There is no getting away from it, life is beautiful but it is also very tough at times.
Some people are dealt some tough life cards.
At times it can feel like everything is not going your way.
If you are feeling totally overwhelmed, down and depressed, the first thing to realise is you don't have to be happy all of the time.
It is okay to feel down. It is okay to moan about things.
However, the trick to turning the tide, so that you start to feel less and less depressed, is to remind yourself throughout the day of what you are grateful for.
For example, I was feeling like I had the weight of the world on my shoulders this morning. I sensed that I was starting to feel down - but - because I have trained myself to be aware of such feelings I mentally shouted "STOP and be grateful right now!".
What did I mean?
Regardless of how depressed you get, there is always something you can be grateful for.
In my case I was just getting my dog out of the car when I shouted it. I immediately looked at my little dog's face and reminded myself that I am very grateful for her love each and every day.
I quickly reminded myself my dog won't be around forever and every moment with her is precious. When she is gone I will look back at such moments and wish I was there with her.
As I walked her back home I made sure I was grateful for every step.
This may seem like a small thing to do. Something that cannot possibly snap you out of a dark depressive mood and all of the pressures you are under right now. You are wrong. It is not small.
You are not doing it to immediately defeat all aspects of the pressures you are under. Of course life will continue to feel challenging at times. By remaining aware and reminding yourself to interrupt any depressive thinking, what you are doing is creating break through moments (like rays of sun through dark clouds) which give your mind a brief rest.
The more you do this, the more you will find your darker thoughts of despair get diluted. Your day's will feel brighter.
So next time you are feeling down, please remain aware of your thinking patterns and if they are going in the wrong direction and making you feel down, tell yourself to "STOP and be grateful right now!".
Author: Christian Jacques Bennett*
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