Since my struggle with depression, I’ve tried to take note of times I don’t feel depressed–times when I don’t have that numb feeling following me throughout my day. I’m happy to report that lately I’ve been feeling like my old self more and more. Why, you ask and I ask myself?

I’ve been getting out! For the last few weeks, I’ve been doing more than the “routine”: going to work, picking up Kayla, getting by. I’ve been out and about, and it feels good. As I adjust to my lifestlye as a parent and a wife, I’ve found that I like to stay home more. That’s fine. I do like my home and those lazy days of sitting back watching Kayla discover something new and solving the world’s problems with my husband over coffee and tea. But, I am inherently an extrovert. That means I get my energy from engaging with other people…and whether it’s a friend’s birthday dinner, a visit to the circus with a friend, a baseball game with co-workers, or a reunion of people I don’t know (because I’m there as my spouse’s date), I like being around people. I like striking up conversations, I like listening to people talk, and I even like seeing how people put together their outfits…good ole fashion people watching.

When we’re depressed, we often prefer to stay in bed, stay home, disengage from society. I’ve learned that isolation is not a good depression medication. So as hard as it may seem, go ahead and hit “yes” on that evite. Get up and go! Even if you don’t want to, you’ll probably have a better time than you think. I’ve also learned that when I go out, I can usually come home and do a bit of  work or anything else I’d like to get done. It’s because my energy has been renewed. Even introverts can benefit from seeing a friend or being around others. Get out…it can help!