Have you or has someone you know ever dealt with anxiety and depression?
Chances are, the answer’s yes.
If not, consider yourself lucky. Because they’re definitely issues that more and more people are struggling with.
Even though most people would never guess it, I struggled with anxiety for most of my adolescent and young adult years, and battled depression in my mid 20’s.
And I can tell you from experience, neither is fun.
You feel helpless, hopeless, and downright out of control so much of the time.
But, through a few key practices, I’ve been able to live a life where anxiety and depression don’t hold me back anymore.
And because I know there are so many others out there struggling with these issues, I wanted to share with you how I’ve been able to deal with them.
Disclaimer: I am not a medical professional, and the advice described is the personal account of how I dealt with these issues. They should not be seen as prescriptive in any way, but rather give you some ideas if you’re seeking them.
My daily practices
Daily Gratitude
One thing I don’t think people do enough is express gratitude for all the great things going on in their lives.
When you’re struggling with anxiety and depression, it’s hard to think about anything positive. For me, daily gratitude allowed me to get the negative stuff out of my head, and change my perspective.
Meditation
If you’ve struggled with anxiety, you feel me when I say that it feels like your brain never turns off. It’s like there’s always something to worry about.
The thought of meditation sounded ridiculous to me, because I thought it would be absolutely useless.
But, once I learned what meditation is really about, it was a game changer for me. If you’re considering it, start out with guided mindfulness meditations to learn how to slow your mind and focus on your body.
Invite people in
Anxiety and depression suck! And I know what it’s like to feel like you’re all alone in the struggle.
You worry that people won’t understand and will judge you. Or you don’t want to be a burden, so you just suffer in silence.
I was definitely one of them. But, it doesn’t have to be that way.
I had to learn the hard way that the best thing you can do to overcome anxiety and depression is to let others in.
When you do, you allow others to bear the struggle with you, and support you in your greatest times of need.
I hope you may find some use in these practices. But either way, know that I am pulling for you, and pray for a life free from these burdens.
And that’s how I deal with anxiety and depression.
