That sounds like an awesome idea! Volunteering is great for so many reasons. I totally support and even urge you to get started.
One line Dr. Farvolden, our expert in Ask the Expert, once said that with non depressed people motivation comes before action but with depressed people action has to come first despite not having motivation. It makes things a lot tougher but maybe knowing that will give you a little more push. You may not be motivated to get started but getting started will help you feel better overall.
Keep us updated on this. What are some first steps you can take to move towards this goal? Shall we make it a SMART goal?
One of the problems of being depressed for a long time was that I lost interest in many activities and now it seems difficult to come up with new project ideas. Perhaps work is not a good idea for now as I am still recovering from depression and should not put more work stress on me.
Maybe a hobby is a better option. I think I could be volunteering for some institution as I enjoy to help other people and feel useful. Thus, I need to do some research in some possible institutions in my area and find a project which I would like to participate in.
When I look at my thought records I conclude that the most common situation that contributes for my depression is when I do not have nothing to do at work. I know from experience that when I get busy at work the symptoms of depression are not so intense. Thus, in order to get better, I need to change behaviors (ex: getting busy at work or finding a new job).
One month ago I talked with my boss about my concerns, and it seems the lack of work is a situation that it is happening across all the company. So I must be grateful for still having my job. In this way getting busy at work it is not a solution.
Another solution is finding a new job which is one of my goals. The problem is that with this economy it will take time to find a new position and this is more like a medium to long-term goal. I work in the construction industry which was severely affected by this economic meltdown.
Even thought I could start creating a plan for finding a new job, I need to have other short-term goals to compensate for the lack of work. I already I am filling my spare time with pleasant activities as well as other small activities that give me the sense of accomplishment.
What I need now is to find a project to start working immediately. For this project I need to came up with some ideas which it hasn't been easy. I have to put my imagination to work and your help would be welcome.
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