Beyond “Just Tired”

October marks Depression Awareness Month, a reminder that depression doesn’t always look like sadness: it can hide in exhaustion, tension, or a smile that never quite reaches the eyes. Today’s edition explores how the mind and body mirror each other, and how healing one helps soothe the other.

Today’s Quick Overview:

🔬 Science Spotlight: Depression type may predict future physical health risks…
🗣 Therapist Corner: When depression shows up in the body before the mind notices…
📰 Mental Health News: School connections; After-work habits for mental health…
🫂Community Voices: One reader’s story of reclaiming honesty over “chill.”…

Let's notice what's hidden and what's visible within you today:

What's been hidden all week that deserves acknowledgment? Joy you didn't let yourself feel? Growth you haven't celebrated? And what visible part has earned the right to disappear for the weekend? Your work self? Your performance of fine? Let both truths breathe.

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Somatic Therapy Wheel Variations

Emotions live in the body as much as in the mind, and movement can help release them. This set of free Somatic Therapy Wheel variations shows you how to move through fear, anger, sadness, and joy with simple body-based practices. Use this visual guide as a daily reminder to ground yourself, release tension, and reconnect with your emotions in a healthier way. Download your free copy today and start moving toward balance.

Answered by: Renee Joslin, Renee Joslin, Registered Psychologist (AB, YK, NWT) B.Ed., M.A.C.P

When Depression Shows Up in the Body

When we think of depression, we often picture sadness, low motivation, or emotional numbness. But for many people, depression can start in the body. Fatigue, tension, headaches, or digestive issues are sometimes the first signs that something deeper is going on. Recognizing these physical clues can make it easier to get help sooner.

The Mind–Body Connection

Depression doesn’t only affect emotions—it also impacts how the body functions. Changes in stress hormones can disrupt sleep, appetite, energy, and even the immune system. The body’s automatic systems, like heart rate and digestion, can become unbalanced, leading to muscle tension, stomach discomfort, or changes in heartbeat. Some research also links depression to increased inflammation in the body. In short, when your mind is struggling, your body often feels it too.

Common Physical Signs

Everyone’s experience is different, but physical symptoms of depression can include:

If these symptoms linger and medical causes have been ruled out, depression could be playing a role.

Why Depression Feels So Physical

For some people, emotional distress is expressed through the body—a process known as somatization. This means feelings like sadness or stress can show up as pain, tightness, or stomach upset, even when there’s no clear physical illness. Cultural influences, personality, and early life experiences can shape how we express distress. These symptoms are real and valid—they’re simply another way the body asks for care.

When to Reach Out for Support

If you’ve been feeling “off” physically without a clear medical reason, consider checking in with both a healthcare provider and a mental health professional. Together, they can rule out medical causes, screen for depression, and create a plan that supports both physical and emotional health.

The Path to Feeling Better

Effective treatment for depression usually includes a combination of approaches:

A Whole-Person Approach

Understanding that depression affects both mind and body helps make care more effective. Depression is a real, common medical condition—not a personal weakness—and it’s something many people experience during their lifetime.

With the right support, both physical and emotional healing are possible. Recognizing the signs early can open the door to relief, connection, and renewed energy.

You don’t have to face it alone.

Renee Joslin, Registered Psychologist, has been working in mental health for almost 20 years and as a psychologist since 2012. She is licensed in Alberta, Yukon, and the Northwest Territories. She loves working with teens and adults, and also teaches at her local college in areas related to education and mental health. Learn more at www.thrivepsychologyinc.ca, watch her videos at www.youtube.com/@ThrivewithPsychology, or find her on her Psychology Today profile.

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Your Type of Depression Predicts Which Physical Disease You'll Develop

The Research: Researchers followed 5,794 adults for seven years and found that different depression types lead to different physical health outcomes. The study identified two patterns: "melancholic" (early morning awakening, loss of appetite) and "atypical" (fatigue, increased sleep and appetite).

The results: People with atypical depression were 2.7 times more likely to develop Type 2 diabetes. Those with melancholic depression were 1.5 times more likely to experience a heart attack or stroke.

Why It Matters: Your specific depression symptoms may signal different underlying biological disruptions that influence which physical diseases you're at risk for. The findings push psychiatry toward treating mental illness based on individual symptom profiles rather than generic protocols.

Try It Today: Pay attention to your specific depression symptoms. Do you experience increased sleep and appetite (atypical) or early waking and appetite loss (melancholic)? Share these specific patterns with your healthcare provider, as they may indicate different physical health monitoring needs.

If you have atypical symptoms, prioritize metabolic health monitoring. If you have melancholic features, focus on cardiovascular wellness.

I can honor the connection between my thoughts and my physical state. What I carry mentally shows up in my body, and tending to one helps heal the other.

Think of one time your body warned you about something before your mind fully understood it. That gut feeling, that tension, that exhaustion was wisdom speaking through sensation.

It's okay to acknowledge that stress, worry, and unexpressed emotions have physical costs. Naming that connection isn't weakness; it's awareness.

Do a body scan right now. Starting at your head and moving down, notice where you're holding tension. Ask each tight spot: "What thought or worry are you carrying for me?" Just listen. Your body might have answers your mind has been ignoring.

"I Stopped Trying To Be the 'Chill' Person and Started Being Honest"

Shared by Elizabeth

For years, I was the friend who never had an opinion. Where should we eat? "I'm good with whatever." What movie? "You pick." Weekend plans? "I'm down for anything." I thought being low-maintenance made me likable. Easy. Fun. The kind of person everyone wants around, because I never caused problems or made things complicated.

Then my roommate planning her birthday asked what I wanted to do, and I gave my usual "whatever you want" response. She looked at me and said, "I genuinely don't know what you like. We've lived together for two years, and I couldn't tell you your favorite restaurant or what you do for fun when we're not together."

That stung because she was right. I'd been so busy being agreeable that I'd erased myself. I had preferences, but I just never voiced them because I didn't want to be difficult or make anyone accommodate me.

So I started small. "Actually, I'm not in the mood for Thai food tonight." "I'd rather stay in than go to that party." "Can we do something other than brunch for once?" Some people got weird about it. But I’m just happy that I can voice my real opinions and know that they come from me, and not based on what I think people want to hear.

Share Your Story

Have a mental health journey you'd like to share with our community? Reply back to this email. All submissions are anonymized and edited for length with your approval before publication. Each published story receives a $10 donation to the mental health charity of your choice.

Picture a lake where every thought you have creates ripples across the surface. Some thoughts make gentle waves; others create turbulence that reaches the shore. Your body is that shore, receiving every ripple, every disturbance, every calm moment. Tonight, you can recognize that what happens in your mind never stays contained there; it always reaches your physical edges.

Spend three minutes writing: What mental patterns have been showing up in my body lately (tension, exhaustion, restlessness), and what might they be trying to tell me?

Close your notebook and ask yourself: Where is my body asking for attention that I've been ignoring? What thoughts or worries am I carrying that have turned into physical symptoms? What would it look like to care for my mental state as seriously as I would a physical injury?

"The mind and body are like parallel universes. Anything that happens in the mental universe must leave tracks in the physical one." — Deepak Chopra

Your body keeps the score of every unprocessed thought and unfelt emotion.

Podcast: "The Whisper Before the Wake-Up Call" (MindBody Podcast with Maria Angelova)

Listen: Podcast: "The Whisper Before the Wake-Up Call"

Maria Angelova urges listeners to pay attention to their body's early warning signs—subtle twinges, low energy, irritability—before these "whispers" become "screams" that force life to a standstill. Rather than advocating dramatic overhauls, she recommends tiny changes: setting hourly alarms to stretch, taking intentional breaths, or adding one rest day weekly. The key insight: once you experience what feeling genuinely good feels like, you'll never willingly return to pushing through exhaustion.

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Coming Monday: 58% of young adults show disordered eating linked to delayed brain maturation during adolescence, revealing that eating disorders aren't about willpower but about how your brain develops during critical teenage years.

Researched and edited by Natasha. Designed with love by Kaye.

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*The Daily Wellness shares educational content only and is not a substitute for professional medical or mental health advice and diagnosis. Please consult a licensed provider for personalized care.