3 Simple Ways to Overcome Birthday Depression

Jenny Lee May 08, 2022 | 06:59

Instead of feeling excited about their own birthday, many people are lethargic and bored on the occasion.

Simple Ways To cope With Birthday Depression

Key Content:

►In addition to experiencing sadness, birthday depression also includes feelings of lack of energy, anxiety, unpreparedness for the future, etc.

►Signs of birthday depression can appear before or on the day of your birthday.

►Although it is not a psychological disorder, it has some symptoms that are similar to other psychological disorders.

Birthdays often look like having dinner with family and friends at your favorite restaurant or doing something special with your romantic partner. You’re supposed to celebrate you —a time of happiness, success, and fulfillment.

Instead, you find yourself locked in your room, shutting the world out, as you blast music with sad lyrics.

If you feel sad, lethargic in the days before your birthday or even on your birthday, you may be falling into birthday depression.

This is not a problem that is too serious or your own, but researchers have also shown that many people are in this situation.

We're going to share with you the simple ways to cope with birthday depression!

What is birthday depression?

Birthday depression or birthday blues refers to feelings of melancholy, indifference, or disinterest in celebrating or thinking about your birthday.

Dr. Ernesto Lira de la Rosa, of Hope for Depression, said that people with a history of depression have a higher risk of falling into birthday depression.

Instead of eagerly planning birthdays with friends and relatives or rewarding themselves with gifts, people with birthday depression will have the following symptoms:

♦Have mood swings and stay this way in the days near your birthday

♦Feeling down or sadder than usual

♦Reflect on the past and unfulfilled goals

♦Confused about the time to come

♦Not having much energy or motivation to work

♦Desire to be alone and avoid birthdays

♦Not interested in celebrating birthdays

Why don't we like our birthdays?

Birthdays are often a happy and meaningful occasion, but why for many people, this is not desirable. Here are some of the reasons to explains this:

♦Fear of growing old: This is common with birthdays that have a "milestone" meaning like 30 or 50 - which plays an important role in our lives.

♦Thanatophobia: A person's phobia of not being able to control death. Birthdays are seen by them as a warning and a reminder of how much time they have left.

♦Past traumas. Maybe you had a difficult birthday as a child, or about some sad event that happened on or near this date. Symptoms of anxiety or depression that you experienced may return.

♦Expectations: You feel uncomfortable with the expectations and desires of yourself and those around you in the future, so you should find ways to avoid them.

3 Simple Ways To cope With Birthday Depression

3 Simple Ways to Overcome Birthday Depression

Best Tips To cope With Birthday Depression

To reduce your birthday sadness and better understand its source, you can follow a few suggestions below:

1.Prepare for this day to prevent sadness

Here are three great tips that will help to prevent sadness from gaining traction once your mood changes.

One suggestion to help you feel more comfortable and ready on your birthday is to prepare everything in advance the way you want.

If you don't want to make a fuss, let it go like a normal day and hide all relevant information from everyone. Besides, you can share your feelings and thoughts about this day with those around you to reduce loneliness.

If your birthday is usually a time of anxiety and depression, plan to ensure you'll get through this experience safely and responsibly. You might consider getting professional help from a licensed and certified therapist in the months leading up to your birthday to help you prepare.

Exercise and Eat Healthy: Many of us know that exercise is one of the best ways to battle depression but will skip our daily workouts due to lack of time or motivation. However, when you are fighting sadness, exercise along with a healthy diet is necessary to make sure your mental health is on track. As little as a walk in the sunshine for 30 to 45 minutes, a day can do wonders for your state of mind.

2.Keep It Secret, Enjoy your own way and routine

This one's a bit tricky if you use social media, but if all the birthday attention stirs up feelings of sadness, consider keeping your birthday to yourself. Instead of sharing your birthdate with everyone and anyone online, share it only with the people who lift you and who are going to make an effort to let you know you are loved and appreciated.

You don't need to put too much pressure on any mold for a birthday. Some people even find themselves annoying when loved ones or friends plan celebrations for them.

In this case, you should voice your feelings, wants and needs about the birthday and not force yourself or anyone to do anything unrelated.

It's your day, so do whatever you feel comfortable with and in the simplest way, such as staying home and taking care of yourself.

As appealing as a break from routine, the change can be hard to cope with and may throw us off rather than relax. If possible, stick to your routine, especially if it includes activities that make you feel good, such as regular mealtimes, sleep patterns, and exercise.

3.Allow your feelings to speak

We tend to associate birthdays with celebration and positive experiences, but that may not be the case for everyone. So, if you're not feeling excited or happy this day, allow yourself to sit back with sadness.

Allowing yourself to feel your emotions without judgment can help you understand the deeper meaning behind them and possibly relieve some of the sadness you feel.

Talk About Your Experience With Someone!

Express your feelings to a friend or family member. Someone you know may go through the same thing during their birthday, which can be validating and affirming to hear. Others may be able to listen and help you feel better.

Either way, being open and vulnerable about how you feel with someone who is willing to hold space for you to vent can provide relief.

Socialize: As social creatures, interacting with other humans is vital to our happiness and allows us to work through issues with the right support and perspective. If you are feeling down during your birthday as well as before and after, make sure to schedule plans with friends and family to keep yourself looking forward to something as you overcome your sadness.