Get It Done When You're Depressed by Julie A. Fast Page A

physical illness as well, you can pay attention to what you need to do to keep your body healthy and more comfortable.
    Have you experienced any of these physical signs of depression?
    • You trip or fall more than usual or have trouble going down stairs.
    • Your muscles are tired or restless.
    • You have trouble sitting at a desk.
    • You toss and turn when you’re trying to sleep.
    • Your breathing and heartbeat are rapid due to anxiety.
    Remain aware of your body when you’re depressed so you can decide what is a real discomfort and what is something you just have to work through.
Marilyn’s Story
    When I’m depressed, my face feels really funny and itchy. I tend to touch my chin and eyebrows a lot and can’t seem to get comfortable. I work in a library, and sometimes it just makes me want to scream if I have to sit another hour. But I have to. It’s hard enough to be depressed and worry all day about my job and whether I need to go get my library sciences Master’s and whether I’ll be promoted, but adding the physical stuff is painful. On some days, my ribs hurt and I can feel all the bones in my body ache. I twist and turn, the chair feels hard, and I can’t keep my back straight.
    When I’m not depressed, I like my job and the quiet. My thoughts are about work, not about how physically uncomfortable I am. On restless days, I try to contract my muscles and get exercise in that way, even though I’m sitting. I can stretch my legs under my desk as well, and I always take the stairs when I can.
My Story
    I have some days when I’m depressed and my legs hurt. My clothes feel too heavy. Sometimes my hair really bothers my neck, and my face feels funny. I twist my back a lot and feel hyperaware of all the pains in my body. I used to attribute this to something from outside me, such as an allergy or a lack of exercise, but I finally realized that depression simply makes me antsy and uncomfortable. This has a lot to do with anxiety. I often feel that something is pushing me from behind. On the really bad days, I actually feel I’m going to burst out of my skin if I don’t get up and move. I fidget a lot. I used to be a serious hypochondriac because I thought the physical pain I felt was the sign of something really serious. It never was.
    What I do now:
    • I’m careful to look where I’m walking. I’ve twisted my ankles so many times when I was depressed, I don’t want it to happen again.
    • I get a massage or get in a hot tub.
    • I make deals with myself. Finish editing this section, Julie, and you can get up and stretch. I just did this with the chapter you’re reading now. At this point my elbows hurt. I have a mild headache. I was crying this morning and feel a bit worn out. I feel a lot of tension in my back, and I don’t want to be at this desk writing. But I keep going because I have to.
    • I live with the pain instead of focusing on it to the point that I can’t sit.
    Exercise
    Often, you’re unaware of just how physical depression can be until you make a list of what you feel physically when you’re depressed. For example, old injuries might hurt more, your arthritis might flare up, you might get more frequent headaches, etc. Depression might also cause you to have more accidents: maybe you tripped on a curb and fell into traffic, got startled by a barking dog and twisted your ankle, or hit another car because your reflexes were so slow.
    What are your physical signs of depression? List them here:
    The more aware you are of how depression affects you physically, the better prepared and safer you can be.

ASK DR. PRESTON
    Why is the depressed person’s body so uncomfortable?
    Depression can be accompanied by a number of stress-related physical problems, especially tension headaches and constipation. Plus, depression can disrupt sleep, which can lower pain thresholds, which, in turn, can increase pain. Fatigue is a primary depressive symptom and is almost always felt as a source of