Sometimes depression and anxiety are too powerful to battle alone. If you are struggling in your fight against depression or anxiety, don’t hesitate to seek professional help! Depression and anxiety have been proven time and again to respond well to professional treatment. You do not have to live like this! Treatment may include therapy and/or medication. Find a professional you trust and work with that person to create a plan towards pursuing the wellness you deserve!
Practice Gratitude
Have you heard the term “rumination”? To ruminate is to obsessively think about the same problems over and over. If you are experiencing depression or anxiety, it is likely that you have invasive negative thoughts, and that you struggle to focus on other things. Maybe you have suffered a great loss, or experienced a life change that isn’t positive. It may be that these experiences feel all consuming.
Depression and anxiety lie to us, and tells us over and over that these challenges represent the end of wellness and meaning. We must debate our depression and anxiety, and one of the best ways to do that is to practice gratitude. It may be that your relationship has ended, but that your health is intact. It may be that you were laid off at work, but that you are very much needed and cherished at home. Though our life presents many difficult challenges, it also presents many gifts- we just need to practice gratitude mindfully in order to see those gifts clearly, in all their significance.
If you are struggling to find things to feel grateful for, try these exercises:
· Write a letter to someone who helped you or showed you kindness. You may or may not be able to send the letter, but the simple act of writing out the letter will remind you of the good you have experienced in the world! You can write a short letter every day to different people who showed you kindness throughout various periods in your life.
· Keep a “List of Three”. Each day, write down three things you are grateful for. These can be large or small. For example, you may write down that the weather was beautiful, that a song you like came on the radio, that a friend called to say hello, that your loyal canine companion greeted you with a sloppy kiss when you came home, or that you woke up in a home powered by electricity and running water. This practice challenges us to rise above the loud lies of depression and anxiety, and to see clearly the positive things that fill our days!
· Create reasons to celebrate. These reasons can be serious or silly. For example, you could celebrate a professional accomplishment by planning a formal dinner with colleagues. Or you could celebrate a pet’s “birthday” complete with invitations to other pets and their owners! If you are struggling to identify a reason to celebrate, an easy celebration to identify can be centered around a popular tv show or cultural event- for example, you could have a season finale party, or an Oscars party, and invite people to bring food in a potluck. Remember, celebrations do not have to complex or expensive. By creating reasons to celebrate, we create positive memories by engaging with others, thus generating many sources of gratitude. Sometimes when we are depressed, we feel unable to cultivate fun, socialization, or silliness into our lives- but humor, community, and joy are protective barriers from depression! Again, challenge yourself to make a list of things you could celebrate, both serious and silly, and identify a corresponding action. Bring the celebration to life!
Share how you will enact these ideas in your life. What has worked for you in the past? What do you feel is important for others to know? Looking forward to your discussion!
