Battling Depression: You CAN Win
From the moment you open your eyes till the time you head to bed, you’re engaged in a battle.
You spend most of your energy chasing the dark thoughts away, the persistent voice that claims you’re not perfect. You clash with your own demons while trying to make logical decisions, meet deadlines and take care of your loved ones.
It’s a mental illness that—if not checked—takes a toll on your personal and professional life. It seems like a powerful enemy, depression. Some succumb to it, but those who choose to fight, win.
Besides seeking psychiatric help, there are several ways you can go back to your happy, joyous self. The following are practical steps you can take to battle depression one day at a time.
List Your Accomplishments
Low self-esteem is a monster. Those struggling with this issue as teenagers often feel depressed in their adult years. A great way to control feelings of hopelessness is reminding yourself of the innumerable achievements you’ve accomplished so far.
If you think you don’t have any—you’re certainly wrong. Not all successes are related to academics. If you’re a great listener, a good daughter or a responsible citizen, you’re a success.
List all the things you’re good at, all the times you’ve sacrificed to achieve a goal. When you feel you’re not worth it, go through that list. Remind yourself of your own capabilities.
Record Your Happy Moments
Forget about tackling all those existential questions. “What am I doing here?” “Is there a purpose to my time on this Earth?” “Will I ever be happy?”
Instead, concentrate on the joys you’re feeling now, right this moment. We know that this is easier said than done, especially when you’re swamped by all the self-loathing thoughts chasing each other in your head.
So, each day record your mood, the good things that happened throughout the day. It doesn’t have to be anything major. A warm smile from a friend, a hot little cup of coffee, a stunning sunset…these are all beautiful moments that deserve to be captured. Appreciate the smaller things.
Allow these unsuspecting moments of joy to carry you over the times filled with anxiety and unhappiness. Before you know it, you’ll have a list of happy moments to reflect on when the darkness returns.
Take Up A Physical Sport
It could be swimming, badminton, running or anything that you like to do. As long as it gets your heart pumping, it’s the right activity to pursue. Exercise goes beyond physical benefits.
Sports are a powerful weapon to keep the pessimistic emotions at bay, to strengthen your mind. Aerobic workouts release endorphins, block stress hormones and produce an anti-depression neurotransmitter called serotonin. It’s essentially a form of whole-body meditation that shrinks panic and repels sadness.
Steve Rizzo is one of the best motivational speakers in the world and the author of several award-winning books, including Motivate THIS! and Get Your SHIFT Together.
Born with a natural gift of inspiring his audience to take charge of their lives, Steve has been the motivational guest speaker of choice for thousands worldwide.
Contact his team at (855) 841-9225 or (724) 540-5092 for bookings.