We all get depressed sometimes. Maybe it's because you don't like
your job or because you are in a fight with someone you love. But there
is ALWAYS a reason. Feelings don't just come over us like waves, they
are actually rooted in our thoughts and events in our lives. So we
cannot expect to just shift the emotions and then feel better. We have
to address the ROOT cause. Here are my steps to erase depression:
1. Identify the cause.
First question to ask is: Is this depression medical/physiological? By this, I mean did you make any changes when your depression started? Changes in diet? Sleep? Medications? Any medical problems that could be effecting your mood?
Second question: What changed when I started to feel depressed? Did I break up with my partner? Start to have money problems? Stop getting together with my friends?
Third and last question: What thoughts are causing my depression? What have I been thinking about lately (specifically, what depressing thoughts have I been thinking about my life)?
Once you have identified the cause of your depression (and there always is a cause), you can start at fixing it. I'm not saying that depression is always a bad thing. It is just energy that is telling you that something in your life is not right. It is important to listen to this energy and use it to motivate you to make changes.
2. Make changes in your life
So first off, have you identified if your depression is medical/physiological, due to a life change, or due to negative thinking patterns? (See How to Erase Depression: Step 1)
If you believe your depression is caused by medical/physiological reasons, then look at what DAILY changes you could make to improve your health. Make your daily changes MANAGEABLE and IMMEDIATE. Example: start drinking a glass of water upon waking and before bed and start doing stretches 5 min a day VS stop eating all junk food and lose 50 lbs. It's good to have long-term goals but it is the DAILY changes that will make all the difference. [I mention diet and exercise here because they can have a HUGE impact on our mental state. You also might want to go to the doctor to get a check up.]
If you identified life stressors as the cause of your depressed mood, what changes could you make to put this stressor in the past? By writing up action steps and attacking them, you will move your DEPRESSED energy into ACTION energy. So go ahead and quit your job, start a new hobby, throw out pictures of your ex, or get going on your bucket list. All of these things will bring new energy into your life.
Lastly, if your thoughts are causing your depressed mood, you need to first learn more about them (i.e. write them down). By understanding what the thoughts are, you will be more able to shift them. Also, you can challenge the thoughts. For example, "I am a failure," can become, "So I failed at making my dream come true, so what? I guess I can laugh at that and move on or I can try again."
Remember, it's okay to suffer and feel depressed but we need to use these feelings as INFORMATION ONLY and use the energy to make changes in our lives starting today!
Article Source:
http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lindsey_Sandhu
1. Identify the cause.
First question to ask is: Is this depression medical/physiological? By this, I mean did you make any changes when your depression started? Changes in diet? Sleep? Medications? Any medical problems that could be effecting your mood?
Second question: What changed when I started to feel depressed? Did I break up with my partner? Start to have money problems? Stop getting together with my friends?
Third and last question: What thoughts are causing my depression? What have I been thinking about lately (specifically, what depressing thoughts have I been thinking about my life)?
Once you have identified the cause of your depression (and there always is a cause), you can start at fixing it. I'm not saying that depression is always a bad thing. It is just energy that is telling you that something in your life is not right. It is important to listen to this energy and use it to motivate you to make changes.
2. Make changes in your life
So first off, have you identified if your depression is medical/physiological, due to a life change, or due to negative thinking patterns? (See How to Erase Depression: Step 1)
If you believe your depression is caused by medical/physiological reasons, then look at what DAILY changes you could make to improve your health. Make your daily changes MANAGEABLE and IMMEDIATE. Example: start drinking a glass of water upon waking and before bed and start doing stretches 5 min a day VS stop eating all junk food and lose 50 lbs. It's good to have long-term goals but it is the DAILY changes that will make all the difference. [I mention diet and exercise here because they can have a HUGE impact on our mental state. You also might want to go to the doctor to get a check up.]
If you identified life stressors as the cause of your depressed mood, what changes could you make to put this stressor in the past? By writing up action steps and attacking them, you will move your DEPRESSED energy into ACTION energy. So go ahead and quit your job, start a new hobby, throw out pictures of your ex, or get going on your bucket list. All of these things will bring new energy into your life.
Lastly, if your thoughts are causing your depressed mood, you need to first learn more about them (i.e. write them down). By understanding what the thoughts are, you will be more able to shift them. Also, you can challenge the thoughts. For example, "I am a failure," can become, "So I failed at making my dream come true, so what? I guess I can laugh at that and move on or I can try again."
Remember, it's okay to suffer and feel depressed but we need to use these feelings as INFORMATION ONLY and use the energy to make changes in our lives starting today!
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