Reaching Out From the Pit of Depression

Depression can feel like you are stuck in a tar pit, your thoughts are nearly paralyzing you from moving anywhere in your life, keeping you in your own prison of self loathing, helplessness and thoughts of failure in every aspect of your life. How many hours a day are spent with you telling yourself everything that you are doing wrong and everything that you don’t like about yourself? How hard this period is, how miserable it is to feel the days of your life going by like this! I feel for you, I have been there, I know this pain and how debilitating it is.

When you are depressed there are many things going on that have caused this. You may have recently experienced a loss in your life, you may have suffered a trauma or illness, or you may have endured years of abuse. For some people, depression comes from denying your soul’s calling as you accepted a career, relationship or other important life choice that you knew you were settling for and was not your true desire.

There are many necessary steps for freeing yourself from this cycle of depression. Today I’m touching on the importance of not waiting for motivation to come but forcing yourself to take action. ¨But I just don’t want to do anything! I don’t know where to start! It’s all too hard!´´ These thoughts have been ruling you for long enough, don’t you agree?

If you’re still resistant to calling a friend or a counselor, then start with getting yourself out of your house and bring a pen and pad of paper. Find a nice, quiet spot where you can sit and write. Now write out everything that you are feeling about yourself in the form of ‘You are’ rather than ‘I am’ using the past or present tense. Once you have finished, go back and read what you have written imagining that your words are directed towards your friend or a child. Doing so will help you see how incredibly hurtful and negative you are being towards yourself.

Take a few deep breaths, relax your muscles, take in the beauty of nature around you and make the intention to be as gentle with yourself as you would be with your friend. Return to your writing and whenever you read a statement ask yourself: Is this kind? Is this completely true? Is this helpful? Then rewrite each statement that is not kind, completely true or helpful into a statement that is using ´I am´ this time. The weight of depression lessens when you begin to befriend yourself and take actions towards your heart’s desires. You can do this!!!

I’d love to engage with you in your comments or questions below. perhaps hear one of your transformative statements on befriending yourself or any struggles you have in doing so.