Are you isolating yourself due to depression or personal growth?
What’s the difference?
The difference lies in the focus. When you’re in a depressed state, everything is blue, life feels jaded and everyday is a cloudy day. When was the last time you felt happiness with your day to day life? The funny thing is you might not even recognize you’re in that state until you feel joy again and realize it’s been a while since you’ve had it.
On the other hand, isolating yourself for personal growth may seem from the outside that you’re depressed — less socializing, more sleep — however, the intention is different. This is a personal choice to have peace and quiet., to get away from the noise, to get away from senseless chatter and to really focus and reflect on the changes you’re making. It’s not sadness or lack of care in life like depression. It’s because you’re tired of living the same way and you’re doing internal investigation to make lasting change.
How to get through depression
If you’re not experiencing depression but are focusing on growth, skip to the next section. If you are depressed, then notice that I said “get through” this stage, not to “get out.” The best advice I received from a mentor was that life is a flow of ups and downs. As in there’s highs in life for a season, but then on the other side are downs for a season. Summer, winter, spring, autumn are all a natural part of life. Even the economy goes through depression. Why would we be the only outlier…
Now, there are ways to still be productive in getting through this down season. Here’s some steps to take to guide you through this season of life:
Stop fighting it: accept your emotions.
Feel without judgement: Allow yourself to experience sadness.
Reflect: understand why and how you got to this point.
Release and let go: meditate, journal or seek a professional therapist or counselor if necessary.
Let time heal you: healing takes time; be patient and kind with yourself.
How to reach your breakthrough
For those focused on personal growth, this quiet periods allows for detachments from the past and the creation of space for new beginnings. Listen to the voice that wants you to make changes in your life, which happens easily when you let go of the old life you’re chasing back. As you’re going through this quiet period in your life, old seasons of happiness and in your mind thriving, living your best life, might creep up in your mind. Cherish it, but don’t chase it. This season of silence is a detachment from every old thing that no longer serves you and all the things that are to come.
This is you creating the space to have more. The silence is there for you to reflect what you used to tolerate and what you aren’t anymore, to organize your life and to know how to enforce your boundaries. So when your breakthrough comes, you now have wisdom in who is who in your life and where to place them.
Have patience and keep making the changes you need. Listen to that still voice you hear only in silence; and have discipline when all motivation is gone. Breakthroughs aren’t given, they’re earned to by the relentless.
Conclusion
Whether you’re going through a season of depression or focusing on personal growth, understanding the difference between these states is key. Depression requires patience, reflection and healing, while growth-oriented isolation is intentional transformation. Both require self-compassion, but only through perseverance and inner work will you find the clarity needed for lasting change. Stay patient, keep pushing forward and embrace the journey.
