Depression touches everyone’s life either directly through their own experience or through someone they know.
Some important facts from Beyond Blue
Depression is the leading cause of disability worldwide
1/3 of men who are “blue collar workers wouldn’t know what to do if they were struggling with depression or anxiety. Many thought seeking help was a sign of weakness.
A quarter of young Australians say they are unhappy with their lives
Depression is growing in all age groups and in virtually every community
This last stat. is a real wake up call! Clearly the individual, their families and our communities need help.
Depression can range from that mild just feeling flat as though everything seems a little grey and uninteresting or it can be totally immobilizing, unable to even get out of bed and anything in between. Everyone certainly experiences the ups and downs of life and the mood changes but depression is really considered an illness.
On the up side – depression helps us recognise that something is wrong or out of balance somehow. We intuitively know this even without diagnosis, because it is not part of our integral self. When we are feeling good we cruise along and there is no need to “fix” anything. It’s the contrast that awakens us to the imbalances through our feeling body letting us know that something needs our attention and typically some kind of “action”.
Just one simple but effective strategy is exercise. Sounds too easy on one level, but notice how you feel before you exercise and then how you feel on your return. So lets look at the possible benefits on the simple example of just going for walk out in nature.
Helps to release all those feel good chemicals elevating your mood
Body needs physical exercise to optimize energy levels and improve sleep patterns
Can help to focus the mind away from negative thought patterns
If joining with other/s it can meet some social needs
Breathing fresh air versus the stale air of indoors
Outdoors offers a restorative experience and a contrast to what is
Nature energies are naturally healing and cleansing to your energy field
Exercise brings light into your body
More next time
See many more self help strategies in Robyn’s book 101 Strategies for True Health and Empowerment – Healing from Within