MS) Do not feel guilty for having contrary feelings to others expectations (or even your OWN).

I have had a horrible few weeks recently. I have a LOT of worry (health issues, financial AND emotional issues etc), but things are working themselves out for me now (or at least they have started to). I decided in my lowest point to go out and get a job in addition to running my own business from home. Somehow within a week I had one. I get very depressed and unmotivated when I'm alone for long periods of time, so I NEED social interaction (even though I keep saying I prefer my own company )

Deal with your feelings, examine them and think how change could affect you - would it be positive?

I know I'm someone who is hooked on CHANGE. I hate for things to stay the same for too long (I blame my parents for moving house less than every 2 years )

I'm sure there's some lingering-something going on. My BF worries my feeling lousy is his fault (though I assure him it's not) and when we talked tonight he reminded me this has been going on for a few months now, it's just seeming to come to a head the last few days.

Sorry things have been rough for you, but it sounds like you're getting them sorted. Things always work out in the end, right? They have to. I need to remember that better.

so when you are blue, maybe recognise you have an excuse, and then move forwards. I believe negative feelings accumulate and come to a head and that you need to make a physical world change sometimes to mark the point at which you make your emotional world one

I'm very easily affected by the weather, yesterday was a glorious day and I felt a million dollars. So today, even though nothing has changed too much, I have to remember that I'm still a million dollars worth even though it's cloudy!

I have to say, standing up to doctors and getting a second opinion has made me feel fantastic

Fauxie said:

CallMeAdreamer2 said:

I am in a bit of a rut myself but one way to forget your problems is to help someone else you will feel better and forget your own problems

Can you snap out of doing that blue shit?

Snapping out of the blues is not very easy