advise for the depressed

“You need to observe your own mind and get to know yourself. Be confident with yourself. Everything you see and encounter is a reflection of yourself. Like a magnet you attract things in your life. So I am just going to be. Allowing my feelings to be as they want…” – Holly Cyr

This is a passage from my personal journal that I just came across. I wrote this back in May 2014.

This whole journal entry was me expressing my depression, my life, my feelings. I asked many questions and at the end of my entry I wrote my own advise without the intentions of doing so.

The truth is, I deal with depression and anxiety almost daily. I’m sure many of us do.

I want to let you know that we are not alone.

I want to tell you it’s not easy to cope with depression and anxiety in any form. I know I have advise but sometimes it is hard for me to follow.

I have learned that in my personal life, my depression comes in waves. I will be very happy and then very sad. There are usually no reasons for the feelings of sad and usually no reasons for the feeling of happy. I, at least never see them.

I can only share my own experiences and can’t speak for yours but, my favorite way of coping with my own depression and anxiety is writing in my journal in a nature themed environment.

Sometimes its even hard to remind myself of this healing hobby. But once I do, I feel a relief as if a weight has lifted off my shoulders.

If you have never tried writing in a personal journal, I really encourage you to try it out.

I will go hiking and write at the top of the mountain. I will sit on a swing and write. I will sit by the river and write. It doesn’t matter if I make any sense when I write. There’s no judgements, no expectations and for some reason I always end up writing my own advise. The tricky part for me is to follow it.

I believe that lodging these nice thoughts in my mind could subconsciously help so, follow me if you will.

I find peace in writing. It helps slow my emotions down a little. I try to take deep breaths while I write. I feel at ease when I write. I can rant and vent and talk about anything in my journal. Then I don’t even have to read what I wrote!

I never reread what I write in my personal journal the day I write it.

I do, however, read my old journal entries days, months or years later. Just like I did today.

The entry I read today helped me tremendously. It helped to slow me down. I think that helps a lot. Slowing down.

Sometimes though, you are so down you don’t need to slow down. But when you are that down take the time to feel what you are feeling.

That’s what this post is really about. Just allow yourself to be and to feel no matter what it is. No judgments on yourself. Also don’t listen to the judgments of others.

Learn about yourself. Get to know yourself. Even the darkest parts of yourself . it might help you get to know others as well. It might teach empathy. It might teach calm and stillness.

I have noticed that when I let my feelings be, no matter what they are, they always pass. Just like clouds. It could be the cloudiest day ever but you know it won’t stay like that forever. Just like your feelings. Just like everything in this world.

Everything is constantly changing. Feelings are temporary and I feel that we sometimes forget that in the moment. It is okay to forget, just don’t let it take over.

Try to practice letting it be. Just let yourself be no matter what. Find the peace in all, even the negative.

It is a hard practice for sure. Watching your mind is a hard practice. But really all we can do is try to let it be.

Thanks for reading, it means a lot to me. Now go enjoy your day somewhere with nature!