Today started off in an unusual way for me, with that familiar sense of fatigue, a nagging headache, and an overall feeling of sleep deprivation that I hadn't experienced in quite a while.

Instantly, I knew it was going to be a challenging day. My family and I had plans, but deep down, I knew that I wasn't in the mindset to participate .

It didn't take long for my wife to sense my lack of enthusiasm and suggest cancelling our outing. I spent the entire day feeling drained and decided it was best for them to carry on without me while I stayed at home.

Fast forward to the end of the day, my family had a wonderful time, I'm laying in bed while I find myself wide awake at the stroke of midnight, wondering why sleep eludes me.

Depression can be cruel, but there are ways of managing it. I'm grateful that I no longer beat myself up over these rough days caused by my depression, and they are becoming increasingly rare. It's all about learning to coexist with it and finding ways to live life to the fullest.