Basic disciplines and building positive habits.
Chronic to mild depression affects millions of people. Depression has many causes, situations, trauma or chemical imbalances, diet and self image. The current global crisis only adds to this. More people are now suffering from depression than ever before. Common treatments are drug therapy, counselling and self help with meditation or diet adjustments. However there is much more that can be done to help get through and beyond the dark days.
Daily disciplines.
Getting out of bed when we wake up is the first step. Making the bed and keeping where we live clean and organized, this gives one a sense of order that we can build on. Creating a routine and sticking to it gives us a sense of accomplishment that grows as we start to master our days. How we start a day determines the rest of the day and if this becomes a daily habit then it changes the rest of our lives. This change will be slow, patience and determination are required and not to lose heart on the days we fail, try again tomorrow. Daily disciplines should include a good breakfast, exercise and trying something new.
Exercise.
This is vital as endorphins released during short and intense exercise routines are the body's natural anti depressants. Exercise in nature puts us in touch with our roots and wide open vistas are great to awaken curiosity and and a sense of adventure. As we get fitter we will be delighted, feel much better, more confidence and our world will open up new possibilities. As the body changes, so does the mind and nothing feels as good as being fit. The mind becomes sharper and optimistic and we become more confident to face life.
Becoming our own best friend.
Time alone is a gift, a time to reflect and create and should not feel like social isolation or rejection. Ok we need some time alone to heal from the traumas inherent in life but this is different. Learning to know, accept and love ourselves gives our lives depth and meaning and changes everything. We are all special and no matter what we have done or been through we still have the potential to become the person we would rather see ourselves as. Learning to love ourselves is vital, we are all people with dreams and at some level everyone has something to offer.
Designing our future.
Dream big and break it down to small easy to achieve steps and focus on one step at a time one day at a time without losing sight of the bigger picture. Find positive role models and copy what they do. Don't waste time on people who are doing nothing positive with their lives and who are not supportive of our dreams. Friend up with people who are making things happen and learn from them, this will greatly alter our worldview and a social circle of positive people makes a difference to our lives.
Who are our friends?
The people we associate with have a massive impact in our lives, if we are surrounded by people who have no control of their lives we will become like them. Not everyone wants the best for us. Jealousy and envy can bring out the worst in people and its shocking what some people will do to destroy the lives of other people. Some people will build and support us, provide guidance and help when we need it. Good friends are a treasure and take time to make and should be valued. Other people who don't have social maturity are not beneficial to us, themselves or anyone else either and are a waste of time and energy. Low quality people are a big cause of depression with constant drama and needless problems being all they bring to the table. Better to be alone than surrounded by uncaring idiots who find joy in causing problems for others.
Changing our point of view.
There are always two sides to a story, two different ways of seeing anything. The Mandarin character for opportunity is the same character for disaster. If we have problems lets start seeing the opportunity in them and become fixed on solutions and use the experience to develop ourselves rather than give up and downscale ourselves. Dealing successfully with a major problem can really boost our self esteem and boost our motivation and confidence. When problems are flipped into challenges we welcome, our world becomes a blessing.
Diet.
Processed foods have been linked to many health problems. Mental and emotional conditions are also linked to processed foods and over eating. Sometimes cleaning up our diet can work miracles. A wholesome natural diet is life changing. Regular small fasts have been used to correct health problems for thousands of years. Eating our meals in a eight hour period allows the body to produce higher levels of growth hormone.
Altruism.
Nothing helps us more than helping others. Giving help and support to those in need is a vital intervention for them and helps us to develop our humanity. It is better to do this for people who are will to accept the help and are already trying to change their circumstances. It is vital to keep this in balance as it can be quite draining and we can sometimes empath their problems. Do the help and not taking them home with us is a key point.
Meditation.
Learning to meditate is a great gift to ourselves. It relaxes the mind, restores mental vitality and adds clarity to our lives. There are many schools of meditation,. Meditation is different from mental exercise ie visualizations. Real meditation allows us to access the deeper layers of our minds and start to manage our lives. meditation is not an escape from life but a very effective tool to help us manage it better.
Talk to someone who cares.
Sharing our troubles with someone who cares is very helpful. Another persons perspectives and insights can bring things into more clarity. Sometimes we may need professional help or just a caring friend or family member. To remain silent while depressed is not healthy.
Find a reason to celebrate.
This helps us not to be constantly consumed by the problems, takes our minds off them and we always feel better after we have had a good party. Dancing is a brilliant way to release tension and liven up the body, refresh the energy and motivate us. Celebrate each victory no matter how small and this will soon tip the scales.
Get creative.
Finding a creative hobby and discovering the artist in ourselves is wonderful. Learning music opens up a whole new world. Any creative hobby will be very helpful.
Count our blessings.
We can take so much for granted when we get depressed. To be deeply grateful for what have is wonderful. So many other people have much less. Its very good to remember that gratitude goes a long way.
Medicinal qigong.
This practice is extremely effective in the treatment of depression and many other conditions. There is a page on this website dedicated to the other benefits of this system which is the foundation of our therapy. We have yet to publish a page regarding Medicinal Qigong and depression but its on the way. Here
Don't give up.
Never give up. We come through this stronger and life always has something worth living for.
Contact me for help.
I have been helping people with this for a few decades. I have worked with a very broad spectrum of people and we have enjoyed a very high degree of success. Please reach out via the contact for below if you need some one to talk to.