Remember back in those days where being emo or depressed is cool and tunes from My Chemical Romance and A.F.I were the soundtrack to our life? Well, to be honest, depression is not cool and it’s becoming more common among us today as the world pace faster by the second.
For some of us, depression is an uphill battle every day where even getting out of bed is tough. According to the World Health Organization, it is a common mental disorder, characterized by sadness, loss of interest or pleasure, feelings of guilt or low self-worth, disturbed sleep or appetite, feelings of tiredness, and poor concentration. Don’t confuse it with laziness and ignorance because those are a different thing altogether.
Maybe your depression comes and goes or, it has been there for the longest time where you just can’t cope or carry on with your daily routine, sometimes suicidal thoughts might pop in too. Now with social media, where most people portray the best images and experiences of their lives, it’s become an indirect source for depression to take place.
As someone who has been at that stage where leaving my room and taking care of my appearance was a huge struggle, I resort to the internet and books to be in my own world. But I was lucky to have a group of friends and family who still patiently stood by me despite my pessimistic thoughts about everything.
But as we progress to the next stage of our lives, for example, to university or our first job, the anxiety and fear becomes stronger so the struggle to get out of your depression is harder than ever. Your appearance makes the first impression to everything. So what can you do to get out of the rut where perfectionism is everywhere?
For me, I drowned myself in beauty magazines which encouraged me to start having an action plan to take more good care of myself. Slowly, I opened myself to explore the intimidating world of skincare and makeup. It was daunting and my parents were not happy with the additional expenditure, and I had a few skincare disasters along the way but it was then, I began to pick myself up to where I am today.
You can say I have grown to create a beauty routine that has become my me-time every day for day and night that gets me mentally ready to face the world. I know the last thing you want to do when you’re depressed is to wash your face but that’s where cleansing wipes come in to save the day, just wipe and throw to increase your happiness and hygiene levels (if you get The Sims reference.).
I noticed if I ever skip my beauty routine, those negative thoughts and energy will just come flowing back in which is not what you want. People will judge you for everything, your beauty routine, clothes and makeup but all it matters is that it makes you feel better and fights those negative thoughts from taking over your day.
It’s all about creating that time for yourself to be happy and sharing your thoughts with your trusted group of friends and family. So let’s kick depression away one sheet mask at a time starting today!
If you’re ready to take the next step of seeking professional help, here are some places you can go to:
- Pantai Therapy Centre, Tel: 03-22 800 804
- The Befrienders, Tel: 03-79568144 or 03-79568145
Read also: Let’s Talk about Depression on this World Health Day
