This year, as I stared at the candles on my birthday cake, I could not take my eyes off of the second digit that said I was getting older—seven. Wow, I thought. Twenty-seven. What Should I Have Done Already?. It amazes me how fast one birthday turns into the next. Twenty is so far away, and 30 is right around the corner.I'm getting old and I'm not where I thought I'd be.

One of the hardest parts of my work as a writer is not necessarily self-discipline or being inspired, but rather finding ways to use my creativity while depression zaps my motivation. Over time, depression feels as if it is sucking the creativity out of me, and being creative with depression coping becomes a work of art on its own.

There are actionable steps in my anxiety action plan that you can take to manage your anxiety. All too often, I find myself in a position where I feel an unwarranted sense of worry, fear, or panic. Even when there is no pressing issue, I often find myself looking for ways to manage anxiety. This is the anxiety action plan I use to manage anxious times.

Even if you were not diagnosed with depression or if you feel that you have it under control, you can always experience depression spells. They can hit at any time, sometimes with no warning. They can hit at the most random times—during a class, at a family reunion, after an interview, during the middle of a workday, etc.  Read on to find out about recognizing and dealing with depression spells before they get worse.

I've found if I dig up my root fear, I can better cope with death anxiety. I have a strange relationship with death. I soak up true crime podcasts and articles, all the while fearing the numerous ways I could die each day. Sometimes it all feels like a lot to cope with (Five Reasons You Should Keep A Fear Journal). I have found that getting to the root of my death anxiety helps me lessen my anxiety about death.

I've found three television shows that help me cope with depression. Television can create a way to escape depression, and oddly enough, I find myself looking for characters going through circumstances similar to mine. (Binge-Watching Television While Coping with Depression may not be such a good idea, though)

Knowing there are benefits of going to therapy doesn't make the decision to go much easier. The decision to go to therapy can be a deeply personal one based on a number of key factors. For me, the decision was not at all easy. In fact, it took me years of knowing I probably needed to go to therapy before I actually went. In the process of realizing that I needed some talk therapy, I also realized a benefit of going to therapy was defeating indecision.

A daily routine for my mental health is one of the hardest things to maintain while working from home, going to school, and traveling and also coping with the stressors of life. Establishing a daily routine is also the best way for me to cope with many of the hardest aspects of life. When I stick to these daily routines for my mental health, I find it so much easier to get through the day in spite of any trials I currently face.

Believe it or not, jealousy during grief is a normal reaction. Many of us have grieved over the loss of a close friend or relative. After such a loss, we do not always know what to think. It is normal to be in denial for awhile and then just out of the blue feel extremely bitter. In fact, we can feel so lonely that we might even feel jealous of everyone who still has their best friend or relative. After losing my father, jealousy, a normal reaction, has been a big part of my grieving process. 

Catastrophic thoughts, and recognizing catastrophic thoughts, has always been a significant part of the anxiety I experience (Dealing with Catastrophic Thinking and Anxiety). Initially, I thought that imagining all these terrible things happening would allow me to plan for them and control them as a result. Learning to recognize and deal with catastrophic thoughts has helped me get through difficult times when my anxiety comes on strong.