*photography of Allison Schmitt from articles.baltimoresun.com
Perhaps it’s something that you take for granted, or simply something that you see as the least triumphant part of your day. Yet, if you’ve ever experienced depression or are currently experiencing it, getting out of bed really can be a huge achievement.
Many psychologists believe that achievement or progression is a natural human instinct. In fact, Carl Rogers suggested that self-actualization is a motive that drives us all: we all want, and attempt, to reach our potential. Try picturing recent images of Olympic athletes, reaching the peak of their ‘athletic-ness’ through their profession. In the same way, Rogers believed we all want to reach our peak ‘humanbeing-ness’.
With such high expectations of what we can achieve as humans, it’s easy to see why getting out of bed wouldn’t rank high on our list of accomplishments. Yet, the truth is, depression can often feel like we’re running a psychological marathon as we attempt to get up in the morning. Symptoms of depression include; persistent low mood, fatigue, insomnia, feelings of guilt and worthlessness… the list goes on. At it’s mildest it may be felt as a low mood or struggle to do everyday tasks, at its most severe it can be life threatening.
Depression affects 1 in 5 of us at some point in our lives, so with that in mind, why aren’t we appreciating our small achievements as much as the larger ones? In fact, I would argue that getting out of bed is not a small triumph at all. If you’re experiencing depression, know that getting out of bed really is an achievement to appreciate.
For more on this subject, take a read of ‘How to get out of bed when you’re depressed’ via Everyday Health
