Have you ever needed to stop yourself from giving up? I wanted to give up pursuing passions because I experienced several disappointments. I found myself wanting to give up many times, especially during (and shortly after) my college years. Here are some ways that I used thoughts and actions to stop myself from giving up.

I have had people I love dismiss my depression with, "Why can't you just be happy?" There is still social stigma attached to depression, and even the people who care about us can be affected by it. I try to label the emotions that arise after somebody says something like this to me, and it makes me realize why hearing, "Just be happy." can be so frustrating. I don't feel good when people dismiss my depression and this is why.

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.

While for some, spring helps depression, sometimes there is a worsening of depression in spring. The snow melts, the flowers bloom, and the sun stays out longer. After spending several miserable months indoors, people are more willing (and even excited) to step outside, smell the roses, and enjoy the sunshine. Yet, for others, the warmer weather and longer days are not always enough to counteract depression (Seasonal Affective Disorder [SAD] Symptoms – Who’s at Risk). In this article, I talk about depression worsening in spring and ways that I have learned to cope.

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.

It can be hard to know how to find self-love in adulthood (Learn To Like Yourself). You might not remember the last time you heard someone say, "Good job." You might miss receiving gold stars. You might feel inadequate after a coworker gets the promotion that you wanted. But there are ways to find self-love within yourself that do not include competition or recent appraisal from others. Read on to learn some positive steps that can remind you how to find self-love.

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.