5 Things A Japanese Comedian Did to Overcome Depression
My mom was kin of… Godzilla.
Her repeated raids had me down for more than10 years, and in the end, hikikomori.
Hikikomori is a Japanese term to mean people who don’t work nor study, who stop everything. In English, it’s known as a comedian.
This is my first time to share the five things which really helped me overcome depression.
1. Setting a goal of a 3 seconds future.
Whenever I tried to take action after the age of 17, I used to feel like inflaming ashes.
I was always blaming my past self.
But at a point, I started thinking about a tiny future: 3 seconds future.
“Let’s turn over to the right 3 seconds later.” thinking in bed, and 3,2,1… I did it!!
Yes, I achieved a small goal.
Next, I made the duration longer.
“Let’s fart 10 seconds later.”…10,9, 8, ..4, hoooooo🌬🌬🌬🌬🌬🌬🌬🌬🌬!!
I did it earlier than the deadline!
In this way, small achievements piled up.
I learned there is a FUTURE that I could work on.
2. Being likable
It might sound opposite to the general idea that “more attentive, easier to get depressed.”
But being isolated makes you just compare yourself with the ideal yourself.
It’ll lead your self-esteem so low that you want to hide.
When I just started as a comedian, my mentor at the time told me to copy likable people.
By following this advice, I grew my fans little by little and built my self-esteem.
3. Staying away from Japanese media
Being “normal” is Japan’s national religion.
The Japanese media is the Bible of it.
The ideal norm is always described in the Japanese media:
- You graduate college at 22 or at the very latest, 23.
- Start job hunting in the same black suit to show you are not intending to disrupt the order.
- Get married by 30.
- Girls must look up to men mentally and “physically” (上目遣い).
- Be the same as your next person, you are normal.
- Are you mentally ill? You are DEFECTIVE!
…I got sick of them.
4. Calling care bears my baes.
I have three brown baes.
They totally look like Brown from the app “LINE”, but they are not bears.
My baes.
My baes are so flexible that they can hide in a suitcase.
Cuddling, hugging, and sleeping with them make me feel very comfortable.
They listen to my stories, gaze at me gently, and absorb my tears.
Have you ever dated such a perfect man?
Seriously, conversations with them are self-talks.
My mindset was rewritten by their warm words.
5. Working out
Of course, physical health connects to mental health.
But according to my experience, here is a note about working out while depressed.
Firstly, make sure to have a growth mindset.
I was breakdancing and could hardly grow my skills.
I started very well but didn’t grow just because my self-image was “regrettable me”.
It can be a vicious circle.
You will be better as long as you believive so.
Just believe it.”
Grow better forever
Those are the five things I did to overcome depression.
I applied them more seriously after I started doing comedy professionally.
I have really changed since having a “future” and “the image of a better version of me”.
A second later is the future.
Even at this moment, I am writing to make something better in me and you.
We are getting better.
