For most of us, it isn't unusual to have a day or two when we feel like staying in bed with our head tucked under the blankets away from all civilization. It's when that day or two turns into weeks or months that concern sets in. The term depression is generally used to describe when people feel down, unmotivated, have low to no energy and/or can't bring themselves to tap into their ambition. Now, the reality is that at various points in life to some degree we all experience the above symptoms. It's what we do about it that determines whether or not we delve into a depression or successfully get past a couple of gloomy days.

Pay attention to yourself. If life is overwhelming you, allow yourself a day or two to retreat. If you notice that you're much more worrisome than usual, take some space and de-clutter your thoughts. Whether it's a persistent headache or you find yourself more irritable and snappy than normal, take a moment to slow things down and gain some perspective. Continuing life on autopilot is what gets us into trouble with our emotions. The emotions start to take over because you aren't effectively managing them and before you know it, you're sad, burned out and resentful.

It's much easier to learn to catch yourself when your first start to feel overwhelmed; when you've been down in the dumps for a few weeks or months it takes a lot more effort and energy to pull yourself out. If a full blown depressed state has kicked in, it might take a new gym routine or a visit to a professional. Everyone is unique in what they require to get past feeling overwhelmed, get to know and pay attention to your needs and then do what you need to do in order to meet them. The sooner you show up for yourself the sooner you can start managing difficult emotions.