Loving Yourself When You Have Depression

Many of us who are diagnosed with depression struggle with loving ourselves. We might feel the sting of stigma, whether it's from others, from within us, or from a combination of both. As individuals with depression, some of us deal with negative thoughts, which can make it difficult to foster feelings of love towards ourselves. How can we overcome these challenges and learn to love ourselves?

Ways to Love Yourself When You're Depressed

Set Boundaries and Learn to Say No

Loving yourself starts with respecting yourself. Do not let others cross your boundaries. Set them and then stick with them. I believe my depression was definitely made worse when I had loosely set boundaries or no boundaries set at all. I allowed people to do and say hurtful things to me. These words and actions then became my internal dialogue, which, in turn, fueled negative thoughts and contributed to my depression. Once I learned how to set boundaries and was strong enough to hold to them, I began to love myself more and see improvement in my depression.

Keep a Positivity Journal 

In order to counteract the negative thoughts you have, write all the positive things about yourself down. Record these thoughts in a journal. When you're struggling with loving yourself, you can refer to this "positivity journal." I know I have a hard time remembering anything positive about myself on my low, depression days, so keeping a journal filled with loving thoughts about myself has been encouraging and helpful for me. Sometimes I even leave notecards around the house so these loving statements are readily visible. It may seem cheesy, but it honestly helps me.

Do Nice Things for Yourself

Give yourself permission to rest without feeling guilty. Our bodies are fighting an illness, and we need to acknowledge that. Those of us with depression often struggle with finding energy and motivation to bathe or shower; so, splurge and buy yourself some nice body care items. I did that, and it has made a difference. Take small steps toward doing activities you used to enjoy. Show yourself some love by purchasing a book by an author you like or get that new video game that has caught your eye. Whatever it is you think you might be able to enjoy, do that thing. 

Discover Who You Are

You are diagnosed with depression; I am diagnosed with depression. Yet, we are not depression. I know some days it feels like we are. The black cloud is heavy, and it hangs over everything. Still, I want you to find that one speck of light. I assure you it's there. You're still here, and I'm still here. We can start there.

One thing we certainly are is warriors. See yourself for the courageous and strong person that you are. In spite of the struggle, we are still shining brightly in this darkness. I'm proud of myself and I'm proud of you all. You have every reason to love yourself as you continue facing depression each day.

To see how I put together a self-love basket, please watch this video.

How do you love yourself through depression? Share your thoughts in the comments below.