It’s OK not to be OK
Sometimes it’s hard,
To follow your heart
Tears don’t mean your losing,
Everybody’s bruising
Just be true to who you are
This song ‘Who you are’ by Jessie J is the gist of what I want to say today.
There maybe times in your life, when the road ahead is unclear, your entire world is falling apart, you do not know the way forward which is causing a lot of anxiety or panic attacks. You may get a lot of acidity, that sinking feeling, that niggling headache or a recurrent pain…heyyy… let me tell you it’s OK to feel this way. What is not OK is to brush all that anxiety under the carpet. Remember one thing ,pain of any form is your body’s way of communicating to you that all is not well. You should take time out & address these issues before they become very chronic. In times like this one statement that I keep playing in my mind all the time is ‘The Universe has my back’. Just be open to ask for guidance, ask for help & be willing to make that change.
I will be listing some techniques that I have learnt over the years & have been very helpful to me . Hope it can add value to your life too
1)Gratitude Journal
Maintain a gratitude journal. Write 5 things you are grateful for every morning before you start your day. Be thankful about the fact that you have your family besides you, that special friend to hold your hand when your feeling down, be thankful that you are alive, be thankful about the morning sun , the chirping birds. It could be anything that comes to your mind . When you are always in gratitude you become fearless & happy. You realise your motive of living & being happy.
2)Sanctuary Meditation-We all have a safe place or sanctuary , a place where you are not judged , a place where you are accepted unconditionally . Close your eyes & imagine you are in such a place. You could imagine yourself sitting near the calm sea, or the mighty mountains, for me it is sitting inside a boat in a calm sea under a moonlit night. Be there in your sanctuary & let that love engulf you, the calmness of that place become you. Be there for as long as you please or till that feeling of anxiety or panic has vanished.
3) Tapping Technique
With your right hand do rapid tapping over your left eyebrow , go tapping behind your ears & follow it down to the nape of your neck, then your shoulders, then arms. Follow this same technique using your left hand & going across the opposite side. This technique helps reduce stress or negative emotion you feel from your issue, ultimately restoring balance to the disruptive energy.
4)Release that grudge ;forgive :let go of that resentments :- You will not realise how light you can feel until you let it all go. The easiest way to do this is to write a letter. Write a letter to that person you are holding a grudge against, cry if you have to . Don’t hold back. Write your heart out. After that take a tea light & burn this letter & let all those negative emotions burn with the letter too. If you know how to do the NLP techniques try the collapse anchor technique here & feel how light you feel. We do not realize but we spend a lot of time in unresourceful thinking which consumes a lot of our bandwidth.
5) Diet changes-It is very important to maintain a healthy diet & add nutrients that improve the serotonin levels . Serotonin is responsible for releasing those happy hormones. Add walnuts , raisins & dates in your diet
6)Exercise- Put 45 minutes to an hour everyday in any form of exercise that works for you. It could be a hi-intensity aerobic exercise , or yoga or simply going for a jog or walk.
7) Water intake- make sure you check on google the amount of water required by your body as per your height & weight & consume it everyday.
8) Talk to a friend or your family members- they love you unconditionally & they will help spark that light of hope in you
9) Use Essential oils – Essential oils work on a much deeper level than you realise. Floral essential oils like lavender , geranium & neroli help calm you. Oils like frankincense & sandalwood are known to be meditative. Oils like lemongrass & orange are known to make you feel more energetic . Use these oils in the diffuser, use it in your bath, use it on your temples & inhale it all day.
10) Visit a psychologist/psychiatrist- If all of the above fails please feel free to visit a psychologist/psychiatrist. There is nothing wrong or shameful to go to one who can help you with your depression.
One thing we should all keep in mind that though depression is genetic, but you have the ability to change the trajectory of your life. You have the ability to reframe your mind & tell yourself this is not the way your story will be created . Hold your pen & write a different story
