It’s a
solemn world out there. There are many legitimate reasons to worry and fear. We
are faced with hard truths every time we pick up a newspaper, or get our news
from an electronic source. In these days
of real-time information, we are constantly bombarded with updates of natural
and man-made catastrophes.
Certain individuals are especially vulnerable. They may have anxiety-prone personalities, or live life in a constant state of fighting for survival. It is hard to laugh when you can’t figure out where your next meal will come from, or when/if your chronic illness will resolve itself.
What is the Solution?
It goes
without saying that it’s not healthy to give in to such negative emotions. We
always have the option to refuse pessimism, as far as possible.
Method 1—Write it Down and Tear it Up
I was so depressed yesterday over my chronic problems that I took about twenty minutes to vent about them on paper. I wrote my concerns down in a stream-of-consciousness style, and then I tore the papers up. This style can be described as writing down everything that flows from the brain to the pen without regard to rules and structure. Uninhibited thoughts only; no organization whatsoever.
I COULD NOT get past the reflections until I did that; they held me captive—literally. I had been feeling like I would never get out from under the black cloud, and that’s not acceptable. Life must move forward for me and for the many people who count on me.
Hey, whatever works! This solution always helps me. The darkness lifted, little by little. Today, I can barely remember some of the words I wrote down at that time, even though they were such a part of my psyche at that moment.
Method 2—Laugh it Off
Some lucky
individuals know how therapeutic deep, sincere laughter is in any situation.
For instance, the people in the image above are probably having a laugh while
gathered around a computer at work. Laughter certainly doesn’t need to be
limited to only times of “entertainment”, although we sometimes forget that.
The Benefits of Laughter
Since
laughter is so beneficial, I thought I’d try to make us all smile today. Please
enjoy these images:
Conclusion
Stress,
anxiety, and depression are a part of many lives these days. Life is more
complicated than ever for a variety of reasons. That’s why it’s so important to
keep a line of defense against the gloom. Short-term tactics to temporarily lighten
our load include:
- Writing all of our negative thoughts down--without organization--and tearing them up
- Laughter
How successful
are you at keeping the shadows away?
