• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • About
  • Mental Health Resources
    • Depression Resources
  • Blog
    • Coping
    • Medication
    • Self Care
    • Stress and Anxiety
    • Unhelpful thinking
      • Coulda, Woulda, Shoulda
      • Fortune-Telling
      • Guilt and Shame
      • Time Travel
    • Sleep Issues
    • Depression
    • Covid19
    • Suicide & Self-Harm
    • Wellness Tools
      • SMART – Self Management And Recovery Training
      • WRAP (Wellness Recovery Action Plan)
      • Change Triangle
  • Contact

End Child Anxiety

“I Live With Depression.” Here’s What I Am Learning About It.

You are here: Home / Featured Home / I Have the Tools, Why am I Not Using Them?

I Have the Tools, Why am I Not Using Them?

April 17, 2020 by Depression Is Not My Boss Leave a Comment

I have tools to use for unhelpful thinking. Why Am I waiting?

It seems very straight-forward.

You encounter a problem. You decide what tool you need to repair the problem. Then you use the chosen tool and fix the problem.

Problem solved.

This works great for when the lawnmower is sputtering and won’t start or your zipper in your coat is stuck and needs fixing.

Applying this to my mental health issues is a lot trickier.

READ MORE: What lens am I looking at myself through?

Having a problem getting things done with depression is infuriating. On the one hand, I am blaming myself for not being more assertive and forceful with myself. I tell myself to just pull it together and make it happen. “It’s all on your head.” “Snap out of it.” Within minutes, I can be circling the drain in a huge spiraling storm cloud of “shoulda, woulda, coulda.”

Unhelpful thinking then becomes the next step in my road to the abyss.

Being able to face what needs to be done has been hard my entire life. The frustrating part is it has also been so easy. Many times, I just latch onto something and run with it. I do not need someone’s approval to go after say, writing my first book, or deciding to mow the lawn.

But, deciding to finish putting together my tax information has me stuck.

And the crazy part is it is all done. Really, all I need is to calculate mileage for my business trips last year and put it with the rest of my information. Then it is done. But here I sit, writing, instead of doing that one little thing to get this off my plate. If I focus on that, then I can get back to writing.

I can see right now I have lost my direction.

READ MORE: Why can’t I make the call?

What I want to write about is using SMART RECOVERY’s CBA WORKSHEET to figure out what’s going on with my attitude. Using cost-benefit analysis can help me figure out what the costs and benefits are of my current attitude, and what that would look like if I changed it. This one chore is keeping me from thinking more clearly about this.

I’m going to stop here and just do the final calculations and have my taxes done.

See you tomorrow when I will continue to explore my attitude.

My concealed depression is written under the alias “Depression is not my boss.” I have certifications in SMART Recovery and am a Global Career Development Facilitator.

Last year, I was diagnosed with Major Depressive Disorder.

If you know someone who might benefit from reading this, please share.  And your comments are always appreciated.

Filed Under: Featured Home, My life goes on, SMART - Self Management And Recovery Training, Unhelpful thinking Tagged With: CBA, cost benefit analysis, cost/benefit analysis, depression, depression and anxiety, depression is not my boss, SMART, SMART Recovery, stress and anxiety, taxes, tools of the trade, unhelpful thinking styles

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

I write My Concealed Depression to create Mental Health AwarenessHello, I am Joel. I have Major Depressive Disorder.  I am genuinely determined to figure out my personal relationship with depression. With 40+ years of living with concealed depression, I write my blog to find answers. 

I once got so carried away searching for answers that I even earned a  certification in  SMART Recovery. 

https://myconcealeddepression.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/my-concealed-depression-intro.mp4

Get my latest posts, (your email is never sold or rented)

I developed a 38 Page Mental Health Tools Flipbook. Complete the Form and Get Your Free Copy Now.

Privacy Policy

Discover Self-Care, Coping Strategies, Understand Anxiety, Track your Triggers, Mood, and Sleep; Recap Therapy Sessions, and more.

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Pinterest

More to See

The startling truth about coping statements for anxiety and depression

The Startling Truth About Coping Statements For Anxiety and Depression

October 28, 2020 By Depression Is Not My Boss

My 101 Coping Strategies for Anxiety

My 101 Best Coping Statements For Anxiety and Depression

October 18, 2020 By Depression Is Not My Boss

Why Am I So Busy Doing Everything Except …?

May 31, 2023 By Depression Is Not My Boss

It is Memorial Day in the United States today. This has nothing to do with my depression, but I wanted to recognize those who served

Today Is Memorial Day in the US

May 29, 2023 By Depression Is Not My Boss

You Never Pay More, Yet Clicking These Links And Making a Purchase Helps Fund My Blog

PureFormulas.com-Pure Healthy Goodness, Highest-Grade Natural Supplements! Fast, Free Shipping!
Mosaic 250x250
Blog Meets Brand
Best Self Improvement & Personal Development Blogs - OnToplist.com
RSS Search

Blog posts that go back to my 5 East time almost 4 years ago

  • June 2023
  • May 2023
  • April 2023
  • March 2023
  • February 2023
  • January 2023
  • December 2022
  • November 2022
  • October 2022
  • September 2022
  • July 2022
  • June 2022
  • May 2022
  • April 2022
  • March 2022
  • February 2022
  • January 2022
  • December 2021
  • November 2021
  • October 2021
  • September 2021
  • August 2021
  • July 2021
  • June 2021
  • April 2021
  • March 2021
  • February 2021
  • January 2021
  • December 2020
  • November 2020
  • October 2020
  • September 2020
  • August 2020
  • July 2020
  • June 2020
  • May 2020
  • April 2020
  • March 2020
  • February 2020
  • January 2020
  • December 2019
  • November 2019
  • October 2019
  • September 2019
  • August 2019
  • July 2019
  • June 2019
  • May 2019
  • April 2019

Footer

Contact

Email:  my.concealed.depression@gmail.com

Privacy Policy

Recent

  • Until 4 Years Ago, I Never Called My Depression By Name
  • Why Am I So Busy Doing Everything Except …?
  • Today Is Memorial Day in the US
  • I Should Ask Better Questions So I’m Not a Fortune-Teller
  • Has It Been Three Years Since I Was Pulled Over? – Road Rage Part 5

Search

© Copyright 2020 · My Concealed Depression · All Rights Reserved · Designed by The Marketing Momma