Top 5 Ways to Fight Depression Series, Day 2: Fulfill Your Purpose

Another lie depression and anxiety whispers (or screams) at us is that our life is meaningless, and that we are unable to contribute anything worthwhile. But again, this is not true. You have a purpose you are meant to fulfill, a purpose that will bring joy to your life and benefit to those around you.

What do you believe your purpose could be? If you are not sure, ask yourself the following questions:

• What issues do you feel strongly about?
• What are your gifts/talents?
• What are the best compliments you have received from others?
• When you felt the happiest in your life? 
• What was your daily routine like at at that time?
• What kind of people were you surrounded by?

Write out the answers to these questions.

For each answer, brainstorm a corresponding action and set a deadline. 

For example, if you feel strongly about animal welfare, a corresponding action could be volunteering at a shelter, raising funds for an animal rights group, or adopting a pet- and setting a deadline to act on one of these options  by Tuesday of next week.

If one of your happiest memories was taking swimming lessons as a child, a corresponding action could be joining a local pool and committing to swimming three times a week, and scheduling the days and times into your calendar.

Some of our purpose is to serve others, and some of our purpose is to pursue our own wellness. Yet it is not enough to know your purpose- you must take daily action to fulfill your purpose! And small steps are fine! Don’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good- just get started.

What are your passions, talents, and purposes? What drives your life in the most meaningful ways? As always, feel free to comment below, share, and discuss. Then get going!

Let Someone In... And Show Someone the Door.

Often reaching out for help can be the hardest step. Sharing our emotions with others, especially when our emotions are very negative, requires vulnerability on our part.

And sure, we don’t want to overshare with people that haven’t established a positive track record. There are some people who won’t have your best interests at heart.

In fact, right now, there may be people in your life who suck your energy and who create turmoil in your heart. Sometimes these people aren’t bad or evil, but when we allow them our time and energy, they have a negative effect on our mood and actions. Show these people the door by spending less and less time with them. Don’t answer their phone calls and stop making plans to visit with them or do things for them. You can calmly let them know you are focusing on yourself if they are angry or upset at the changes you are making. If anyone had treated you in a way that is abusive, you do not owe him or her an explanation- just get out!

However, seek out those who have been there for you in the past, who have healthy and positive lifestyles, and who have earned your trust- and really let them in!

 One of depression and anxiety’s biggest lies is that it is not safe to be vulnerable- or that by being vulnerable, we become a burden on our loved ones. But nothing can be further from the truth! We need to identify who is safe to be vulnerable around and act accordingly. Once we do that we can know: our loved ones want to be there for us during our hard times. Has a friend ever confided in you? That confidence showed that they felt you are a trustworthy and caring friend, which in turn probably made you feel like a trustworthy and caring person. Your friend reaching out to you not only had the benefit of helping them, but it helped you feel needed and valued as well.

We take away from our loved ones when we don’t allow them to be there for us. And when we open up to our trusted loved ones, we benefit from the support and accountability that they provide.