How to redress depression - step by step ways to tame the black dog
Sometimes it’s hard to know where to start; when you can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel, the wood for the trees, the end to all of this.
Whenever we are faced with overwhelming negativity, either external or internal - or both, we can start looking for everything that is wrong. It is a natural survival response. Anxiety, when prolonged can also lead to depression, creating a destructive cycle that can be hard to escape. One can feed the other and so the cycle of negative thoughts continue.
If left unchecked, these thought processes, which usually start as a result of a period of stress or low mood for some time, becomes unintentionally automatic.
When that happens, it feels like we are out of control of our own thoughts, that our thoughts are controlling us and it is an unpleasant place to be.
If you notice that this is happening to you, then it is time to start taking action. Like exercising our bodies, our minds need exercising too. If you were to only exercise the right bicep, it would become strong, but other parts of your body would be out of condition. Our brains are a bit like our muscles - whatever you exercise most becomes strongest.
To counteract this, start with these easy steps to change the way you think.
Like all thoughts, when you practice them they become easier and then habitual so start by each morning write down 5 things you are looking forward to or are great about your day, these can be really simple things.
This allows you to look forward to things. By doing this it also begins to refocus your thought processes to look for the good things, essentially depression comes with the ability to focus on those things that go wrong.
When practised this becomes progressively easier as each day you will start to notice that you are looking for those things that are great each day.
Then, before you go to bed, write down 5 things that were great about the day. This allows you to begin rest and repair thinking positively about the day that you have just had. This alters your neuro-pathways and our minds are wired to make those things we do most often easier to access.
Depression is often hopelessness about the future and regrets about the past and if we do this often enough it is what our minds start looking for. To start to redress depression remember to THINK:
What am I looking forward to today?
What was great about today?
This alters the neuro-pathways to start looking for the great or positive things. The guaranteed thing about neuroplasticity - is that given time and practice, thoughts and behaviours can and will change.
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