Depression is an illness that can steal joy, energy, and future goals from the millions of people that suffer from depression. But despite its reputation as a dangerous disease, there are some good things to be taken from depression. In fact, many artists, authors, and musicians have received credit for a “depression-fueled” artistry. Here are 10 good things you can get from depression.
1. You become more creative
There are many things that you can do if you are depressed that could actually improve your quality of life and make you happier than ever before.
One of these things includes being more creative. Many people assume that being creative requires a certain amount of energy or motivation. However, this is not true! Creativity comes from within us all—it does not matter if we are feeling down or happy at the time we create something new in our lives.
As long as we have an idea in mind and put some effort into making it happen then we will be able to come up with something that no one else has ever thought of before! This means that if you are feeling depressed then there is no reason why you should stop trying new things because there will always be something out there waiting for you!
2. You learn how to deal with grief and loss
What do I mean by grief and loss? Well, for starters, losing someone close to us is one of the most difficult experiences we can go through in life—and if you've lost someone close to you recently, then this will probably resonate with you. The grief process is a long one: It takes time for us to process what happened and work through our feelings about it.
So why would learning how to deal with grief and loss be a good thing? Because it helps us put things in perspective. When we're grieving someone or something, it's easy for us to get stuck in our own heads: what if they had lived longer? What if they hadn't died? Why did this happen to me? And so forth. Learning how to deal with these kinds of questions can help us move on from them as well as allow us more peace of mind in our lives moving forward.
3. You get better at managing your time
It is said that the average person spends a lot of their time working, sleeping and eating. In fact, it is estimated that we spend about 90% of our lives doing these three things. This means that we should be able to live more efficiently so as to use our time as effectively as possible.
When you are depressed, it is easy to feel like there are not enough hours in the day for everything that needs to be done. However, this does not mean that you have less time than others; rather, it just means that you need to take control over what tasks are important and which ones can wait until later on down the road when things have settled down again with your mental health issues (if ever).
There are many ways in which depression affects our ability to focus properly on one task at a time without worrying about other things such as work deadlines or financial obligations; however, there are also ways in which we can learn how better manage our time so as not only keep ourselves better focused but also avoid feeling overwhelmed by everything else going on around us at any given point during each day (or week).
4. You become more self-aware and patient with others
People who are depressed tend to be more introspective than people who aren't. They often spend more time reflecting on their own thoughts, feelings, and actions—and as a result, they get better at understanding their own motivations and emotions. This can help them enhance their relationships with others because they know how to communicate in a way that's appealing to the other person without being over-sensitive or under-sensitive.
Depression also tends to make people more empathetic towards others' struggles—especially if those struggles are related to mental health issues such as depression itself! It's easy for someone who has gone through depression themselves (or knows someone who has) to understand what it feels like when people around them don't understand or validate their experiences—so they're able to empathize with those who are experiencing problems or struggles.
5. You become more generous
We all know that giving is better than receiving and this is especially true when it comes to your mental health. If you want to feel better about yourself and help others at the same time then you should consider becoming more generous with your time and money. It is not always easy to be generous when you feel depressed or sad, but it can be very rewarding in the long run.
Being generous with your time means volunteering at a shelter or soup kitchen or even just helping people out of their vehicles if they have broken down on the side of the road. Being generous with your money means donating to charities and giving gifts to friends or family members who need them more than yourself right now; such as food stamps or even gasoline cards so they can get around town easier by themselves if they cannot afford a car anymore due to high gas prices right now.
6. You learn how to listen better
One of the side effects of depression is that it makes you a better listener. When you're depressed, you don't have much energy to do anything—let alone speak. When someone else is talking, it's easy for them to just keep talking because they haven't heard anything from you for a while.
But if you're depressed, chances are good that when someone else speaks up, all the sudden their words hit home and make sense to you in a way they didn't before. Because of this effect, when someone else speaks up to share their thoughts or feelings with you, they will be met with more openness and understanding than they might otherwise receive as a result of this connection being forged between the two parties involved in conversation!
7. You're better at asking for help when you need it (and knowing when to ask for help)
This can be one of the hardest things for people with depression to do, but it's also one of the most important because it can make all the difference in how you handle your day-to-day life.
When you're depressed, it can be difficult to see past your own problems. You may feel like other people don't understand what you're going through or why you act or feel the way you do. But this isn't true!
Most people have been through similar situations and will have a lot of empathy for what you're going through. The key is learning how to communicate this with others in ways that are respectful but honest about who you are right now: someone who needs support right now but is capable of being strong later on too.
8. You appreciate your family more
Many people who have depression may feel isolated, alone, and unable to connect with others. They may feel like their loved ones have abandoned them or that their friends aren't really listening to them. This can lead to a lot of loneliness, which can make it even harder to get out of bed in the morning.
However, when you're depressed, you might find yourself wanting to spend more time with your family. You might want to spend more time talking with them, going on road trips together, or just hanging out in the kitchen while they are cooking dinner. Depression can make you want to be around those who love you most—your family!
9. You're able to see things from multiple perspectives
It's one thing to understand other people's perspectives, but it's another to be able to see things from multiple perspectives—and then be able to communicate your own ideas effectively. Depression can help you with both!
It's common for people with depression to have extremely negative thoughts about themselves, the world around them, or even their own future. But these negative thoughts can actually be helpful in some situations—they can help you see how other people might react to a situation and what they're thinking about it.
For example, if you're feeling really down about something and someone else is being rude to you, it may be helpful for you to think about how others might react if they were in your situation. This way, you can learn from their experience instead of just letting it make you feel worse.
By learning about how others think, you'll be able to better understand their needs and interests, which will make it easier for them to connect with you and listen to what you have to say.
10. It helps you take risks that will lead to growth
Depression teaches you to become a risk taker.
You know that feeling of being stuck, of being unable to move forward? That's one of the things depression teaches you. It teaches you to look at all possible solutions and find the one that works best for you. It teaches you how to make decisions with confidence, even when those decisions are risky.
If you're stuck in a rut, and you feel like nothing will ever change, don't worry! Depression can help teach you how to take risks and move forward into uncharted territory. You just need to be willing to do it!
If you manage your depression, instead of allowing it to manage you, you'll actually be able to enjoy these ten things. The biggest takeaway here is that if you let it, depression can make you stronger and more focused. It's all about how you look at things, but understanding that you can make the most of a depressed mental state will help lift you out of it.
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