Is your mood trying to tell you something? Situational depression and medical depression can be difficult to sort out. For example…

Janice spends 40 hours of her workweek in an office setting. She got her degree in graphic design, but ended up as a secretary with no creative outlet. She feels intense levels of depression. Max, on the other hand, is working for a graphic design firm but the project he is working on is not in his area of interest. While working on this project, he feels temporary mild levels of sadness.

With Janice, she is not anywhere near the field of work she enjoys. She needs to make a big shift to reduce her depression. Alternatively, Max needs to ride out the project until he is working on something more enjoyable.

Throughout life, we need to do some examination of our mood to figure out what part of life is causing distress.

The nature of your symptoms will give you some clues on what you need to change. Examining the areas of your life where your symptoms are most prominent can help you figure out which areas need your attention most and if change will be required in order to improve your mood.