What is Spiritual Depression and How to Cope

We all go through times in our life when we feel sad and depressed. But depression and its side effects differ from person to person. One particular kind of depression that many people suffer from is spiritual depression.

Spiritual depression happens when you feel like there is no point anymore and that life is meaningless. It often comes on when a person is on the path to self-realization or after dealing with major trauma or life changes. It can be all-consuming and hurt aspects of your life, including your social life, career, and personal self-care.

But, spiritual depression is common, and there are many ways to overcome it. Here are some tips if you're feeling sad.

Feel Your Feelings

Whenever you're dealing with something, whether it's simply a mood or the aftereffect of trauma, it's vital to healing to feel your feelings at that moment. Ignoring these feelings, pushing them aside, or covering them up only helps them fester and build.

Whether you prefer to sit in silence with them, write them down, or vent to a friend, expressing these feelings and taking notice of them will allow you to overcome them (in time) and move forward.

Look Forward, Not Backwards

After you've felt all the feelings, it's time to look forward (not backward). Dwelling the past will put you in a vicious cycle and keep you stuck in those negative feelings you just worked so hard to overcome.

Focusing on the future isn't always easy, but creating an attainable and realistic goal can help. If you don't have a goal in mind, try to plan something in the near future that you can look forward to, such as a concert or a dinner with a friend.

Evaluate Your Perception

You can't move forward and feel a change in your depression if you don't take a close look at your perception. How you look at the things around you and your experiences closely impact how you view your quality of life.

Try practicing positivity. When you feel your mind drifting to a negative point of view, try to reframe the situation into something positive. For example, if you find that your favorite coffee shop is closed when you're in desperate need of a boost, instead of getting sad and frustrated, take it as an opportunity to try out a new spot! This is a simple example, but the underlying mindset can be used in all sorts of situations.

Choose Relaxation

When you're going through a spiritual depression, it's important to be present and spend time relaxing. Being gentle with yourself is vital as pushing yourself could potentially stress you out, making you feel as if you should be doing MORE.

Doing less right now is ok. Take the time to take a long bath, get lost in a book, enjoy some long stretches, and say 'no' to social events if it seems too draining. Make sure to connect with how you're feeling at that present moment, so you can give your body and mind what it needs.

Find Something You're Passionate About

One last trick to getting out of spiritual depression is to find something you're passionate about or pick up an old passion. Having something you genuinely enjoy doing will help to boost your mood and lift your spirits.

Make sure your passion is healthy and truly good for your soul, such as fitness or an art form. And lastly, make time for something you are passionate about. Many of us don't, and that's a good way for spiritual depression to make its way into your life again.