If you are depressed, it can be hard for you to even get out of bed. So how can you bring yourself to doing things like setting goals?

Feeling tired, hopeless, and sad all the time makes it hard to keep up with day to day routines, you can start slipping, and withdrawing from things you liked to do, or seeing your friends. The truth is the longer you are inactive, and withdraw from friends or doing things you enjoy, the higher the chance the depression will get worse. Don’t give up!  By setting small simple goals; by having something to work towards, as little as it may be, as difficult as it is to motivate yourself, will help in your recovery. But goal setting is not only helpful if you are depressed. Goal setting helps you work towards the plan you set out for yourself in life.

So what do I need to do and how does goal setting work?

Goal setting helps you take charge again. There is no goal too small or simple. The goal should be set based on what you feel you can do at the time. The important thing is to set regular goals that you can achieve. Write down your goals for 1 week, when you achieve the goal cross it off and pat yourself on the back. It will help build self confidence, keep you motivated, and builds persistence. The more you succeed, the more you feel good, the more you want to achieve your next goal.

However the benefits of setting and achieving goals are more than just an attempt to motivate ourselves out of our funk.  We now understand that there are changes in the brain as a result of setting goals. In fact, researchers found that goal setting appears to release a brain chemical called dopamine, responsible to keeping you alert, improves attention, memory, learning, and improves your sleep and mood. Dopamine keeps you motivated and focused on working towards your goals. When you achieve your goal, you get a feeling of pleasure by stimulating the reward centers of the brain. Basically, when you have enough dopamine, you feel happy. 

So simply put, dopamine keeps us motivated and focused to work towards our goals…once achieved , rewards our achievement by making us happier….we feel happier therefore we want to work towards future goals, so the positive goal setting loop begins.

So what type of goals do I set? Does the goal need to be complicated, or do I have to do it every day to help me?

No…Start small and simple; it should be something you know you can do even if you are depressed; set small bite size goals at first. If you don’t achieve the goal don’t get discouraged, choose another goal or see if the goal can be broken in smaller goals. You can do them more often or set bigger goals as you achieve them. Chart your goals on a “Weekly Goal Chart”. You can use a calendar and every week think of what you would like to accomplish, then chart them on the days you will be doing the tasks. Charting your goals is important because you know when you decided to tackle them, and by crossing them off, you can look at the goals you have accomplished. Have a clear picture of the time and place or circumstance. The following tips will help you set goals that are right for you.  

Tip 1: Start small

Start with something you like to do, and make it simple.

Tip 2: Set specific and measurable goals

Your goals need to be clearly defined so you know when you achieve them. For example, you can set an achievable goal.  Here are some examples:

• I will get up at 9 every morning
• I will shower every morning at 10 AM
• I will clean 1 room or do dishes for 15 minutes after breakfast.
• I will go for a walk at 1 PM on Monday, Thursday, and Saturday every week starting tomorrow.
• I will do pottery for 1 hour on Monday and Friday each week after supper.

Tip 3: Set realistic goals

Set you goal that you can achieve confidently. If you set something that is too hard, you will feel discouraged which can be counterproductive. Make sure that you do what you feel is possible for you. Only you can be the judge of a realistic goal, not your friends or family.

Tip 4: Set time-oriented goals

You need to have a time frame for you to accomplish the goal. This will help you stay on track, and build your self-confidence when you see you have accomplished the goal.  
 

Once you get the hang of it, next time you find yourself slipping towards low mood, you need to do just the opposite. Set your goals right away if you are not doing this already.

In the next blog we will talk about exercise as a goal and its benefits in emotional wellbeing.