When Silence Weighs Heavy:

A Letter About Depression

There are days when the sun seems to forget to come through the window. Other times, it feels like the stars are shining in the opposite direction from where we stand. It’s not that it’s cloudy outside, or that the night is too dark, it’s that something inside our mind and emotions has become overcast. The body moves, but the soul doesn’t advance. The coffee gets cold, without being touched. The mirror reflects nothing. And the silence… it weighs heavily.

Depression doesn’t always scream. Sometimes it disguises itself as fatigue, indifference, or a smile that never reaches the eyes. And sometimes, we’re the ones who disguise it. We’ve learned to smile so others won’t worry. We get used to saying “I’m fine” when something inside us is breaking. We become experts at hiding what we feel, as if showing it would be a burden to others. It is not just sadness. It is an absence. It’s being surrounded by people and feeling like you’re not there. It’s looking at the calendar and wondering how you got here.

And sometimes, sadness is born from nostalgia. Lately, I’ve seen many reels that say: “You wake up and it was all a dream. You’re 7 years old. It’s Christmas dinner with your family.” That kind of content touches something deep within us. It reminds us of what was, what no longer is, and what may never return.

Roque Schneider once said: “Distance produces nostalgia, and nostalgia is the present absence of someone.” The distance of time gone by also produces that kind of nostalgia, which brings memories into the present. Those memories sometimes make us smile, or sometimes make us mourn what we didn’t do.

Nostalgia can be sweet, but it can also hurt. Dragging the past behind us, reliving it without processing it, can first make us sad… and then, if we don’t let go, that sadness deepens. It becomes depression. Because we long for something that has already gone, or we wish to have the power to change something we cannot change anymore.

Going through depression is not a sign of weakness. It’s a silent battle that many fight without anyone noticing. The body speaks too: insomnia, fatigue, loss of appetite, irritability, dark thoughts. Sometimes, the body is the only one brave enough to say what the soul keeps quiet.

Seeking help isn’t a sign of weakness. It’s an act of courage. There are many paths toward healing: therapy, medication, community, faith, and art. Sometimes, the first step is simply speaking. Saying “I’m not okay” can open a door that once felt permanently shut.

 

Five Ways to Fight Against Depression

Depression isn’t healed by magic formulas. But ordinary gestures, quiet, consistent, human, can begin to crack open the darkness.

Here are five ways that may help you gently reconnect with yourself:

1. Walk, even slowly

The body needs to move so the soul can breathe. A daily walk, even a short one, can become a ritual of reconnection. Movement releases serotonin, a molecule that reminds us there’s still light.

2. Write what you are feeling

Journaling isn’t just for poets. Writing what you feel, unfiltered, can help you understand yourself and release what’s suffocating you. Sometimes, when you reread it, you realize you’ve come farther than you thought.

3. Listen to music that embraces you

Music can reach places where words cannot. Be mindful: avoiding songs that dwell in sadness can help you not sink deeper. Listen to melodies that connect you to peace or simply accompany you in the silence.

4. Spend time with nature

Being among trees, feeling the sun on your skin, hearing the wind, all of it reminds us that we’re part of something bigger. Nature has a way of healing without saying a word.

5. Talk to someone who listens

You’re not alone. Speaking with someone you trust, such as a therapist, a friend, or a mentor, can be the first step out of isolation. Expressing what you feel is an act of bravery.

Final Thoughts

I learned this from my sister. She always says that no matter how cloudy things seem, there is light everywhere. She encouraged me to light a candle to remind myself that even in the darkness, there is light, and there is fire: Fire of love, of friendship, of someone who cares and wants you to be well. Or simply of someone who hopes this hard moment you’re going through will end soon.

Never forget that even in silence, there is memory. That even in sadness, there is a possibility. And remember, you don’t have to smile if you can’t. Sometimes, showing vulnerability is the first act of healing.

If any of this resonated with you, choose one of those five ways as your first step. Not to heal instantly, but to begin walking beside yourself with more tenderness. Treat yourself kindly. Because when you look at yourself without mercy, you risk seeing only the broken parts. And the first person who should care for you… is yourself.

Thank you for reading. Thank you for staying. Thank you for being here.

 

 

References:

“Cinco Formas de Superar La Depresión (Para Adolescentes) | Nemours Kidshealth.” Edited by Lisa M. Buckloh, KidsHealth, The Nemours Foundation, Aug. 2022, kidshealth.org/es/teens/depression-tips.html.

Schneider, Roque, and Maria  Antonieta Villegas. “Pequeñas Pero Grandes Cosas.” O Valor Das Pequenas Cosas, 12th ed., San Pablo, Buenos Aires, 2005, pp. 50–50.

Uclahealth. “7 Health Benefits of Spending Time in Nature.” UCLA Health, 14 May 2025, www.uclahealth.org/news/article/7-health-benefits-spending-time-nature.