GET RID OF DEPRESSION

GET RID OF DEPRESSION: Way Out for Those Who are Struggling

GET RID OF DEPRESSION

Do you think you may be depressed?

Covid-19 period has been a difficult and certainly depression has been on the rise as many are feeling isolated, alone and financially wasted. Instead of things feeling better at events, the holidays will often make depression feel heavier and harder to bear. If you have ever struggled with a bout of depression you know how hard this is and how hopeless it can feel. The CDC estimates 23 million Americans struggle with depression at any given time. So, you are not alone.

In this blog I’d love to give you some tips to help decrease your depression.   

GETTING RID OF ANTS: 

To start us off, you can get rid of the ANTS in your head. ANTS is an acronym for automatic negative thoughts. We all wrestle with automatic negative thoughts from time to time, but if you are struggling with depression you will experience a lot of negative thoughts taking up residence in your brain. Thoughts like, “I don’t belong”, “I am not very smart”, “no one cares about me”, “nothing I do matters”, and many other negative thoughts create an internal loop which repeats over and over in your mind. Take a moment and see if you can identify any automatic negative thoughts that ruminate in your brain. 

Once you identify the negative thoughts, how do you stop them? How do we exterminate the ANTS? Frankly, it doesn’t work very well to just try hard to not think about specific negative thoughts. It is kind of like someone telling you not to think about a purple elephant … you can’t help but think about purple elephants. Instead, we need to recognize when the negative thoughts pop up (because they will) and after telling your brain to “stop it,” put all of your focus on something else. Focus on something you know to be true and good and that can overshadow the negative. Keep your mind on the good thoughts as long as possible in a very deliberate way. Essentially, you eliminate the ANTS by replacing them. 

Allow me to help with some of your replacement thoughts. Here are fourteen positive “life truths” I believe are essential to living your life in a healthy and truthful way. I want to challenge you to print them out and read these four truths daily. Here they are:

1. Step back and look at how you’re responding

1. Find a distraction

1. Take a deep breath

1. Meditate

1. Look at the bigger picture

1. Do something nice for someone else

1. Recognize automatic negative thinking

1. Acknowledge your successes

1. Stay present

1. Consider other viewpoints

1. Take action

1. Practice self-compassion

1. Embrace your fears

1. Ask for help