Archive for the 'Information' category

Chomping depression away: lessons from hungry caterpillars (part 1- Banana)

Mar 06 2010 Published by under Decision, Determination, Information, Inspiration

I’ve decided to dedicate a few posts to evaluating and promoting some good-mood food.

Are you are familiar with caterpillars and their eating habits or at least Eric Carle’s classic book, “The Very Hungry Caterpillar”? They are very fussy and picky in what they eat, but once they find the ‘good stuff’, they eat loads and at an amazing rate!

Today’s good stuff for you to consider is:

Bananas 

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Chicken soup for the depressed soul?

Feb 27 2010 Published by under Decision, Information, Inspiration

Did you know that in olden days soups were prescribed to you if you were unwell? In many cultures, it is still the first food served to a person recovering from an illness, especially a long one.

Soups are made all over the world, hence the endless types, varieties and flavours. Making soups is a very old tradition. It is said that restaurants were originally created to serve soups (restoratifs) in 18th century Paris.

What makes soup so special?
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How to handle the mornings when all you want to do is crawl back into bed!

Feb 25 2010 Published by under Decision, Information

Do you wake up each and every morning totally exhausted and feeling much worse that the night before?

When I was depressed I used to hope every night that in the morning I would wake up refreshed, eager to jump out of bed and face the new day. I was frustrated and disappointed that no miracles had happened overnight. I would open my eyes, assess my feelings and declare: ‘Yep, depressed today… as usual!’ Then I would have to drag myself out of bed, feeling extremely tired, acutely miserable and totally helpless for most of the day.

Mornings are tough for a lot of people, no doubt about that. However, it is a different battle when you are depressed.

You have such a poor quality of sleep. Your sleep cycles are very different from ‘normal’ sleep cycles.

Your body is producing stress hormones all night long. You either have nightmares or very vivid dreams, usually of a disturbing nature. You cannot possibly wake up refreshed. You are bound to feel your worst first thing upon awakening.

So, here are a few suggestions on how to handle your mornings:

1. Never leave planning your day for the next morning. It’s bad enough to wake up tired. It’s even worse to realise in the evening that a whole day has been wasted due to the fact that you did not feel like doing anything first thing in the morning and did not have anything planned. You must avoid this vicious cycle of disappointment and discontent.

2. Establish a morning routine: tasks that you will perform upon awakening. Create a list; for example: out of bed, shower/wash/brush teeth, dress up, glass of water/juice, breakfast, check the daily ‘to do’ list (the one you wrote the night before). Write your ‘morning drill’ down and follow it every day for at least twenty-one consecutive days to establish a habit and make it automatic. Persevere and soon you would feel the difference.

3. Unlearn to lock your thoughts on your depression first thing in the morning. A thought ‘I had such a bad night sleep’ will not turn your day into a waste. ‘I feel so depressed’ will. Begin your day with a positive thought: ‘At least I know my morning drill!’ and get yourself up and moving!

4. Allow yourself 7-9 hours of sleep each night. There is a tendency to sleep more, but you don’t really need any extra sleep. Set an alarm clock to ensure that you are not oversleeping.

5. Respect and follow your evening decisions, disregard and ignore your early morning whines.

Are you finding it hard to start your day every morning? Do you have any tips to share that work for you? If so, please post a comment.

Love, light and healing!

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The Power of Compliments in Lifting Depression

Feb 15 2010 Published by under Decision, Information, Inspiration

Giving compliments is a hard task for a lot of people suffering and recovering from depression.

Coming out of depression involves a process of rediscovering and re-learning the powerful and vital social skill of giving compliments.

When I was wrapped in my own depression, my inner suffering locked me away in some kind of socially-isolated cocoon.

Before long, I formed a habit of not noticing the good and the positive about others and myself. I stopped giving complements to people. Why should I, when my own happiness and optimism had vanished?  Continue Reading »

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