Showing posts with label INSPIRATION. Show all posts
Showing posts with label INSPIRATION. Show all posts

Tuesday, December 08, 2009

How to Be Happy Everyday: Is it Really Possible?


Do you think that it's impossible to be happy every day? I don't! Notice, I did NOT say to be happy every moment of every day, but rather to be happy ever day.

We all have times of heartache, fear, depression, disappointment and so on, but in the midst of those negative emotions and hardships of life, I fully believe that it is possible to be happy at least part of every day.

Here are my suggestions for being happy every day.

1. Look on the bright side. You know, there is always a bright side, even in the midst of a bad day or even bad period of time in your life. For instance, if you lose your job, the bright side may be that you are now free to pursue a job you've always wanted. Perhaps the loss of the job and thus the necessity for looking for a new job may be just the push you need to pursue your dream job. Looking on the bright side of every situation can help you to be happy every day.

2. Talk to yourself. Yes, that's right. There are times when it is necessary to talk to yourself. King David in the Bible had all kinds of problems, including people trying to kill him, and yet he always managed to rise above his depression. He chose to be happy in part by talking to himself. For example, in Psalm 42:5 he asked himself questions such as, "Soul, why are you cast down?" and then concluded by saying, "Hope in God!" He dealt honestly with his feelings of despair and then gave himself a pep talk. I think that David's tendency to talk to himself helped him to be happy every day. Talking to yourself can also help you to be happy every day.

3. Talk to God. The great thing about God is that He is always there and always willing to listen. People may not be around when you need to complain or talk about your concerns, but whether you are in the middle of a busy day or in the stillness of the night, God is there with you, and He is more than willing to listen. Sometimes knowing that you are not alone in your struggle by simply talking to God can help you to be happy every day.

4. Send notes of encouragement to other people. Has someone done something nice for you? Think about all the people in your past who have had a positive impact on your life. Make a list of them, and one by one, over time, write notes of encouragement and appreciation. This does two things that will help you to be happy every day. First of all, it removes your focus from yourself and your problems. Secondly, it can be fun to know that you are helping someone else to be happy. Those two things alone, not to mention the nice response you may receive from the person you wrote to will help you to be happy every day.

5. Keep a gratitude journal. Write down at least five things every day that you are thankful for on that specific day. Thankfulness and happiness go hand in hand. When I'm almost ready to go to sleep at night, I can choose to focus on whatever I'm worried or upset about or I can write down things I'm thankful for. If I express gratitude right before falling asleep at night, I'll likely fall asleep thinking pleasant thoughts which helps me to be happy every day.

6. Volunteer to serve others less fortunate than you. It really feels good to help others. It also helps to put my own problems and circumstances into a proper perspective. Working with people who are homeless, for example, makes my little apartment seem like a palace. Helping other people helps me to be happy every day.

7. Get plenty of sleep and exercise. Lack of sleep is a common cause of depression. Getting adequate sleep can be hard to do when you feel that you have too much to do or are worried about things, but do everything within your power to get the rest you need. If you put yourself on a schedule and go to bed at the same time and get up at the same time every morning, your body will not only feel refreshed, but you will find it easier to go to sleep at night. Exercise is also a good stress reliever. Adequate sleep and exercise can both help you to be happy every day.

8. Do something fun or wacky. One day, when I was feeling especially blue, I, for some strange reason, decided to go outside and yell as loud as I could, "Life, I love you!" Yes, I felt a little silly, but as I ran back inside as quickly as I could, I laughed hard, and quickly moved out of my blue funk. Doing something fun or wacky can help you to be happy every day.

9. Forgive. If you harbor anger or bitterness toward someone, you are only hurting yourself. Let go of anger and bitterness and forgive, even if the person doesn't deserve to be forgiven. Reconcile with the person if at

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Wednesday, December 31, 2008

Treating Depression at Home

Treatment of depression often involves multiple and different strategies. For some patients, a few simple home remedies are all that's needed. But even those who need counseling and/or medications will benefit from these do-it-yourself techniques:




Exercise. The fatigue and poor motivation brought on by depression can make it very hard to get up and get moving, so resuming or increasing your former exercise program—or beginning a new one—may be difficult at first. However, the rewards should come quickly. The increased blood flow, breathing rate, and muscle use associated with exercise will improve energy levels during the day and result in more restful sleep overnight.


Even more importantly, exercise causes the release of chemicals called endorphins in the brain. Endorphins elevate the mood and increase energy levels. They are the source of the "runner's high"—a state of euphoria that endurance athletes experience after a sustained period of exertion. Think of endorphins as your own natural antidepressants.


And, of course, exercise has additional benefits beyond treating depression. High on the list is reducing the risks of diabetes, high blood pressure, and coronary artery disease. Burning calories while exercising can also help you combat the tendency towards weight gain that's associated with both depression itself and with several prescription antidepressant medications.


One trick for overcoming inertia and beginning an exercise regimen is to simply make a schedule of exercise time, and commit to doing a specific activity during that time. Start with 20 to 30 minutes, 3 times per week, and then try to build towards 45 to 60 minutes every day. If it helps you, try thinking of exercise as a prescription from your doctor to treat depression. It also helps if you can find one or more types of physical activity that you enjoy, or at least don't dislike too much.



Laughter. The simple act of laughing also releases endorphins, thus treating depression. Of course, being depressed can make it very hard to laugh, so this may not be practical advice in the early stages of treating severe depression. But as soon as you're able to, going out of your way to find funny things and experience some good, hearty laughter is seriously helpful!
Light. It is well known that the
shorter days of winter are associated with seasonal affective disorder (SAD) in many people, and worsen symptoms in those with chronic depression.


Increasing your exposure to natural sunlight will help elevate your mood right away, and regular light therapy can be very beneficial for treating depression. If you've made the commitment to exercise as part of a depression management program, try to schedule at least some of your activity outdoors in the daytime.


The winter months can be a challenge, but creative scheduling and some really warm clothes will help a lot. If getting outdoors isn't practical, the next best thing is to spend as much time as possible in front of a big window that lets in a lot of light.


Another option is artificial sunlight. There are several companies that market lamps specifically for treating depression, SAD, and low mood. These special lights can be ordered directly on the Internet, and are available in just about every price range. I suggest placing the light next to your bed and plugging it into a timer. Have it turn on about 10 minutes before you plan to wake up, and lie in bed under the light for about half an hour or so every day. Artificial sunlight is a great idea even if you already get time outdoors and/or window exposure during the day.
Attitude.


For many people, depression is caused or worsened by a variety of stressful or sad thoughts and situations. Resisting or denying a diagnosis of depression can become yet another source of stress, and actually worsen your symptoms. Failing to accomplish desired or necessary tasks, a common problem in depressed people, often makes things worse, too.



Try to take stock of your current abilities and limitations—what you can do now, not what you used to be able to do—and then set out some specific, modest goals. Just getting a few things accomplished can help to reduce stress, and that will help improve the depression.



Also, consider whether worrying about things beyond your control is productive or helpful to you. Perhaps the best way to summarize the importance of attitude is with the serenity prayer:

God, Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, Courage to change the things I can, and Wisdom to know the difference.

Sunday, December 28, 2008

Tips for Making Good New Year's Resolutions





Here are eight tips for making and keeping your New Year’s resolutions:
  1. Don’t bite off more than you can chew. The most successful transformations happen one step at a time. You can’t wish your way from New York to San Francisco. You can, however, buy a map, prepare a budget,Google the directions, and get in the car and go.
  2. Account for your bias. Most people have an unrealistic understanding of who they are (the bottom half of the performers in any organization uniformly think that they are above average). Before you commit to making a change, verify that you are able to make it.
  3. Measure the thing you want to change. How many cups of coffee do you drink and when? If you are going to save, what spending will you cut out? How many calories do you consume daily? The more you can quantify your current behavior, the easier it is to change it.
  4. Change one thing at a time. If you have multiple resolutions, get a calendar and schedule them out over time. Every change you make has a ripple effect. The ripples are what cause the change to fail. Give the ripples time to settle out.
  5. Quitting is easier that altering. In order to build momentum, start with changes that are all or nothing (quitting smoking, quitting drinking, starting to exercise). Once you have mastered a dramatic change, the subtler forms (reducing spending, losing weight, driving slower, moderating your intake) are easier. Practice on the dramatic ones and move up to the subtle.
  6. Make changes that feel good. Far too often, resolutions contain changes that feel awful. Getting enough rest, eating better food, taking time to say ‘I love you’, writing thank you notes are all changes that feel good in the execution. Try some of those.
  7. Be kind to yourself. Allow for the slipping and sliding that comes with any change. Seventeen days in a row is the magic number. Try to do whatever it is seventeen days in a row in January. That’s a good start.
  8. Write it down. The best way to remember last year’s resolutions is to have them in a journal.