Hey guys, I am back for something a little different today. As you may or may not have seen online, it is World Mental Health Day. I know I have never really talked about what I am struggling with, but today I decided I wanted to share something with you guys.

 My name is Tiffany, and I am depressed.

 To be honest, I don't really know when it started, but I think I can tie to a certain time in my life. I won't go through the workings of it all because quite frankly, I am not at that level yet to be so honest.  But I do know that I am not the same person I was ten years ago. The things that used to interest me no longer have a spot in my heart. I am living to "make it through the day." I have feelings I know I shouldn't have about life and death. I'm not saying if those things apply to you, you are also depressed. But for me, those were the first symptoms I noticed about my depression.

 If you do not know if you are depressed, but think you might, I highly recommend you do some research. There are so many resources online about discovering your depression. If you do know you are depressed, then I am going to give you guys some of the things I do to sometimes deal with it.

Tip 1: Know The Signs 

 Like I said before, look for all the symptoms you are experiencing, and see if those correlate to depression. There is no harm in doing some searches on Google; in fact, it could save your mental health if you do. I know that once I figured out I was depressed, I became more aware of it, which helped me go about helping myself.

Tip 2: Be Selfish

 I know that taking a break to help is yourself is a foreign idea in today's world, but you have to. The only way to help yourself is to take a break from all of the things that could be triggering your depression without you being aware that it is. For me, I "take my break" by driving. I do not know why, but driving by myself is a stress reliever. Having a few moments to yourself is normal, and it something healthy people do. So don't be afraid to seek those moments.

Tip 3: Treat Yourself Well

 This kind of ties into the last tip, however with this tip, I am talking about your overall health. I know that when I was first feeling depressed, I compensated for my terrible feelings about myself by eating. This is actually a common symptom of depression: eating too much or too little. Once you know that you have an issue, take some actions to make sure you are treating yourself well overall. It's crazy that a mental illness can affect so much of your overall life! But it can, because the brain tells everything else what to do. So stay ahead of your brain! Eat well, get some exercise, get enough sleep but not too much. I know these things won't cure your depression, but it will prevent it from ruining your life.

 Thanks so much for reading. I hope that this can help someone else out there. If you or someone you love is suffering from any mental illnesses, be sure to seek the help you need. I know that is easier said than done, but this is your life.