The words we use to describe our situation have power and resonance.

Most of the time we don’t think about the words we use, we just use them. Like so many aspects of life, we run on auto-pilot, without explicit awareness of what we’re doing or saying, internally or externally.

There’s no blame or shame in that, it’s the natural way our brain saves energy. Once we learn something, we save it in our memory banks and use it when needed.

For example, when I came down the stairs today, I didn’t have to think about stepping down each stair with care and consideration, I just did it, which saved a huge amount of mental processing. Only if something unusual had occurred, like if a stair had been missing, or an unusual object been on the stairs, would I have to bring awareness to the situation and think.

I find it very useful to try to maintain some base level of awareness if possible (mindfulness). By doing that, I catch things I do on autopilot that I’d otherwise miss. It’s a skill to be learned, because the tendency to live on autopilot is very strong, but it’s very worthwhile because you learn a tremendous amount about yourself and others.

I was thinking today about the language people use around depression. Specifically, they often feel “stuck” or “trapped”.

While that’s how they feel about life, it’s often also reflected in their physical activity because people with depression struggle with energy levels and even small tasks feel overwhelming. The language may be reflecting either their feelings about life in general, their physical reality, or both.

Perhaps a way out of that situation is to literally move. Perhaps the physical act of getting up and moving will help the body to feel less “stuck” and “trapped”, which will then affect the degree to which the mind interprets their lives as being “stuck” and “trapped”.

I know that in depression you don’t feel like moving. Every effort is Herculean. I know. I’ve been there. And that’s part of the reason why you feel stuck… because you’re not moving and your mind is spinning out a story of being “stuck” and “trapped” in your job, your relationships or other aspects of your life.

Which came first, the physical inability to move, or the mental projection into all aspects of your life? It’s a chicken and egg situation where one aspect feeds the other.

Perhaps literally moving, a small amount initially, but more each day, will change how the body feels and, by extension, how the mind feels about all aspects of your life.

This is another reason to start moving, on top of the enormous benefits physical activity brings. Perhaps you’ll start to use “stuck” and “trapped” less, when your body is moving. And if you use “stuck” and “trapped” less, you’ll have more energy to move more. And having more energy is a significant step away from deeper depression, literally.