I know it can be uncomfortable to talk about the things maybe no one is willing to hear so I guess I’m the odd one out… We promote love but lack the ability to be transparent with others at times. Especially, when that love is needed most.

Despite being surrounded by many amazing people in your life, have you ever felt alone, but couldn’t understand why? Have you found yourself crying for no reason? It’s as though everything is fine and suddenly, it strikes like an ache that won’t go away…

Sometimes depression creeps up without any symptoms and I’m not ashamed to admit it happened to me. We can talk about our high points but why is it that when it comes to the difficult times, it’s harder to express? Maybe it’s out of fear that no one wants to see this side of you… But it’s not for anyone else to decide.

On Instagram, I often post about loving yourself, but it’s easier said than done. How do you love yourself when you don’t even know where to start?

After I went from being 120 pounds to over 200 in the span of 3 months due to medical reasons, it was difficult for me to appreciate my exterior beauty. I know now that I was beautiful and I’m grateful for the experience but at that time I felt horrible. During this period, I wasn’t happy with my life and the way I looked…

I frequently get asked if I’m really the same positive person online and in person. To answer that question: yes, I am and it’s not always easy but it’s a skill I’ve managed to learn. My attitude didn’t change overnight, in fact, it took a bit of time to change my negative thoughts into positive ones. In a way, I had to rewire my brain and train it to see the bright side of everything.

Positivity and loving yourself go hand in hand. When you’re depressed, it’s easy to feel sorry for yourself and point out everything you dislike. During this state of depression, self-compassion is very important. Compassion is the key to loving yourself.

I may sound like I’m easily saying this but I can tell you from my life experiences, it’s not. There are still moments when I experience depression- I’m only human. But the thing that’s changed, is my outlook. I’m able to manage it in a better way.

If you’re going through this, I would encourage you to jot down triggers and symptoms. The ability to acknowledge your symptoms is a huge deal. Not only do you get to know yourself, you’re able to prevent it from getting worse. You’re able to tell yourself, “I’m not feeling well, but it’s going to go away” and trust me, it does get better.

I’ve mentioned triggers and symptoms, so how do you know?

When I’m going through a down period, I notice I’ll eat more, want to stay inside, and binge watch Netflix. Knowing these are my symptoms, I do the opposite. When I find myself wanting to watch Netflix and an episode turns into three, I turn it off. I go for a run or exercise instead. What I’m doing here, is distracting the mind from wandering thoughts. You have to do the things that make you happy when you’re at your lowest and replace negative thoughts with positive ones. During this period, you most likely won’t want to do anything which is why it’s necessary to push yourself to do it. Not only are you getting out of your comfort zone, but you’re helping to prevent it from getting worse.

I also want you to know, expressing your feelings and suffering from mental illness at some point in your life does not make you weak! It takes courage to put yourself out there, and you bet I’m proud of myself for putting this out there! Also, keep in mind, not everyone will like what you have to say or you for that matter- that’s alright. As long as you’re comfortable with yourself, nothing else should matter. Please don’t suffer in silence, you are not alone! You’d be surprised how many amazing people are out there and willing to listen.

I’m ending this blog post here and will have an in-depth post about self-compassion exercises on the next one. Stay tuned!

Much love & good vibes

–Prab

*Disclaimer: I’m not a medical professional, this is what has helped me*