My routine is really important to me. When my depression flares I can fall into my daily routine and continue functioning without much energy. It also provides me with a way to monitor my mood and keep track of how different changes affect me. My routine has been totally thrown out the window in these past two months when I began dating for the first time in 4 years.
Everything that is wonderful about the beginning of a relationship; late nights, morning snuggles, going on trips and just doing as many fun things as we can also make it nearly impossible to hold any sense of a routine. Never mind that many of these also create anxiety and can lead to depression. Lack of sleep and going new places definitely wear me down.
Communicating has become important. Asking for time, or support and just generally speaking up when I am feeling stressed are necessary and not very easy to do. Being a new relationship it’s hard to be so vulnerable so soon but the alternative is appearing to be moody. I think most people are capable of understanding and compassion as long as you let them know what is going on or that something is going on.
Shifting and creating a new routine requires flexibility and patience and because the struggles of changing over affect another person it also means being as forthcoming as possible.
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This post is republished on Medium.
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