Are you depressed? Hints and Tips for Depression! With todays high paced stressful life its easy to spiral down into depression.

Whether we are depressed by being single, being in a poor relationship, a dead end job or feeling lost in todays financial climate there is always a way in how we can change it all around to be happy and content.

First of all we must realise that when we are unable to change the situation we are challenged to change ourselves and also remember there have been people in far worse circumstances yet were able to conquer their demons in a way we can learn from.

So here are my quick fire tips!

1) Responsibility! 

We must take responsibly for where we are now. If we carry on using excuses or playing the blame game, there is no way we will be able to change things around as we are pushing all power outside of ourselves which means we are no longer in of control it. I would never say we consciously choose to be depressed or choose to have 'issues' in general, but some how, some way we are in this situation and we must take responsibility for where we are right now. When we do so we are in control, we have the ability to start making the changes we desire. Even its something outside of ourselves like the 'financial climate/recession' there is always a way to thrive and there is always an example of someone doing so. Think about this for a moment, you are alive because you and everyone before you adapted to their situations/environment. Species are dying out as we speak, they say 99% species have died out since the earths existence. Yet you are alive, you have an opportunity to make a shift in your world to thrive and it all starts with taking responsibility for where we are now.

2) Habit!

Depression is mearly a behaviour, I do not care for the 'well its in my genes' excuse, thats not correct, sure we can be more prone to certain things emotionally but it's not set in stone. Depression is a habit, its a case of feeling down for a prolonged time that causes the body to think its natural, but it works both ways. When you start to develop the Happiness behaviour that becomes a habit and becomes a way of being in the world. The actions you do on a daily basis will dictate your results. Act/think/feel negatively you get the negative/depressive habit, but act/think/feel that way you wish that will become the new habit and behaviour even if it feels false or unnatural at first. I was shy for 18years of my life, thats a long term habit right there, I was a professional at being shy, but I changed it all when I started to think differently.

3) Imagine!

Every night you go to sleep, take 10 minutes to hallucinate and visualise how you would like to be and do that same in the morning, when you do this you are sending a clear signal to your brain consciously and unconsciously that this is the new habit/strategy. Also the brain cannot really tell the difference between what is real and imagined….ever watched a movie and you were so lost into it that you felt a strong emotion that the character was feeling? The Sadness/Happiness/Fear/Anxiety/Joy..with all done that. How do you think anxiety happens? Well you hallucinate what 'might' go wrong and your body starts to get anxious. Its the same with depression, and it can be turned round by putting your focus on how you would like to be by hallucinating how you would like to be. Top sports people know this, they are taught to visualise winning/scoring/finishing or achieving a certain level, they imagine it before they do it and it gives the mind and body the direction of how they wish to act.

4) Look up!

Ever thought about looking up? Depressed people are renowned for looking down, looking at the floor/feet. When we look down we tap into our feelings, so if we are depressed we get locked in to those feelings when we look down. So now is the time to look up! Looking up is a visual process for the mind, and in the visual process there are no or little negative feelings. So wherever you are try looking up more than usual, if you are depressed go for a walk and look up at the beauty of the world - you will be amazed how it changes how you feel!

5) Move!

Depression is not just mental process, its also biological - how many depressed people are full of energy, bouncing around so much you cant stop them being still? hmmm…usually they are low energy, non moving people. When you start moving whether that be exercise or as little as a walk everyday your brain is releasing dolphins! Oh wait I mean endorphins, endorphins are natural highs for the brain they keep you happy…just think about those poor depressed dolphins we are keep captive when not moving about…release them from captivity into the habitat of happiness! But in all honestly its a great metaphor, when you move body your brain makes you happy, so move a little more than before.

6) Grow!

If your are not growing you are dying..hardball words, but please get the point. When you stop growing emotionally and personally your brain is not being used, it becomes slow, tired and non willing to help itself (sounds like a depressed person at times). But when you start thinking, learning and growing as a person your brain looks for answers and new ways of bettering yourself. Think of a plant, it needs the sun to grow, the right environment, the right nourishment, but if you do not have them it withers and dies. Change your environment, give your brain the sun (go for a walk/exercise), the nourishment is reading things like my blog, or listening to my audios or pick up a book - engage your mind with something, make it grow and blow away the cobwebs!

7) Focus!

Whatever you think about you bring about, where your attention goes energy flows. Where is your focus? Is it on the doom and gloom or is it on the bright side of life. If you catch yourself thinking negatively its your signal from your brain to focus on what you want. One way to help you with this is writing down things you are grateful for throughout the day or noticing your qualities - we all have them and its a matter of bringing your qualities into the light of your focus. When you do so your brain is biologically wired up to look for more which makes you unable to get back into that depression. Got a SatNav? Well whats the first thing you do after turning it on? You put in your destination and the SatNav finds the best route. Now imagine in your mind putting your focus on what you do not want, your brain will find the quickest route to what you do not want, but if you put your attention to where you want to be, who you want to be, how you want to act, it will find the best route for you to become it.

8 ) Realisation!

Realise that you are powerful, you are worthy, you are loved. I think that of you, I know it to be true, so consider knowing it too.

Your friend

Joseph