2020 is completely screwed up?! We can only hope that it doesn’t throw any more disaster our way until the clock ticks over on the 31st and we can all scream “get fucked 2020”! In How To Stop Feeling Depressed – Advice For Struggling Photographers I am going to shine a light towards the end of the tunnel for you. If you’re in a slump right now trust me, it won’t last. There are things you can do to lift yourself out of depression. Let’s explore some ideas for struggling photographers.
How To Stop Feeling Depressed – Advice For Struggling Photographers
COVID-19 has turned a lot of lives upside down. Perhaps you have lost your job? Maybe your photography business has suffered a huge drop in revenue? You might even be locked in isolation like so many of my friends and family in Victoria, Australia are right now.
Isolation can mess with your head. Having the freedom that we’ve become so completely used to wrenched away from us so suddenly is a huge shock to the system. Different people deal with it in different ways. Some ease on through it as though it’s nothing at all, and others become withdrawn, sad, scared; or downright depressed.
If you are one of the latter, then hopefully this post will help you to lift your mood and give you some hope going forward.
What Would I Know About Feeling Depressed?
Unfortunately, I know a lot about it.
Only a year or so ago, I was extremely anxious and depressed a lot of the time. I think outwardly, to others, I appeared to be in-control and quite chilled-out; but on the inside I was raging.
My photography business was not doing very well and had not been for quite some time. I had come out of a failed music career into another passion-driven business that was seeming to fail also.
I had been a stay-at-home dad to my daughter; which I loved and would not trade for anything, but coming out the other side of that was hard. You feel kind of lost….useless. You had all these tasks to do each day, both for and with your child, and now all-of-a-sudden…………….there’s nothing. You suddenly have the freedom and the time to do what you want, but at the same time you feel guilty for doing it. It was a strange feeling and I guess I allowed it to break me.
An Old-Fashioned View
I grew up in a family where both of my parents worked, but my Dad seemed to be always working and busting his gut to get food on the table. I developed a rather old-fashioned view that a man had to “provide for his family”. He had to be strong and resourceful. You had to push through and do whatever it takes to make sure your family is provided for. I felt worthless because in my mind, I was failing dismally at this.
Fast-forward to now and I am doing great. I still have anxiety from time-time but I hardly ever feel sad or depressed. My photography business is starting to flourish and I have a sense of self-worth again.
I have tried a lot of things to beat my depression and anxiety. I’ve seen Doctors, Psychiatrists, Naturopaths, Pranic Healers. I have tried meditation, exercise, crystals, mantras, dieting, and so many other things. Please don’t freak out and click away from this blog right now, I’m not going to suggest you do all of those things?! But let me suggest just a few that might help.
Are You Doing The Things You Love?
You and I love photography, right? Well, are you actually taking photos at the moment?
The first tip I have to stop feeling depressed is to do more of what you love. If you are in isolation, I realize that you might be dwelling on the fact that you can’t go outside. This doesn’t have to stop you from doing photography though. There are so many types of photography you can do at home.
Check out my Nature Photography During Lockdown series of YouTube videos for some ideas. Search on YouTube for more ideas.
I know all too well how feeling depressed can rob you of the desire to do anything; even the things you used to love. You must push past this though. Trust me, on the other side of that push you will find that feeling of bliss that you remember from doing what you love.
Aim for 1 hour of photography at least every second day. You should make it a priority and let nothing get in the way of you doing it. If you can do this for a couple of weeks, you will find that you are craving it every day and overflowing your hard drives with awesome photos.
How To Stop Feeling Depressed About Money
If your business has taken a hit during the Coronavirus Pandemic, then you may be more than a little anxious or depressed about where your next dollar is coming from. I’m going to offer two solutions to this problem.
Solution No. 1
If you have followed my advice above about getting back into taking photos, then you have a financial solution right there. All those photos you’ve taken can be uploaded to stock photography sites to get some money flowing. I have written numerous blog posts about ways to earn money with your photography online. Here are a few for you to take a look at:
- How To Make Money As A Photographer
- How To Make Money Selling Stock Photos
- How To Sell Photos Online And Make Money
- Make Money With Photography
Solution No. 2
I learned a lot of negative thought patterns about money growing up. Though my parents were both working, they struggled and we didn’t have a lot of money most of the time. So, for me to sit here and give you advice about how to attract money is proof that the following idea works?!
A while ago, a friend put me onto a YouTube video by Abraham Hicks. She set a challenge on Facebook to listen to the video every day for 30 days and then report the results. Well, that 30 days came and went about 100 days ago?!? I am still listening to this video every night before I go to sleep, and it has changed my view about money and also how easily money comes to me.
The video is called Abraham Hicks Esther Hicks Money Meditation 2018 Law of Attraction and it will change your life. Even if you’re not into all that “hokus pokus” stuff, please give it a chance. If it can change my views around money – it can change anyone’s?!
Stop Feeling Depressed By Getting Around People
If you are stuck in isolation, this may seem like a ridiculous idea, but bare with me……
Being around others when you feel depressed is the LAST thing you want to do. Chances are you feel worthless, ugly, awkward; or maybe afraid that your depression shows on your face like a huge pimple in the middle of your forehead! Please try to get past those feelings and be around other people. As humans we need that sense of connection. This is one of the reasons isolation for COVID-19 is so damn hard.
If you are isolated, get online and join some kind of community. Get into a Facebook group, join a course that does live video calls, video call your friends and family as often as you can. Just find a way to feel connected to others.
I am part of an amazing community and it is the one, single reason for how happy and connected I feel right now. Every day I connect with amazing people from all over the world in this community via Facebook groups or Zoom calls. I’m not just getting conversational connection from this, but a feeling of self-worth, because this community is all about helping each other. When you genuinely feel like you are helping someone else, it gives you a sense of purpose and value that can lift you out of any sadness.
Online Community For Connection
The community I speak of is Six Figure Mentors. This is an online marketing/business course that comes with the added bonus of being a way to connect with some of the most incredible people on the planet. The help, support, and love you feel from these people is next-level. I’ve never experienced anything like it before.
I am paying a monthly fee to be in this community. During the pandemic however, SFM is offering people the chance to get a taste of the community for FREE. You can check out this offer on their Free Trial page.
Now I stress; this is an online business training course, but with that you get mindset training, online webinars, and access to the exclusive Members-only site where you can experience the SFM community for yourself. If you are struggling with the money side of things right now, the business training is exactly what you need and believe me, it’s the best on the planet. There are people in this community that have made hundreds of thousands of dollars since the pandemic began! I have not made that myself, but there are some that have done this.
So if you are feeling alone and anxious about money right now, Six Figure Mentors could be the right place for you to be. And the trial is FREE. There is no obligation to purchase anything. If you are serious about changing your state and your life in general, please give it a try.
A Final Word Of Encouragement
I know that it’s tough right now. The whole world has changed and a lot of it seems as though it’s not good change. The question isn’t “when will it get back to normal?” but “what will I do now to adapt and thrive in this new world?”
If you have serious depression and you have had thoughts of harming yourself, please seek medical advice. In Australia, Beyond Blue has their Coronavirus Mental Wellbeing Support Service. You have the choice of phone support, web chat, an online community forum, or suicide and crisis support.
If you are reading from another country, please Google your local support provider.
You can also sign up to the Photographers Freed community Facebook group. I created this group for photographers to help and support each other. It is a safe and friendly environment where you can feel connected and supported.
Stay safe. I wish you happiness.
