Alternative Realities
A recent survey commissioned by the Samaritans confirmed Britain as one of the most stressed nations in Europe. The research, published in January 2007, showed that one in five Britons felt their life was out of control. Half the population say they feel more stressed than they did five years ago with more than 10% saying they have felt suicidal, twice the level of 2003.
This stress may manifest in many ways including: anger, depression, anxiety, panic attacks, nailbiting etc.
Many people try to cope with these problems in unresourceful ways, perhaps turning to alcohol or drugs or by developing damaging social behaviours. None of these empower you to take control of your life.
Too often we think that happiness and peace of mind lie in our external conditions and that if we change the external elements of our life we can eventually overcome our sadness, depression, illness or lack of resources. The truth is that the underlying cause of all of our problems lies within our own minds.
The very good news is that we all have the ability to overcome these problems by changing the way we think.
OK, so you think you might need some therapy but your not quite sure yet. I need clients to survive and I don’t want you to be tipping over the edge before you decide to come to see me so here are a few ways you can help yourself (radical, I know, but if you try some of these you might find that you don’t need me at all!).
One of the main reasons we get “depressed” is because we we focus on all the negative stuff that happens to us and often fail to recognize the good stuff including the love and support of family and friends – sound familiar?
We can begin to overcome this stuck state by remembering the good stuff that has happened, notice some of the good stuff that is happening right now, and wonder about the potential for good stuff in the future - there's always potential.
Some simple ideas that can work over time
Before you go to bed at night think of 3 things you really enjoyed during the day (even if it was just noticing the flowers in the garden, or the person who smiled at you on the bus).
When you get up first thing in the morning think of 3 things you are looking forward to doing that day (even if it is just enjoying a quiet breakfast or meeting a friend for a coffee)
Make this a HABIT and you will see changes as the days and weeks go by – you will never run out of things to enjoy and the more you do it the more creative you will become and the more often the opportunities will present themselves to you to enjoy. And its FREE! FREE! FREE!
Calming the Mind
I can personally recommend taking up meditation as this has been proven to develop a happy and peaceful mind. I suggest you read The Independent’s article on one of the world’s happiest men Mathieu Ricard, a Buddhist monk, who works closely with the Dalai Lama, - The Independent, 18th February, 2007.
If you want to know more about Buddhist Meditation have a look at:
www.manjushri.org – Ulverston, Lake District
www.samudracentre.org – Buxton, Derbyshire
Do something for someone else!
Buy a bag of fruit and offer it to passers-by or the homeless people you see on the street
Light a candle for someone
Think of someone you don’t like, but with a positive intention for a change
Alternatively, just buy the Big Issue and help someone else who has problems!
Exercise
Did you know that exercising improves your mood? A good paced walk, or jog, for just 15 minutes will raise your mood for a couple of hours (make sure you are fit enough first of course!). If you are more adventurous you might want to try hill walking or rock climbing. A friend of mine, Will Legon, runs his own outdoor activities school in the Peak District and a weekend away might just perk you up. If you are afraid of heights don't worry because we run a special day course to help you overcome your fear, build up your confidence and teach you to abseil! Check out his site will4adventure or go to the Courses page for more details.
Oh, and last but not least…
Smile or, better still, laugh out loud
Proven to have a great affect on your immune system which, if you are feeling depressed, your immune system definitely needs. 100 laughs a day is equivalent to 10 minutes jogging apparently. But if you can’t laugh out loud go back to the previous step - and jog!
Question- How many therapists does it take to change a light bulb?
Answer – Just the one, but the light bulb’s got to want to change.
Right, that’s one laugh – only another 99 to go!
