Tools for carving your way out of depression
I have been suffering from depressions most of my life, but at this moment all I can feel is gratitude for everything. Even though the experiences were very difficult they brought me to the present moment and helped me become who I am. My purpose for writing this article is to help other travelers who may experience depression and to empower them just like I was empowered. In fact the way I see it now is that the word depression is just a word. A human concept. It represents a state which is difficult but how blessed I am when I am able to say yes yes yes to life in spite of this temporary difficulty.
Every Life situation is different. The personal details may differ but the universal principles do not and I would like to focus on them and to share with you what helped me go through some very dark nights.
Repeating a phrase:
Sometimes when things got really difficult I went for long walks outside or walked at home at home and kept repeating one sentence: "I Love and accept myself just the way I am". One of the underlying reasons for depression is quick thoughts of which we usually are not aware that run through the mind. These toxic, private thoughts have guilt and judgment glued to them and they add a heavy weight to the depressed feeling. They drain us from energy and are NOT TRUE. The mind sometimes behaves like a mad monkey and the only way to keep it under check is make it repeat a word or a phrase. You can make up your own words. Another sentence that I use is "I am not a body I am free; I am still as God created me." The word "Jesus" immensely helped a woman who was experienced great difficulties.
Remembering that nothing lasts forever:
I once heard the following story and it helped me a lot:
There once was a student who studied with a teacher for many years. One day the teacher felt that the student was
ready to leave him, but the student asked the teacher to give him something
that would help him during difficult times. The teacher agreed and gave
him an envelope. He asked the student not to open it unless things
get really difficult.
Years passed. The student explored the world and experienced many hardships but never opened the envelope until one day when things became very difficult and he just could not continue. When he opened the envelope, he saw a small note with the "This too shall pass" written on it.
Just remembering that difficult times do not last forever helps immensely during hard times. A friend once shared with me the image of swimming under the water. Sometimes the only thing that can help us when we are swimming under the water is the knowledge that eventually we will get above the water again, and it always works.
Choosing to know that things are perfect just
the way they are.
When we are depressed everything seems negative and gray. Yet even in this state we can choose to know that the situation is just the way it is. The following sentence helped me immensely: "I don't see the light, I don't feel the light, but I choose to know that there is light". Even in the darkest of times we can make this choice. It is or dignity, our right, and our power to make this chose to know. No one can take it away from us
Writing thoughts in my journal.
Even though when we are depressed nothing seems to help, writing our thoughts in a journal is immense help. When you view your words later you will see how important it was that you expressed your feelings. Sometimes we can address the writings to our inner Self or to God or to a guide. What matters is the sincerity of our writing.
Taking a Cold Shower
I remember times in the mornings when things were so difficult and I could simply not bear them any more. Well. I just took a cold shower and this very act of "choosing life" took me out of that feeling,
Resting and Sleeping
Sometimes just resting and sleeping during the day can be helpful. The main point is to go and rest with a feeling that I am Loved, choosing to know that God loves me just the way I am. I even remember one time going to sleep with a teddy bear.
Knowing that miracles do
happen.
What helped me many times was to remember beautiful moments from the past. Each one of us experienced these beautiful moments when a garden grew in the midst of a desert. To focus the mind on these past moments of beauty can help us in the dark. We can choose to know that miracles will happen again. All we need is to do nothing but wait.
Knowing that it could always be million times
worse
The image of "A leper born in the ring of fire, lives in a ring of fire for all his life and dies in the ring of fire yet every moment of his life is with God" was very powerful for me since I could imagine that human being, that leper who has nothing but the name of God on his lips while all his physical existence was nullified by his disease and the ring of fire surrounding him. Yet he still felt gratitude
Choosing to do nothing:
There is a story about a Zen monk who was living by the gate of an ancient city where people would walk by every morning and evening on the way to and from work. All that the monk would do is ring his little bell when they passed. He is still doing it. Can you hear the bell? The point is that we are all just like little fireflies or butterflies really doing nothing and all the facade of the world is nothing. We really need to do nothing to prove that we are ok