[mytec]

For me, my struggle with depression has been mostly due to a lack of a work/life balance and the resulting loneliness that has brought. I've had the tendency to double-down and increase my work hours to compensate for an ever increasing work load.

Increasing exercise has been a big help. I have a routine I go through every morning for the last month or so. I find I have a focus I don't have otherwise and it's important to start my day off with that focus.

I've made a point to leave work no more than one hour later than normal (unless the situation truly warrants it) and I do not look at email outside of work hours (my employer certainly knows how to reach me if needed). Its been very tempting at times, but the feelings of guilt around not looking at email throughout the evening have largely gone away. Home is no longer that extension of work and has become a place I can chill and relax. After about a month of this I really do feel genuinely relaxed at some point in the evening and I start the day more refreshed and ready to tackle what comes my way.

Lastly, talking with a therapist. My first visits weren't great because I really wasn't present or willing to really open up. Differences between what I think and what I feel and other issues along those lines. Several months later I tried again and was willing to discuss how I feel and hold nothing back (wasn't afraid of looking weak, etc.). I'm learning coping mechanisms that have lead to more awareness and that awareness in turn has increased my ability to cope with whatever comes my way. For example, I recognize patterns I'd fall into far sooner.

These steps have provided a forward momentum that I'm working to maintain. Step by step.