How to Deal With
Depression and Anxiety (II)

Ease Your Depression with Simple Lifestyle Changes …

As you read in How to Deal with Depression (part I) (the first part of this article), simple changes to your routine can make a huge difference in your life.

Anxiety and depression are triggered by negative thinking, tension, stress and bad habits in general. The good news is that we can learn new healthy habits that will improve our quality of life immensely.

The following are habits that you can incorporate in your life to greatly accelerate your recovery:

1. Relaxation

2. Meditation

3. Finding purpose

4. Expressing your feelings

5. Being selective with the type of activities you do

6. Dropping Expectations about people or situations

7. Cultivating good sleeping habits

“Relaxation” and “Meditation” were already discussed in How to Deal with Depression (part I) and now we are ready to learn about the rest …

3. Finding Purpose:

I belong to a wonderful group called “The Humanity Project”, a non-profit organization that was founded on the sole idea that helping others is actually helping yourself!

When you stop focusing on your anxiety and depression alone and become involved in projects to help others in your community, this shift in focus will give you great satisfaction! You “cheat” on the drama of your life and redirect your energies from harming yourself to helping others.

The moment we think of helping others the mind expands and our problems seem smaller.

The Dalai Lama himself, recommends caring for others as an effective antidote for distress.

You may find this to be difficult while you are depressed, but push yourself to do it. Having a sense of purpose will make a huge difference in your life. …“A sense of meaning can transform suffering” …

Find the causes that are closer to your heart; animal advocacy, children or women in distress, homeless people … Visit (either on line or locally) any of the organizations that care for them. I am sure they will find thousands of ways in which you can help.

The “Humanity Project”, has different programs . The one I am currently working on, is called “Anti-bullying Through the Arts”. This is a wonderful program to teach young children that bullying hurts everyone in school, not only the bullied students, and that it takes everyone to stop bullying.

4. Expressing your Feelings / Sharing Experiences:

It is healing and helpful to share your feelings with people that are willing to listen and help you see the "bright side".

There are many depression support groups around. They are ready to listen and give you their encouragement and support. Most of these meetings are free to the public, and very few ask for a voluntary contribution.

You can also build a group of friends and family that you can call when you are feeling down.

If you find it difficult to express your feelings to others, try writing them in a journal. In the process of healing yourself, it is imperative to start building a loving and trusting relationship with yourself. Writing your feelings on a journal can be a good start to get to understand yourself better.

5. Be Selective With the Type of Activities You Do.

If you want to learn how to deal with depression, a good advice is to try to avoid watching the disturbing news and movies (either on T.V. or in theaters).

I’ve tried to avoid watching T.V. news for the past 5 years. When I hear of something important that I need to be aware of, I’ll read it in the newspaper or online. I choose carefully the type of images I imprint in my subconscious for I know how powerful my mind is.

T.V. News broadcasts mostly bad news. Unfortunately, that is what sells. An attempt to broadcast mostly good news will easily go to bankruptcy. And believe me, there is plenty of good news happening around but this is just not profitable for business…

If you do like watching T.V. go for the comedy shows and funny movies. If you suffer from anxiety and depression, your life must be dramatic enough right now… DO NOT add more drama by watching distressing television!

A Little Willingness… That is All You Need!

Please visit the third and last part of this article; How to Deal with Depression (part III). To review its first part, click on the following link: How to Deal with Depression (part I)

Learning how to deal with depression has a lot to do with your willingness to incorporate healthy habits in your life. These simple habits will make a huge difference for you, especially in the long run.


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