Category: Motivation

depression, Motivation, Sleep

DST

Posted on by Zander Maverick

Daylight Saving Time is here yet again. The week of the time change is hard on me mentally. My depression loves the two weeks that we do this.

I am not sure if it’s the lack of sleep on the one night or just the change in general. I struggle to get out of bed. I struggle to make it through my days. I struggle.

Every year, I reach out to my Senators in the Spring and Autumn about this. Every year I am ignored. Until this year. We actually have a chance to stop the time changes. The Senate, which is deeply divided on everything, passed the resolution to switch to DST next Spring and then stay there.

There is hope in every situation. Sometimes it’s hard to see after so many failures, but keep looking.

0
anxiety, depression, emotions, Motivation

Dumb

Posted on by Zander Maverick

I hate feeling dumb or stupid. I work hard to keep my brain sharp and to look for ways to increase my knowledge on subjects.

I didn’t go to college when I finished high school. My anxiety could not handle the move to a place where no one would know me. My depression could not deal with going into a classroom consistently from week to week while also working full time.

Not going to college has always left me with a tiny feeling of dumbness in the back of my head. In the darkest corners.

With my new job that I started in 2020, I have the opportunity to go to school. It’s completely online. The costs are covered with my union dues. It was a simple thing to say yes.

There have been a few courses, though, that have been really tough. And struggling in school is not something I did growing up. It was easy. School was simple. Now the struggle makes me feel stupid. Dumb even. It is hard.

Now, I know that I am not stupid or dumb. I do not need anyone to tell me that. My depression needs to hear it though and I grow tired of talking to my depression and explaining things. I am not asking you to say I’m smart or beautiful. I just want you to know why I am sometimes hard on myself and others for not knowing something.

1
depression, emotions, Motivation

Older

Posted on by Zander Maverick

I am older today than I was yesterday. It seems like such an amazing thing to say you are alive and another day older. Yet, there are those, especially in the gay community, that view that age as a disability. I am not just another day older. I am a figment of an ancient past. An artifact to be tossed in a museum.

The fight to be relevant in the gay community ended decades ago for me. I just do not care. I am not going to be a certain way or dress a certain way. I am not going to like something just because the community has embraced.

I like my gay bars. Community bars just aren’t the same. The protection and safety are not there. The younger generations may not understand the need for protection and safety when it comes to going out since the country has evolved quite a bit, especially in major cities.

I may be old and I may be an artifact, but Zeus was never a spring chicken either, baby.

0
depression, Motivation

Appointment

Posted on by Zander Maverick

I have a confession to make. I have an appointment with a psychologist. I think I’m ready to try and move another step forward. It is so easy to say that I’m good. I don’t need to improve. But I do.

I want to build a craft area where I can make and perfect my bath and body products. I want to finalize the name of the LLC that I’m going to start and create a logo. I want my friends and colleagues to think of me when they are buying small gifts for people.

I want more.

Change is hard though. Some of my steps forward have been disastrous. I lost a few friends and acquaintances during one of those steps. I don’t mind. I know I’m difficult. I just have to remember that these appointments and these steps forward have consequences outside of me. That’s why it’s hard to do this.

But I am doing this.

I am taking the next step.

I have an appointment.

2
depression, Motivation

Raiment

Posted on by Zander Maverick

I thought I would be clever and download a Word of the Day app. I have gotten into the habit of having one word titles on my posts, so why not.

Today’s word is Raiment. That is an old fashioned word for fancy clothing.

Sometimes I like to put on my raiment and walk about to boost my mood. I’m fancy that way.

I’m not sure this is going to work, though. I guess we will see. If it pushes me to at least post more, maybe it will be worth it baby.

0
depression, Motivation

Enough?

Posted on by Zander Maverick

I often struggle with the need to push myself to do more. With depression, I always feel like I am doing too much and not enough at the same time. Today I find myself at a crossroad. I think I might be pushing myself a little too hard. I feel the pressure of the outside as I expand my world and my focus.

I work full-time. I don’t think I have ever not worked full-time since 17. I was working part-time long before then. I am in school full-time. I have decided that I want to do better in my career. I want to be better. I need a degree to get there.

My boss likes to give me extra assignments that will give me experience, and maybe some extra money as well.

I like to be the person that promotes happiness and helpfulness.

Right now, I am doing all four. My depression tells me that I am overwhelming myself. My desires tell me I need to do more. I don’t know who to listen to any more. All work and no play makes Zander a dull boy, but I have spent decades being a fun boy.

Am I doing enough to improve my life and my husband’s life? Or I am doing too much and pushing myself too hard?

I don’t know.

0
emotions, Motivation

Voice

Posted on by Zander Maverick

I often have odd questions. Sometimes those questions are “stupid questions”. Sometimes that questions answer the questions of the universe. And sometimes those questions baffle the minds of everyone that knows me and wonders how in the gods’ name I could ask that. This is the latter.

I find voices to be interesting. They can be sexy or they can be rough. They can be high pitched or screechy. They can be annoying or just not noticeable. Have you ever thought… “I would listen to them read a dictionary.”? I thought so.

That leads me to my question. You get to decide which category it falls under. With all of the cosmetic surgery available, are there surgeries to adjust your voice? Can I get a deep, soul searching voice for a few thousand dollars? Can I get the Nanny’s voice for a few hundred? What is in a voice?

These are questions that need answers, but questions that cannot be asked.

0
depression, Motivation

Failure

Posted on by Zander Maverick

I do not do well with failure. I am sure that is not a surprise coming from someone with MDD. I recently tried to put together a kit of bath and body items for an event. One of the items was something that I had not tried before. I was confident in my research so much that I bought a case of dispensers.

The new product idea failed so miserably that it cost me hours of my life. I did not think to make one and be done. Check it out. I went balls to the walls with the idea because I wanted to make one of my first big outings during the pandemic an amazing experience. I wanted to make up for the mask wearing and social distancing.

I had to dispose of a dozen bottles. The entire case of bottles were no longer useful.

This one time though. Not often, but this one time, I was able to make myself get back up and keep going. I drained all of the bottles back into my mixing bowl and created a new idea. I added my other products and BAM I had some good gift bags. I was proud of myself.

And the the tags fell off FFS!

Sometimes I hate doing nice things for people, but in the end, it is worth it to see the smile on their face. Even if they threw the bag in trash when they got home.

0
depression, Motivation

Trickster

Posted on by Zander Maverick

Depression can be tricky, but there are days that Loki has nothing on the monster in my head. Some days my depression convinces me that taking my medications is too much work. I should just keep reading my book, playing my game, watching my show, or whatnot. Anything but getting up and going to take my medications. I mean, they don’t really work anyway, right?

On a side note, I keep trying to find a name for my depression. Saying MDD, or major depressive disorder seems to clinical. Saying depression seems like I’m sad or a white girl that can’t get a PSL. I wonder. Is it a monster? A beast? Should I find a name like George? Do you have a name for your depression?

I find myself getting stuck inside of my head more often. Whether I am working or playing a game on my phone or watching a show, my mind is often somewhere else. My depression does a pretty good job of distracting me like a close friend at a holiday party distracting me from the shots table. Or the host.

I spend most of my day alone because I am currently telecommuting. I chat; I text; I email; I whatnot. These things do not put me or keep me outside of my comfort zone. I need the rush of anxiety when I go to the busy city. I need the loud bar or club with people all around (as long as they aren’t touching me). I need the bass vibrating my chest like a pulse gone wild. I need connections, but I don’t have the energy or the strength to keep them.

Depression is an awful thing. When depression tricks me into not taking my antidepressants? That is just evil in disguise.

0
depression, Motivation

Crutches

Posted on by Zander Maverick

We all need crutches from time to time, but it seems like people that need crutches because of depression get stigmatized more.

Sometimes it’s the little things that are the most difficult for me. It’s the every day decisions. For example, when you think about making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, you probably think about getting the bread, jelly, peanut butter, and a knife to whip it together.

For me, making that same sandwich means walking into the kitchen. Open the fridge and grab the jelly. Walk to the cabinet, open the door and grab the peanut butter. Walk to the other cabinet, open it and grab bread. Walk to the drawer, pull it open and grab a butter knife. Walk to yet another freaking cabinet, open the door and grab a plate. Set everything down on the counter.

Do you see where I’m going with this? I hope so because those instructions are overwhelming me and I’m just typing them.

When a person without depression looks at tasks, they take a lot of steps for granted, which makes it look simple. As a person that has major depressive disorder, my brain creates at least five times the number of steps. If you throw in decisions like which type of jelly… I’m done.

Do you walk up to a person with a cane in the parking lot to tell them that it’s so easy to walk from the car to store without a cane? I hope you don’t. So when you know someone suffers from Depression, try to avoid phrases like “but it’s so easy if you just” or “you don’t need all of that. Just…”

1