I’ve been struggling with depression lately, so I’ve been striving to figure out why, and what I can do to feel better.
So, although I’m not a psychologist or a psychiatrist and not giving you any prescriptive advice, here, I’ll share some of what’s come up for me that’s been helpful.
While there’s A LOT we can’t control (other people, our past including trauma we’ve suffered), and a lot more), thankfully we can control the most important part of our lives… ourselves.
We can control what we think… what we focus on… what we do… and ultimately take responsibility for creating our experience of life.
I’ve found that the first step is to ask ourselves, “How do I want to feel?”
The answer to that question is our North Star to align our thoughts, words, and actions with.
For most of us, we probably want to feel happy… or fulfilled… or excited… or at peace.
Whatever your answer, be relentless about saying “Yes” to things that align with that feeling, and “No” to things that are out of alignment.
But isn’t that easier said than done? What if, you’re in such a mental and emotional funk, that it feels nearly impossible to feel better?
Well, the next step is to assess whether you’re filling your days with activities that are in alignment with generating the feelings you want in your life. I’m talking about the basics, the essentials.
Are you exercising every day? If you’re not, feeling happy is going to be challenging. Our nervous system thrives on movement.
Are you making daily progress towards clearly defined goals that are important to you? This is essential to feeling fulfilled.
Are you actively connecting with people who elevate your vibration and adding value to the lives of people you care about? There isn’t much that gives us a deeper sense of meaning than connecting with and serving others.
Are you learning, growing, evolving? When we fail to improve, we feel stagnant.
Do you have things in hour schedule each day that bring you joy?
Are you spending time in nature?
I could go on, and I know that there are many other factors that can cause depression, but the point is that we always have the ability to align our thoughts, words, and actions in a way that generates the feelings we want to experience in our lives.
And while none of this is “rocket science,” it can be easy to overlook.
So, if you’re not feeling the way you want, don’t wait another minute to reread this email, ask these questions and make the necessary changes.
You deserve it, and so do the people in your life.
With so much love,
Hal
P.S. If there’s someone in your life who you think might benefit from reading this, please consider forwarding it to them.
