7 Ways to Lift You from Depression
Happiness can be found even in the darkest of times, when one only remembers to turn on the light. ~Dumbledore (Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling)
We are smack bang in the middle of tumultuous, chaotic and confusing times. With that kind of energy flying about, we have to take what goes with it — the many peaks and troughs in our day-to-day existence. How does one draw on positivity when you feel like you’ve been sucked through a black hole and just got spat out the other end?
Yes, we all have these days. You wake up and you, for no really good reason, feel like thumbing a lift off the planet and onto the next passing UFO (if you do decide to do this, remember to take along your hand-towel, Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy manual and eat lots of salted peanuts).
Enough Tom-Foolery
Let’s get back to the brass tacks of riding out your low-wave storms. The first thing to remember is you are not alone. There are many people out there experiencing these highs and lows, just like you. Enlightenment or awareness does not automatically present you with a ‘get out of jail free’ card. No, you just need to know how to ride the tsunami when it hits.
Second thing to bear in mind is that ‘this too shall pass’. Sometimes when we experience the dark night of the soul, we feel like we are in an emotional abyss and nothing will ever be the same again.
This is just another wave that needs surfing, you will ride it out and you will live to see another day. Just hold tight onto that surfboard and apply copious amounts of sunblock (metaphorically speaking, in real-time just eat lots of chocolate — that usually does the trick! Not only does wholesome organic or dark chocolate release happy endorphins but a friend of mine recently told me that it also has grounding effects).
Wine is constant proof that God loves us and loves to see us happy. ~Benjamin Franklin
Okay, so we all have our dark moments, but what can we do to get ourselves back on track besides stuff our faces with choco-licious treats or sumptuously sipping at a glass of merlot?
Gratitude is important and heart-centered living is the future. So with this in mind, how do we expand our feelings of love and gratitude?
Build up reservoirs of things that make you HAPPY and GRATEFUL by remembering:
Loved Ones — think of all the people in your life that make living a joy. Picture their happy, smiling faces and feel the effect of their love in your heart center.
Play Music — from Bach to the Beatles, we all have our favorite songs that cheer us up and get a spark lit under our backsides. Dust off those LP’s or plug in your iPod! Have a dance around your living room floor, shake that booty and kick up those heels! Or you can drift off to Debussy and have some quiet, reflective and pensive moments of sheer bliss. Don’t underestimate the power of frequency, let music be your bridge to aural ecstasy.
Precious Memories — bring out that old scrapbook of magical magnificent memoirs. Remind yourself of how many moments you’ve had in your life that were full and extraordinary.
Encounters with Animals — for those of us lucky enough to have had or currently have pets, you will know what I’m talking about when I say that they have the most remarkable way of lifting your spirits. Go spend a bit of time with them. If you don’t have any pets, go take a walk where you know people hang out with their pets. Most animal owners don’t mind a bit if you stroke their animals. Cats also have an astonishing talent to balance your aura with their purring — it has a vibrational resonance that heals any ‘leakages’.
Nature — yes, you know I like to hit this one home every now and again in my blogs. Go be in nature! It is calming, grounding and balancing. If you are depressed, it is the most inexpensive cure to your quandaries and it sure beats any pill your doctor is offering you.
Count Your Blessings — do you have a roof over your head? A comfortable bed to sleep in? People who love and support you? Clothes to keep you warm? Food in the fridge? A functional body? These are all things we take for-granted but are wonderful markers to realign us with all there is to be thankful for and can be the very push you may need to get you out of a wallowing hole.
Laugh Your Head Off — another inexpensive cure to all dis-ease. Put on some side-splitting comedy, something that you know will boost your morale. A good pant-wetting episode every now and again is the best remedy for being on this planet right now. No-one likes a sour-puss, so make sure your face is creased with laughter lines.
Go forth and make merry.
Always leave enough time in your life to do something that makes you happy, satisfied, even joyous. That has more of an effect on economic well-being than any other single factor. ~Paul Hawken
This article was written by Cherie Roe Dirksen. Cherie is a self-empowerment author, multi-media artist and meditation music composer from Cape Town, South Africa. She has weekly blogs on her site www.cherieroedirksen.com where she discusses practical and insightful perspectives on taking responsibility for your actions and ultimately living the life you came here to experience. She also devotes a weekly blog to creativity and the artistic process. You can follow her on Twitter (@cheriedirksen) and Facebook (The Art of Empower)
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