How to Stop Feeling Self-Conscious When You're Depressed
Feeling self-conscious when I am depressed is common for me. I worry about every single thing I do and say. I have found hope in the fact that there are ways to lessen this self-conscious feeling when I’m depressed.
Depression Symptoms Create Self-Conscious Feelings
When I am depressed, I tend to view things through a negative lens and feel overly responsible when things don’t go as planned. I will scrutinize everything I do and say and find myself at fault everywhere I turn. If an email that I send isn’t replied to, I’ll assume that it’s because I said something weird and that the person is thinking bad thoughts about me. Hours, and even days after visiting with a friend, I’ll replay in my mind all of the dumb things I said in the conversation. It’s no wonder that the next time I send an email or meet with a friend I’m filled with self-conscious feelings, worried that I’ll do something “wrong” (Depression Symptoms: What are the Symptoms of Depression).
3 Ways to Reduce Self-Conscious Feelings When Depressed
- Remember, it’s not always about you. It’s often helpful to remember that other people have their own lives. If someone doesn’t reply to an email, it’s possible that he or she liked what you said but was simply too busy to reply. Maybe this person didn’t even receive it. What about those “dumb things” that you said or did? Chances are, the other person is so busy with his or her own life that he or she has already forgotten about what you said. Do you go around memorizing what other people say? Probably not.
- Engage in mindfulness to counteract feelings of self-consciousness. When caught up in a whirlwind of self-conscious thoughts, engage in mindfulness. Turn your focus toward the present moment. Focus on your breath as you engage your five senses in the world around you. What can you see, hear, smell, touch, and taste? By being mindful of your thoughts, you can allow those self-conscious feelings to dissipate.
- Help others to get outside of your own mind. Helping others can help ease depression. It allows you to change your focus from yourself to others. If you find yourself ruminating on your past conversations or your past actions, throughout your day, seek out ways that you can help others. It can be as simple as opening a door for a stranger or paying for the meal of the car behind you in the drive-through. You can also give your time by volunteering for a cause.
I hope these tips can help you when dealing with feelings of self-consciousness while depressed so you can begin to feel better.
APA Reference
Sedas, M.
(2018, March 1). How to Stop Feeling Self-Conscious When You're Depressed, HealthyPlace. Retrieved
on 2024, November 18 from https://www.healthyplace.com/blogs/copingwithdepression/2018/03/dealing-with-feelings-of-self-consciousness-when-depressed
Author: Michelle Sedas
Is this what "Dr ( or whatever she is ) Anika Mandla et al have been wasting their time doing? It"s very nice that they spent the time doing this. But they would do a lot better debunking these ridiculous terms like "bipolar disorder. Bloggers described the idea of being “wired differently” and some used terms such as “bipolar brain. Yes, I have seen many people do ridiculous things like this and it is infuriating to see it. People like these researchers would be a lot better of questioning people about the validity of such terms with respect to their lives. I have met people with traumatic brain injury who keep experiencing mania every now and then. Then there are other people who experience "spontaneous manias. Yet again, there are other people whose "bipolar diagnosis comes solely due to drug induced mania (drugs prescribed by psychiatrists). These are all DIFFERENT circumstances and do not constitute the same thing and SHOULD NOT be labelled the same way (that"s keeping aside the entire argument against labels), which they usually are. People who talk about the "bipolar brain should rather talk about their own brains and shut up about everyone else (which they are indirectly doing).
I think those are three good advice's to help with anxiety and depression. That is in summary (1) stop focusing on self, (2) live in the moment, and (3) help others. I am doing #3 via volunteering at the food bank and a couple other stuff. It does help. Mindfulness and not focusing on your issues have been harder. I try to do those first thing in the morning so that negativity does not take hold.
Hello John,
That's wonderful that you've been volunteering at the food bank. I'm so glad it's helping. And it is a great idea to focus on mindfulness in the morning so that negativity doesn't take hold. Thank you so much for your comment.
--Michelle Sedas
Coauthor of "Coping with Depression" blog