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We all have moments of worry and doubt
Wednesday, 22 August 2007
Let's face it, everyone wakes up sometimes and just feels down. The world loses its shine and you wonder why you even bother with it all. Worry and doubt lays itself over your psyche like a heavy snowfall.
It almost seems to be a psychological need of humans to feel this way sometimes. We all have periods when we feel on top of the world and others when we feel like a total failure. Sometimes these things are defined by outside events, and sometimes they just seem to happen - even though everything's going okay, you still can't seem to lift up your chin.
Knowing how to deal with these periods is a skill that's worth developing.
Some people advise trying to simply push them out of your mind altogether. They think you should always feel uplifted and do everything that you can to banish dark thoughts from your mind.
Personally, I find this somewhat unrealistic. The odd down day is just part of the human experience, and you might as well accept it. In fact, trying to push such days away is almost guaranteed to be futile, in my experience. They appear to be cleansing to the soul. Like avoiding a bath for too long and trying to cover your body-odour with perfume, hiding away dark thoughts just compounds the problem. It's best to just let them run their course.
I have three real strategies for dealing with times like this.
The first is to avoid making any major decisions when I'm feeling down. I find paranoia creeps into my thoughts at this time, and I'm likely to overreact to situations. Instead, I simply wait out the down period for a time when I can assess my situation with a clearer head.
The second is to realise that such feelings will almost certainly pass. Generally, for me, waiting a few days is enough to make me feel better. When I'm in a more normal mood, I often look back on these times and wonder what the heck was wrong with me. Then, I remember that it's just part of being human to feel like this sometimes.
Of course, if you find yourself feeling down for a protracted period, you should try seeking professional help. It's perfectly possible that some kind of medical affliction is affecting you, and you should be brave enough to do something about it when you realise that this is the case.
Thirdly, try to do things to cheer yourself up. I'm not talking about thinking positive thoughts or anything like that. I mean take action to make yourself feel better. Go out for a walk, get some exercise, see a movie, call up an old friend. Find something to keep yourself occupied and gently wash away black thoughts.
We all have moments of worry and doubt sometimes, even if those around you don't always reveal it. Just accept such times as part of human experience and nothing abnormal. If necessary seek professional help, but generally just waiting them out should be enough.
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