What Triggers Or Causes Moving Depression
A study done by Martijn Hendriks, Kai Ludwigs, and Ruut Veenhoven has suggested that moving creates unhappiness among individuals in a number of ways. Moving creates loneliness in many because family and friends arent close by, yet you feel too exhausted and stressed to go out to socialize or to encounter situations outside your normal comfort zone. And the worse you feel, the less likely you are to engage in activities that could create happiness. Its a downward spiral that can sap your energy and motivation thats made worse by a lack of human interactions to snap you out of the funk.
Other studies done in Australia found that as many as 50% of all movers regret their decision to move. And the 2015 study by Hendriks, Ludwigs, and Veenhoven indicates movers have more unhappy days than those who stay put. Migrants may not get the best out of migration, write Hendriks, Ludwigs, and Veenhoven.
How Can I Help Someone With Depression
Depression is a serious but treatable disorder that affects millions of people, from young to old and from all walks of life. It gets in the way of everyday life, causing tremendous pain, hurting not just those suffering from it but also impacting everyone around them.
If someone you love is depressed, you may be experiencing any number of difficult emotions, including helplessness, frustration, anger, fear, guilt, and sadness. These feelings are all normal. Its not easy dealing with a friend or family members depression. And if you neglect your own health, it can become overwhelming.
That said, your companionship and support can be crucial to your loved ones recovery. You can help them to cope with depression symptoms, overcome negative thoughts, and regain their energy, optimism, and enjoyment of life. Start by learning all you can about depression and how to best talk about it with your friend or family member. But as you reach out, dont forget to look after your own emotional healthyoull need it to provide the full support your loved one needs.
Understanding depression in a friend or family member
Depression is a serious condition. Dont underestimate the seriousness of depression. Depression drains a persons energy, optimism, and motivation. Your depressed loved one cant just snap out of it by sheer force of will.
What The Science Says
In 1998, researchers David A. Schkade and Daniel Kahneman, of University of Texas and Princeton University respectively, set out to discover whether it was true that life in California is always as sunny as it seems. The point of the research was to test the belief of their Midwestern subjects that their California peers were undoubtedly happier due to living in a more attractive climate and culture.
The question at the heart of their research: can moving make you happier if you move to somewhere thats more desirable?
What Schkade and Kahneman found might be surprising to anyone who has dreamed of Christmas at the beach while hunkering down through another Midwestern polar vortex. Their California subjects related similar levels of satisfaction and dissatisfaction with life as their Midwestern subjects, suggesting that where you live isnt really the defining factor of whether youll be happy there.
The study referred to the misconception behind assuming youd be happier if you just lived somewhere different as a focusing illusion. Easily observed and distinctive differences between locations are given more weight in such judgments than they will have in reality, the researchers note in the studys abstract. In other words: your life travels with you wherever you go, even if the place you go has better weather and more opportunities.
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Try Getting Healthier After Moving
Improving your diet by eating healthy and lowering your alcohol and coffee consumption can make a big difference, as well. Now that youre going through this change, why not adjust your diet for the better as well. You dont have to go to a nutritionist, but remember to take your time, and that adding more fruits and veggies to your diet can be a good start.
Mental Health And Hormones Go Hand In Hand
Feeling depressed after moving could be explained by a change in hormone functions or genetic, mental health issues. Events that can trigger feelings of despair, such as relocating to another state alone, cause hormonal imbalances and mess with the part of your brain thats in charge of serotonin and dopamine. This is the most common explanation for chronically depressed patients, too.
Even a tedious task like relocating in winter can influence brain functions during cold and icy days. This is especially true for people who experience seasonal depression and have difficulties functioning and feeling happy during the freezing winter days.
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Slowly Rebuild Your Social Networks
You no longer have your old support systems in place. So any psychological blow will feel ten times more unbearable. This only makes negative feelings like depression, anxiety and regret much worse.
Rebuild your social networks where you live now, to ease your transition to a new location. Dont pressure yourself to form close relationships too quickly. Instead, aim for a wide selection of new acquaintances related to your work, neighborhood, interests and hobbies.
Over time, youll make closer friends.
Meet Yourself Where You Are
Depression is common. It affects millions of people, including some in your life. You may not realize they face similar challenges, emotions, and obstacles.
The key to navigating depression is to be open, accepting, and loving toward yourself and what youre going through.
Every day with this disorder is different. Its important to take your mental health seriously and accept that where you are right now isnt where youll always be.
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Does Moving Around Help Depression
Any physical activity that causes you to get off the couch and move can help improve your mood. You don’t have to do all the exercise or other physical activity at once. The meditative movement has been shown to relieve depressive symptoms. This is a type of movement in which you pay close attention to body sensations, position in space, and instincts as you move.
Qigong, tai chi and some forms of yoga are useful for this. For example, frequent yoga practice can reduce the severity of symptoms in PTSD to the point where some people no longer meet the criteria for this diagnosis. Changing posture, breathing and rhythm can change your brain, reducing stress, depression and anxiety, and leading to a sense of well-being. Get news and updates about mental health, addiction, and the mental health first aid community in your inbox monthly.
In addition, according to the Centers for Disease Control , regular physical activity can help keep the mind alert as you age and may even reduce the risk of depression and anxiety. Increases serotonin levels, which improves mood and energy. It can also improve your mood and help you sleep better, two main factors in determining your mental well-being. In addition, if you start exercising regularly, it will become part of your routine.
References
Moving Offers A Fresh Start
When you move to a new city, you leave behind your old friends, job, and home, which can be daunting during the beginning as you navigate life in a new area. However, while it will take some time to acclimate to your new routine, relocating allows you to start fresh and leave behind people, behaviors, and patterns that no longer serve you. You can take your clean slate and run with it, with obstacles like hometown gossip and preconceived perceptions out of the way and unable to hold you back.
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Can Moving Make You Happier
Our homes are extensions of our lives. More than just places where we eat, sleep, and play , theyre where we experience joy and sadness and where we build relationships and grow as people and as a families. And when youre not feeling totally satisfied in your life, its easy to project those feelings of dissatisfaction on to your living environment. But can moving make you happier, or is it just a bandage on an otherwise bigger problem?
Youre probably familiar with the idiom that the grass is always greener on the other side, especially as it relates to home. Feeling youd be happier in an apartment with an in-unit washer and dryer versus having to lug all your laundry to the laundromat though is very different than feeling like all of lifes ills would dissipate if you could just move to another house, city, or state.
So can moving make you happier? Research says yesbut only to a point. Below, we break down some of the science behind where we live and how we feel, as well as what weve learned along the way about the factors of home life that equate with more happiness.
How Moving Tricks You Into Thinking Youre Okay
Every time I moved to a new place or met a new group of people, my whole vibe changed. I was a new person, someone I liked, and who other people liked as well.
You know the feeling Im talking about. You meet a new person and theres an attraction. The energy is there, and you are ON FIRE, honey!
Everybody loves you.
Instantly, you have a date lined up or some new friends to hang out with. When was life ever this delicious?
This new city is exploding with possibilities.
Every bar, every restaurant, every event feels like exactly what youve been wanting your entire life. You are excited all the time. You feel high. Its possible that youre walking on air.
Those nightly bottles of wine you were downing earlier? A thing of the past! The cigs you wouldnt be caught dead without? You havent even bought a pack yet.
Its a whole new you, world! Just watch out.
Be careful! The fantasy you have of starting over is literally making you high. Our brains love novelty, and what greater novelty is there than new people and new places?
Dont be fooled.
It can wear off. If youre not prepared to deal with your stuff when illusion drops, you will find yourself right back where you started.
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You Could Be Experiencing Jet Lag
You wanted to move efficiently and probably did you likely planned out how to move to another city and did it without a hitch. So, why are you getting the blues? If youre feeling depressed after moving into a new house and dont know why the secret might be in the time zones.
Did you move to the other side of the country, or maybe internationally? The US alone has six different time zones, and states like Nevada and Indiana have two time zones. No wonder then that even a few hours lost or gained could make even the strongest people feel disoriented. If you havent moved yet, you can do the where should I move quiz to help you decide whether youd be OK with experiencing more or less jet lag.
Moving To Escape A Falling Out With Friends
A lot of reasons for wanting to escape can be interconnected. It certainly was for me. Ive lost a lot of friends because I was such a drag on them.
Toxic.
Instead of getting help or taking ownership of my life, I buried myself in alcohol.
Nothing was my fault. Poor, poor me. Always the victim.
Hopping around from one city to the next, and starting over with new people doesnt work in the long run. Eventually, the old you is going to show up and Godzilla stomp what youve built.
So if your social circle has completely collapsed, take some time to examine why that happened.
If youve done something disastrous and find yourself alone on the periphery, nothing is really going to be resolved until you fix what youve done. Take responsibility. Be an adult.
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Grief Over Our Old Life
Whether our move is one were looking forward to or not, we might feel a sense of grief or loss over our old life. This can feel really unexpected particularly if were moving on from somewhere that was difficult for us.
Whenever we experience a big life change, we can feel a sense of grief for the things we left behind. We might look at the past with a sense of nostalgia. Its entirely possible that well see what we had with rose-tinted glasses.
Theres nothing wrong with feeling a sense of grief for what we used to have. It doesnt mean that weve made the wrong decision in moving or that we will never feel at home in our new place its just a natural human reaction to a big change. If were finding it particularly difficult and our low mood continues beyond a few weeks, then its important to reach out for some support.
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Taking Care Of Yourself
Theres a natural impulse to want to fix the problems of people we care about, but you cant control someone elses depression. You can, however, control how well you take care of yourself. Its just as important for you to stay healthy as it is for the depressed person to get treatment, so make your own well-being a priority.
Remember the advice of airline flight attendants: put on your own oxygen mask before you assist anyone else. In other words, make sure your own health and happiness are solid before you try to help someone who is depressed. You wont do your friend or family member any good if you collapse under the pressure of trying to help. When your own needs are taken care of, youll have the energy you need to lend a helping hand.
Speak up for yourself. You may be hesitant to speak out when the depressed person in your life upsets you or lets you down. However, honest communication will actually help the relationship in the long run. If youre suffering in silence and letting resentment build, your loved one will pick up on these negative emotions and feel even worse. Gently talk about how youre feeling before pent-up emotions make it too hard to communicate with sensitivity.
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Signs It’s Time To Move
If youre feeling cramped in your space, ready for a much-needed upgrade, or want to escape pesky neighbors, it may be time to bite the bullet and start scouring the market for a new place to live.
Once youve concluded that relocation is the best option, youll need to prepare for the big move by formulating a detailed to-do list outlining important dates, organized packing systems, and a detailed budget. Additionally, begin researching reputable movers and vehicle shippers like Guardian Auto Transport to streamline the process and take some inevitable moving stress off your plate.
When To Get Professional Help For Depression
If youve taken self-help steps and made positive lifestyle changes and still find your depression getting worse, seek professional help. Needing additional help doesnt mean youre weak. Sometimes the negative thinking in depression can make you feel like youre a lost cause, but depression can be treated and you can feel better!
Dont forget about these self-help tips, though. Even if youre receiving professional help, these tips can be part of your treatment plan, speeding your recovery and preventing depression from returning.
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Coping In Your New Destination
Beyond speaking to people in your support system, you can also try a few steps that will help to improve your mood and better acclimate to your new location. For starters, you can keep busy and your mind off of your stress by redecorating your new space to feel like home. If possible, repaint the walls your favorite colors and select a design style that reminds you of where you left, be it contemporary, rustic, or modern. You might even go furniture shopping for the perfect chair or couch that you can fall into every evening to relax.
If loneliness and meeting new people is what is causing you the most stress, then create the opportunity to meet others by attending local festivals and events, joining community Facebook groups, or even volunteering at charitable organizations. Volunteering is good for the soul and you know that the people you are working with are good at heart, so this could be the best place to meet new friends. When you meet someone, get their email or phone number and follow up with them later and invite them to coffee or another fun activity.
A lot of times, it is chaos and a lack of organization that can create anxiety, so once you have unpacked and put everything in its place, start getting back into your regular routines. That may involve calling your parents every other day or going for a run every morning. Getting out of the house and getting fresh air can do wonders for your frame of mind and you never know who you will meet during your travels.
Relocation Depression After A Big Move
Dealing with any major life event can be tough, and moving to a new place that you are unfamiliar with is no exception. Many people struggle with the idea of leaving their family and friends to start a new chapter in their lives, even if the reason for the relocation is ultimately a good one, such as starting a new job or moving to a more affordable place.
You are destined to feel many ups and downs during your relocation journey, and if you are feeling like the move is impacting your mental health, then know that you are not alone. The important thing is to prohibit these feelings from dominating your life, and you can do this by understanding what you are going through and taking the necessary steps to improve your mind frame. Here is some advice and tips for doing just that.
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