Depression affects over 360 million people and some point in their life and right now statistics suggest that worldwide there are over 135 million people suffering from this terrible dis-ease (yes I call it a dis-ease not a disease). As a Life and Personal Development Coach I get so many people ask me how they can escape the grip of depression. Through many years of coaching people and lots of training courses, seminars and audio programs there is one set of constants that cause - and therefore can break and destroy - the grip of depression.
I call these the Triad of Depression
Physiology
Language Focus
These three things can be used to either grip you tighter in to depression or release you from it. They are the keys to how you can change your state instantly, how you manage your thoughts and feelings and how you can change your life for the better at any given point.
Physiology
Physiology is about how you use and move your body and how it directly affects your 'state' or mood. Changing your physiology can rapidly improve your state and how you are feeling. There are certain things you do with your body when you are happy that are different to what you do when you are happy and joyful.
What do you do with your body when you are depressed? Is your head up or down? Where do your eyes look? Are your shoulders up and straight or forward and slumped? Do you move quickly or slowly? What facial expression do you use?
This is the physiology of 'doing' depression!
Now swap all of those around and answer the questions as if you are happy; is your head UP or down? Do your eyes look at the floor or FORWARDS? Are your shoulders slumped or Up Straight? How much quicker do you move? Have you got a big SMILE on your face?
This is the physiology of 'doing' happiness and joy - put yourself into that physiology now and then without changing it try and be depressed... so
• Look up and forwards
• Pull your shoulders up and backwards
• Put a big smile on your face
• Stand like you're happy
You can't feel depressed when you stand like that; can you! All you have to do is change your physiology to change your state in that moment.
Language
For a long term move away from depression you need to also alter the language and your focus.
What language do you use when you are depressed? What questions do you ask yourself? I bet you find you ask yourself really poor questions such as "Why does this always happen to me?" or "What do I do to deserve this?" These are really powerfully negative questions because if you ask a negative question you'll get a negative answer.
It's time to start asking positive questions; "What actions can I take to improve this situation?" "How can I change my life for the better?" These are better questions, more positive questions that will provide more positive answers.
Take time now to sit down and write out as many positive questions you can and start to answer them. Ask 3 different positive questions each day and get the answers and you are well on your way to destroying depression
Focus
The third and final part of the Triad of Depression is focus because what you focus on you get in life. What do you focus on when you are depressed? All of the bad things in life right? Let's be honest here; if you focus on all the bad things in life you are going to make yourself depressed aren't you!
So make the change now to move on to thinking about and focusing on all the good things in life. My suggestion is the have a 'grateful' book; this was suggested to me many years ago and it changed my life. A grateful book is simply a book that each and every day you write down what you are grateful for in life - family, friends, health etc etc - the more you write the more you will think of. Add at least 2 things per day and make sure you right out a new list every day so that you know what you are grateful for.
Conclusion
Improve your physiology, your language and questions and your focus and you will loosen the grip that depression has on you and move towards happiness and joy.
To Your Happiness
Graham
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