5 things you probably need to hear

My productivity desk:

[horationelson]

As a man who used to struggle with depression these are the most helpful things I can think of:

-Take Risks, don't let the fear of failure stop you from trying something new or something great

-Do things that genuinely scare you or that you're afraid of (Even little things like climbing onto a roof and helping to put up Christmas lights if you're afraid of heights or saying something to the cute cashier girl other than "hi" and "thanks")

-Pursue an ambitious goal, one that a lot of people don't believe you can achieve (It doesn't even matter if you fail this because no matter what the pursuit of an ambitious goal will make you a better person and give you fulfillment) With that being said, do your best to succeed

-Have a passion, basically this means to find a hobby that you enjoy so much that you will spend hours and hours getting better at it

-Study history, pick a role model, and then analyze the traits of your role model and list the reasons why you admire them. Then start to emulate these traits in your everyday life and eventually you will become your own role model.

-Don't ever quit something just because it's hard (You can quit a crappy job if it's not the right fit for you, but never quit solely based on the fact that something is difficult). Embrace challenges and look for opportunities to improve yourself mentally, physically, and spiritually.

-Never put yourself down. Try not to think negative things about yourself and especially never say them out loud. You will think more highly of yourself when you say positive things about yourself, at the very least avoid putting yourself down on purpose.

-Live purposefully. Have a direction for your life and if you don't already have one, make one. Decide what's most important to you and live accordingly. If you have a family or even a single loved one, your first priority (other than serving God if you're religious) should be to provide for them, to protect them, and to help them become the best version of themselves

-Develop Integrity. I can't even explain how much this increases your self-repsect. Be honest, be trustworthy, don't cheat (unless you're in a street fight) and live with honor.

-Find a hobby that you're really passionate about and strive to become a master at it

-Finally, probably the most important thing I can say is to think less about yourself. Think less about yourself but not less of yourself. In other words, think about other people before you think about yourself, especially your family and loved ones. If you're focused on helping them with their problems I can promise you that your problems will become less important and less troublesome. Look for opportunities to help others and make them feel better about themselves. Nothing lifts you out of depression better than helping someone out of theirs.

I hope this helps. I realize that some people are genetically predisposed to having a harder time with depression, but I believe that there's nothing you can't overcome with a strong mindset. In addition, I strongly believe that going through depression and having such terrible lows actually gives you the capacity to feel even greater happiness and joy. The reason I say this is because when you feel genuine joy after being depressed for so long you can't help but feel grateful.

The beauty of life is that we are meant to experience the full range of human emotions, from happiness to anger to jealousy to despair to joy. We couldn't feel genuine happiness if we never knew what it was like to be sad. If I could talk to whoever is reading this face-to-face, what I would say to you would be simple: don't quit. A quote from Winston Churchill kept me going in times when I thought I had nothing left, he said: "If you're going through Hell, keep going."

Everything in life can be and is meant to be an opportunity to make yourself better, and depression is no exception. Keep fighting, all of you are descended from warriors no matter what culture or country you are from. You wouldn't be here today if it weren't for the conquering spirit of your ancestors. Live a life that would make them proud. While most of us will not fight in physical wars, no one is exempt from the battlefield of life. Depression can be a battle every single day, every single second in some cases. Keep fighting, it will only get better. And the more you fight, the more you will gain respect for yourself. I've conquered my depression. Every now and then it will start to try and creep back into my mind but I don't let it. I destroy those feelings with action. I go lift weights, I go running, I listen to metal music, whatever it takes for me to regain my confidence.

You can conquer depression, no matter how severe it is. That doesn't mean you'll never have days where you feel down, but it does mean that you'll have the strength to push through and do what you need to do as a man regardless of how you're feeling. Stay strong, stay hard, and fight like dragons 🐉 You're going to be very glad you did.

[ComfortAjibola]

"Even if you're not okay, that's okay too." - so true. I think people need to be reminded that life isn’t about feeling 100% happy all day every day, we have to go through the dark moments to appreciate the light sometimes. Character development mostly only happens through retrospect, by applying empathy and understanding. idk if that makes sense but yes, wishing everyone love and light. We need it.

[sanguivora]

I wonder how much Joey enjoys the "not taking care of yourself" scenes where he's eating junk food and/or being a potato playing video games. Like does he secretly look forward to it? Loved this video haha his sense of humour really comes through. Great advice and had a good laugh 😆

[alexanderjamatia]

Please Never delete your channel, I will always have to come back to it when I get stuck in my life in future
Thank you for making amazing videos that are actually useful and relatable

[Rawi]

Dawg you can’t just make a homie start crying in the kitchen and then spit out an audible ad. That comedic timing and your warm words snapped me from spiralling. Thank you so much dawg. Really glad to see your growth, it nurtures my own.

[jacksladden]

I laughed so hard at no. 4. The quote was all that was needed.

[enzogurijala]

Joey,
I'm writing this as my gratitude journal entry.
I'm grateful for your contribution to the self improvement community. You really contribute great and meaningful ideas to my life, and I appreciate the tremendous amount of effort you put into each video.

[anshumanrao]

man you have paid a very big role in my self improvement journey. because of you and your fantastic videos i have been improving a lot lately. you have changed my whole view of life completely, from the past one month i have been really more present and more happy and more productive. you have made a huge contribution in your audience's life . keep up the good work and i hope you grow more.

[Emirhan_Mutlu]

"At the end of the day if you are willing to stick with it, things will be okay; they always will be okay. Even if you are not okay, it's okay."

Thanks man needed to hear this.

[joed]

The quick Number 4 actually left me wheezing. This guy is so hilarious without even trying.

[jesusjr]

I agree I often find myself looking at my past realizing that all the struggle has just made me stronger. It all depends on how you handle bad times. Treat them like lessons

[RationalSteve]

I recently fought out of a dark and low place in my life, although I’m still in this place, I’m learning a lot about myself and realizing, truly it will be okay. So to whoever is out there struggling, keep fighting and as I say to myself: Ruck up, move out, move forward.

[GiulianaBruna]

I feel that number 1 is not about blaming ourselves but feeling in control.

[marquisdehoto]

#1 Everything that happens to you is your responsibility 0:10
#2 Life gets easier when you're on your own side. 2:06
#3 Nobody owes you anything. 4:40
#4 Communism has failed every time it was tried. 6:19 (?)
#5 It's going to be okay. 6:23

[KirbyTheKirb]

I've had the worst 8 months in my life, life crisis, times of no food, unpaid rents, bed ridden from stress and depression sobbing for weeks, cutting ties with someone I loved, I'm so tired, every day, but I know the future holds a lot of possibilities. It's so hard to get out of the chronic tiredness and get things going again, I know things will be okay, I'll find someone who loves me, I'll find peace.

[chandrasekharpalepu]

I would add just one more. "It is 100% okay to get help". For mental health or physical health. It even applies to professional and personal life. Do not be afraid or ashamed to ask for help or admit you were wrong. Take the help or advice and grow with it.

[SpecShadow]

Number 4 hits different... as someone who was living in one of those former soviet sattelite country - seeing westerners falling to the same trap, not learning from past mistakes, is depressing because this nightmare will never end.

[gilliangreen]

Thanks Joey for this video and your time in making these. This one resonated with me. Going through a rough time right now.

[MagisterialVoyager]

I _do_ need to hear this! Thank you, Joey. You're absolutely on the money regarding continue being mindful, compassionate, and productive in trying times. Thanks for the reminder. All the best luck with everything.

[trudgemankPhD]

I appreciate that you emphasized self-respect as the essence of loving oneself—too many people out there take "love yourself" as an instruction to overinflate their egos (all that "you're perfect" bullshit), which is ultimately just as bad as always bringing yourself down and hating yourself.