Live Within Limitations

Another help in dealing with depression is not to live beyond your physical, emotional, and spiritual limitations.

"It was hard to find limitations," says Bonnie Keen. "I thought that as a person of faith, I couldn't have any limitations. I had to be able to live with anything and everything. Finally I hit a wall where I realized, I can't do this. I remember saying to the Lord, 'I can't live like this anymore. I'm going have to make choices, and please forgive me if they are the wrong ones.'"

"You can only do so much," says Dr. Jim A. Talley. "Your energy level is down. Your mental capacity is down. Your physical level is down. You have to lower your expectations of what you personally are able to do."

Mike Klumpp shares that men sometimes feel they should be able to handle anything that comes their way: "Men need to realize that they make mistakes like everyone else. They have good days and bad days. They have limitations like everyone else. Being a real man means coming to grips with reality and the responsibilities that come with your reality."

Be willing to set limits in your daily life. Sometimes you need to draw those boundaries right away as new circumstances occur. There are some things you cannot do on your own right now, some things you are physically unable to handle. Living within your own established boundaries will free you to be able to handle other things in your life without becoming overtaxed and overwhelmed.

"Now I take limitations in stride, and with good cheer. . . . I just let Christ take over!" (2 Corinthians 12:10 MSG).