When our minds get dark

We all come to face troubling times in our life.

The passing of a loved one, medical catastrophe, heartbreak, or even the compounding of the little things day after day.

I am sure there is plenty of literature out there about how to best manage depressive and anxious bouts. From my own life, I can tell you actionable steps that keep me going:

Perspective - Get real, get big. Look at your life from 30,000 feet, and see if the things bothering you don’t begin to shrink, even if just a little. Your problems are real - but how big are they really? If they can feel even a little smaller, that’s progress.

Action - Move. Go. Do. Idleness and malaise go hand in hand - they love one another. Get moving - exercise, work, talk to someone. Doing something changes your focus, which changes your feelings.

Faith - How many stories have you heard of people that were rock bottom and nevertheless made it to the land of milk and honey? As bad as things may feel, you know there’s a way out - a light at the end of this long bloody tunnel.

Search - Maybe the aforementioned suggestions haven’t worked quite well enough. Go searching - there are so many people out there talking about how to deal with mental health struggles. With a little effort, you can find your solutions.

Sometimes it’s a day to day process. We’re not always going to be our best… if you think about it, that wouldn’t even make sense.

Are we more prone to darkness in our modern world? Are there forces working against our well-being?

Maybe… probably.

We can acknowledge the forces against us - but we nevertheless must carry on anyway.

Why?

At the very least, we have to be able to say with full honesty to ourselves:

I tried my best

And if all else fails, you’ve got me. Shoot me a reply if you’re down and out - I’ve been known to give quite a good motivational speech.

Sincerely,

Jacob

P.S. This week was a hard one for me - worn down, tired, creeping thoughts. Did the above mentioned things. Feeling good, resting a little before attacking next week.