Depression is an epidemic in our modern world. Millions of people struggle with feelings of real sadness that don’t seem to go away.  If you are experiencing depression, the following tips will help you to loosen the logjam in your brain so you can start enjoying life again.


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Depression is an epidemic in our modern world. Millions of people struggle with feelings of real sadness that don’t seem to go away.  If you are experiencing depression, the following tips will help you to loosen the logjam in your brain so you can start enjoying life again.

[dropcap]1[/dropcap] Examine Your Negative Thoughts and Overwrite Them Forever

When you feel sad inside, everything can seem bleak. With depression, your thoughts become flat, dull and lifeless, like a gray cloud that has settled and allows zero visibility.  To beat depression, try listening to your inner voice for just two hours.  Every time you hear yourself tell yourself a negative thought, jot it down (or record it into your phone.)  See if there are recurring things you say to yourself, such as:

  • Things will never get better.
  • Why am I such an idiot?
  • How did I get myself into this?
  • I’m such a screw-up.

Note how many times in two hours you repeat the same thing, then – as dumb and simplistic as it sounds – start with the most common one and literally force yourself to write out the exact opposite…100 times!  Back in the days of one room schoolhouses, teachers made naughty students write something out 100 times on the board. They were actually doing something brilliant!  The physical movement of holding chalk or a pen combined with the mental focus of re-writing the same phrase so many times actually anchors it in the brain.  (Who knew?!)

For example, to counteract the four depression-induced statements above, you might write out:

  • My life is getting better today.
  • I’m a good, smart person who deserves to be happy
  • I got myself into this and I’m getting myself out of it quickly.
  • I make good choices.

[dropcap]2[/dropcap] Screw Up Your Brain to Heal from Depression

Have you ever seen a path in a field or forest?  Whether made by animals or people, all beings take the path of least resistance.  The path may not even be the most direct or efficient route, but “everyone goes this way.”  Whether you know it or not, there are paths in your brain – ruts, roads, rituals that you take over and over. Some of them (called “heuristics”) make your life easier.  One path is called, “How to Brush Your Teeth” and another is called, “The Route to Work.”  Others may be called, “How to Make Myself Feel Bad About My Body” or “How to Stay in a Bad Mood About Anything”, etc.  Get the idea?

To get clarity and freedom on these paths, the trick is to plot out the directions.  Pick your least favorite but most common feeling and study it. That will show you that you actually do (quickly) follow a path to get to that feeling.  For example:

Directions for How to Make Myself Feel Bad About My Body

  • See someone (in real life or in a photo) who looks better/more handsome/prettier/healthier/younger/fitter than I do.
  • Compare what I saw in the mirror to that image.
  • Recite my body flaws to myself (so fast you may not notice that you do this!)
  • Find myself feeling guilty/ashamed/worthless/unattractive/depressed/hopeless about my outward appearance
  • Carry myself like someone who feels bad about how I look

That’s a path.  If I wanted to teach a stranger how to feel bad about their body, I could give them these “instructions” and, if they followed them, they’d feel miserable too.  You are following a recipe/path/instructions and you may not even know it, because it happens so quickly.

So here’s the solution: Write down your own directions to help someone else feel as bad as you do – about whatever you feel bad about.  This trick will help you see what you do, which will help you realize you’re just really, really good at following your own rut.  To get out of it, make a new choice.  Do one thing differently.  At any point on that path, do something childish, funny or insane.

Ideas:  Take a wash-off marker to your mirror and paint a faux mustache at exactly your height; spin in a circle six times while you recite your body flaws; when you see someone you think is better looking, make your hands flutter like a butterfly; every time you pass a reflective surface, suck in your gut and draw back your shoulders; walk around with a book on your head; get a smooth stone and carry it in your pocket at all times – move it to the other pocket whenever you find yourself being negative about how you look; buy a paper cone birthday hat and force yourself to wear it (at home!) for 5 minutes every time you’re feeling negative about how you look; create a secret dance move you rush to the bathroom and execute whenever you start down this path.

WHY does this work?  Because when you even just once go off the trail, you make the first dent in new grass.  Do it enough times, you’ll create a new path entirely.  You don’t HAVE to keep doing the same things and getting the same results…(You know what that’s the definition of, right?)

[dropcap]3[/dropcap] Get Mindful to Overcome Depression

Of course meditation will help anyone. That’s when you reflect on the present moment very consciously.  There are a lot of people who strongly believe in meditation and do it daily – I’m one of them.  But for those of you who just will not sit down and “contemplate your navel” (although really, it’s contemplating one’s breath!) here’s something utterly crazy that can have the same effect:  build something.

The concentration to build something can reset your mind and make you forget the sadness.  Weird, but true.

Try these ideas:

  • A multi-story house of cards
  • A perfect, tiny log cabin from toothpicks
  • The tallest Lego tower
  • A model airplane, car or tank
  • A complicated (healthy) recipe
  • A 4-high stack of plain old stones
  • Origami (Japanese paper folding)
  • A paper snowflake

These kinds of actions require focus, and when you focus so much on that task, it activates parts of your brain that have the power to push aside the sad feelings.  Some of these take seconds, some hours.  You don’t have to complete the whole project all at once – it is the focus of doing it that gives the most benefit.

[dropcap]S[/dropcap]ummary

You are not powerless. Sadness or even depression don’t have to consume your life and rob you of happiness.  If you try one idea here a few times and it doesn’t work for you, try a different one. Search online. Talk to a counselor.  Go for a brisk walk.  Do yoga.

You are not a victim unless you choose to be.  You have the power to improve your life and your moods. Start today by taking an action – any action in the right direction!

Your comments, thoughts, ideas, suggestions and input on this blog post are always welcome!
 

Would you like a free copy of my ebook? See below.

When you’re ready, please help yourself to this comforting, helpful eBook

Stop Hurting and Start Healing


Today I had a call with a potential business colleague. He works with someone I know, and I had an idea that could make us both some money. But when we got on the call, he launched into a diatribe about how “other people” had done him wrong; how much money he’d made on previous things he’d done; and how successful he expected his next venture to be, based on his “extensive experience” which I know wasn’t all that successful.


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Save Yourself from Liars, Fakes and Bullshitters

by Wendy Keller

Today I had a call with a potential business colleague.  He works with someone I know, and I had an idea that could make us both some money.  But when we got on the call, he launched into a diatribe about how “other people” had done him wrong; how much money he’d made on previous things he’d done; and how successful he expected his next venture to be, based on his “extensive experience” which I know wasn’t all that successful.

It felt like I was being sucked into quicksand.

By the end of the call, which happened as rapidly as I could do it, I felt like I wanted to take a shower and use an SOS pad for soap!  Eeeew!

There’s nothing overtly sleazy about this guy. I’m aware that he likely did all that posturing, lying and exaggerating because he wanted to impress me.  But we human beings are funny in that way…

We all have a built-in “bullshit detector”… but we don’t always use it.

Setting aside the reasons why we don’t, here are some “What To Do About It” steps that can help us when we feel ourselves attracted to the spider’s web…

1.

When reading or listening to anything – from news to a friend’s glorious vacation story to a marketer’s easy steps to making millions in 30 days – do a “gut check.” Even if you’re wrong and the person is totally legit, your gut will tell you whether or not this is right for you. Your senses are always on high alert – that’s how our distant ancestors made it long enough to procreate. Listen to that “small voice” inside of you.

2.

When you suspect someone is being less than honest in a real interaction (for example, on the phone or on purpose), politely ask qualifying questions.

I remember the first time my dad caught me in a lie. I’d pretended I couldn’t hear my mother calling me to dinner because I wanted to stay with my friends in the sand pile in Tommy’s yard next door. I told my dad it was because I’d had my head buried in the sand for a long time, “like an ostrich.”
I was about eight. 
Not only do I now know that ostriches don’t actually do that, but on that day, I learned the price of being caught in a blatant lie.

When you ask an adult for more details and they are lying, or bullshitting, chances are they will flare up, talk louder, faster, change the subject or attack you in some way. That’s a sure fire sign something’s amiss.

longhorn bull

3.

In the case of bullshit when you’re not interacting with the person in real time, such as in print or on TV or the internet, pause for a moment and ask, “Does this sound too good to be true?” or “Does this sound too perfect to be true?”

I’ve heard it said that Facebook is a depression prompt for some people. “Why does everyone have a better life than I do?” or “What’s wrong with me?” Asking yourself critical questions gives you the perspective you need to discern what’s real and what isn’t, and maintain a healthy sense of yourself.

If it is too good to be true, it probably isn’t.

4.

Un-slime yourself immediately. For me, that’s a matter of taking a few deep breaths, reflecting on how I want to be sure I communicate more honestly in the future, and releasing judgement of the person/company that I suspect is bullshitting me. They probably have their reasons – everyone has reasons for everything they do. Some people shake it off, literally. You might want to get up and walk around for a few minutes. Take a mini-break or read something completely distracting.

5.

Make a new plan, Stan. We can dislike the bullshit, we can reject the offer, we can avoid future interactions, we can walk away, we can think of something else if we’re forced to listen, take it with “a grain of salt”, on and on. You have a choice. You don’t have to whip out your credit card to get that Special Report that will help you make all that money in 30 days. You don’t have to agree with anyone else’s point of view.  You don’t have to even reply or respond, in many cases.

You are at choice. Take back your choice and make the best decision for yourself.

We don’t have to be victims. We don’t have to absorb the crazy-making of other people’s bullshit, lies or confusing conversations. There’s no reason to engage with frauds, charlatans and questionable people.

If your gut tells you it isn’t true, listen to yourself and take immediate, appropriate action.


Have you got some goals?   Some dream or adventure you long to enjoy?  …


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Have you got some goals?
 
Some dream or adventure you long to enjoy?
 
Career aspirations you just never seem to get around to? Maybe writing the novel or starting your own company or opening a dive shop in the Bahamas?
 

Here’s the stark, unhappy, unpleasant truth:
You are highly unlikely to achieve any of that stuff.

Slap in the face? Yeah, for me too. I’ve got lists of goals I’ve dragged around since the 90s – and I see myself only slightly closer to a few of them.

Most of us are the same:

We hope for all these glorious achievements…but never achieve them.

 
Our individual lists of Whys is brilliant! Any logical person can see it is completely reasonable and rational that you haven’t achieved your most precious goals and I haven’t achieved mine.

Pick your favorite excuse:

  • “I can’t until the kids get older…”
  • “I don’t have the money right now…”
  • “I’m in the middle of a big project at work…”
  • “I don’t know where to start…”
  • “I’m too old” (or) “I’m too young”
  • “My health isn’t the best…”
  • “My marriage is on shaky ground…”
  • “I’m single, but once I find a partner…”
  • “I’m so busy with this other thing. But as soon as this is done…”
  •  
    Yeah. OK.

    Bull-poopies.

    Somewhere burrowed deep down in your heart is the horrifying, hidden, hideous secret that…you are scared to death of going for it.
    fear Franklin Roosevelt
    What if you fail? What if you succeed? What if your dream just isn’t possible for you? What if you’re not good enough? What if it is too hard? What if you don’t have the talent after all? What if you really do run out of food, clothing and shelter before you achieve it? What if getting what you want means hurting – or compromising – someone else? What if your parent/the bully at your middle school/the pastor/your mean teacher/your first boss was actually right about you and you will never amount to anything? And you look weird and you dress funny.

    What if getting what you say you really, truly want means that you have to risk absolutely everything else in your life to get it?

    I’m a literary agent. That means I sell books to publishers on behalf of (nonfiction) authors. Want to know the worst case I’ve ever seen of someone terrified of their own dream? Sixteen years ago, I met a man who pitched me on representing his book. I liked the idea and asked him to send it to me. I could have sold it quickly. I never got a word. But every year or two since, he calls or emails me to tell me he’s “still working on it.”

    People like him used to really irk me…until I realized I am one of them. (Not when it comes to writing, mind you! My next book “The Ultimate Guide to Platform Building” just released.) But I am just like that guy in so many other ways! We look at someone who has achieved what we’re afraid of and think, “Wow! I want that!” But that person is afraid of something different, maybe something that’s easy for you.

    So year after year, we wait for the Magic Moment to arrive when we won’t be afraid and the stars will align and Poof! A miracle!

    It’s easier to wait for miracles, chanting while looking at a vision board, than to face our fears. It’s pretty harsh to accept that not much changes, although time is passing. Not only am I confessing publicly…

    I’m challenging you to actually look inside yourself and check where you are procrastinating out of fear.

    • A close friend finally left a miserable marriage after 27 years together. He was already miserable by their first anniversary!

    • A beloved colleague has told me for years how much she wants to sell or delegate her thriving business to go do something completely artistic. The first time she ever told me that was in 2004.

    • A family member has changed careers more times than I can count. Each time, she gets excited, enrolls in a course, and then halfway through, starts to worry that she won’t like the work, or won’t pass the final exam, or won’t get hired even if she does…and she starts to back away from her dream.

    • When our daughters were in elementary school, another single mother said to me, “Oh Wendy! I wish I could be like you! I’d love to buy a house and run my own business!” When I asked her why she couldn’t, she explained, “The house might be too far for my husband to drive to work.” But at that time, she wasn’t even dating anyone!

    I can’t sit here on my throne and say, “Listen, little children! I have the solution! Just do X and you will break through all your obstacles! They’re just in your head, not in reality!” Even though I can see that for both of us, it really, truly is just in our heads.
     
    The logical part of me knows that I’m the biggest impediment to my own success. Just like you are to yours.

    Instead, I’m inviting us to examine the deep truth about what’s stopping us. Whose voice told us we’re not good enough? Why do we keep reciting that message? What fears are preventing us? We know it’s not lack of knowledge. Between books and Google, you can find out how to do anything. There’s something bigger, something deeper, something scarier inside that prevents us from taking the kind of action that actually moves us toward our stated-but-not-acted-on dreams.
    dandelion girl
    Like dandelions, I believe we need to find those weeds and yank them out by the roots. Everybody’s scared, just of different things that you are. Pull a Franklin Roosevelt on yourself. He’s the guy who said, “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.”

    Our ability to root out our fears and take even one step in the right direction – much less take massive action – happens when we lay aside the fears and worries for split second and quickly take action before we have time to stop ourselves. Your heart may be beating fast, but can rest up for a bit after that, while you summon up your courage for the next step. See? You’re still breathing.. Nothing so bad happened. Ready? Go!

    If not now, when?


    Yesterday, I told a friend that I am unable to get out of a situation…


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    Yesterday, I told a friend that I am unable to get out of a situation that isn’t working in my life because I don’t want to hurt the other person’s feelings.

    To be honest with myself, what I meant by that is “I don’t want to go through the unpleasant drama that other person is highly likely to create if I tell them what I really feel.”  So instead, I just minimize contact to the best of my ability.

    My friend challenged me on this “dishonesty”.  That challenge caused me to examine myself more closely.  This is a recurring theme in my life! For the first time, I realized how many times I ignore or excuse others’ unfair, unkind or impolite behaviors just to “keep the peace”.  I have this fantasy that I am being kind because I am accepting the other person just as they are. Ironically, in my work life, I am fierce when I see an injustice against one of my clients or myself. But in my personal life?  Well, I am overly non-confrontational.

    I rationalize that it isn’t really that big of a deal when someone often says mean things, or if I continue to associate with a person whose personality I no longer want to be around, or if someone seems to pull me down emotionally every time I’m around them.

    Upon reflection, I see this pattern started in childhood. I felt like I had to be always alert Continue reading


    Need to make a tough decision?   Here are 3 Steps to Help You Make…


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    Need to make a tough decision?

     

    Here are 3 Steps to Help You Make the Right Choice

     
    Most rational adults can see both sides of a decision: the upside and the downside. Sometimes, this skill keeps us frozen in indecision. This blog will give you 3 memorable strategies you can use every time you feel trapped between “Yes” and “No”.

    [dropcap]1[/dropcap]The List Method:  Your head and your heart need to be involved in decision making.  To “hear” each side fairly, take two sheets of paper. Write your question as succinctly as possible across the top of each page.  Draw a vertical line down the middle of each.  Label one side “Pros” – those things that are likely positive outcomes – and the other side “Cons” for those outcomes that may not be so ideal.

    In the upper right hand corner of one sheet, draw a heart.  In the same location on the other sheet, draw a brain.

    In a quiet location where you will not be disturbed for at least 15 minutes, choose the “Brain” sheet and spend some time writing down what you think will be the pros and cons of making this decision.  Come back and add more to this page a few times over the next day or two, to be sure you didn’t miss anything.

    When that is complete, repeat this exercise with the “Heart” sheet.  Spend some time writing down what you feel will be the pros and cons of making this decision.  Oftentimes, we make a decision with one part of us without considering the other. This method, an adaptation of one popularized long ago by the great Benjamin Franklin, will help you be sure to include both parts of you.  That way, you can be certain you are making a balanced decision.

     

    [dropcap]2[/dropcap]The Time Machine Method:  Pretend that you’ve made a firm choice either way.  Then strap yourself into your time machine and speed into the future. Assuming the best possible outcome, if you made this decision today, what would you expect to have happen in the next week, month, six months, year and five years?  Write it down or play it out in your head, in full color, as if you are watching a movie on fast forward. What’s life like for you and all concerned in those future dates?  Is life better or worse? Are you happier or less happy?

    Emerge from your time machine, take off your helmet, shake out your hair and…climb back in. Now repeat this exercise with the opposite decision.  Fast forward into the future. Assume the best possible outcome. What is life like for you and those you care about next week, month, six months, year and five years? Look around. Is this outcome what you desired?

    The Time Capsule will give you these three benefits: You end up with more clarity about how the decision will affect your life; you open your eyes to factors that you may not have previously considered; and you can now surge forward with confidence, knowing you’re making the right choice.

     

    [dropcap]3[/dropcap]The CEO Method:  Executives and entrepreneurs have to make decisions every day that affect people and money.  Imagine how stressful that becomes!  One of the best bits of advice I got early in my life as an entrepreneur was this: “50% of your decisions are going to be right; 50% of your decisions are going to be wrong. Your only solution is to decide faster.” 

    Really?

    Yes!  Think of the energy you’re expending right now by being indecisive. Look around. Most decisions are reversible.  There are couples who separate – a decision – and then get back together – another decision.  There are people who stick a For Sale sign in their front yards – and then yank it back out a few months later.  Very few things are irreversible.

    Even of those that are, there are endless future decisions that could make things turn out better than you can even imagine right now. Hate your job and want to leave?  Fine.  Want to work in a different industry? Fine. Find out you don’t like that industry either? Fine.  Start in a new one, start your own company or do something completely different.

    We’re often trapped by fear in our decisions, frozen by thoughts of the fallout. But the minute we take a deep breath, implement one or all of the strategies outlined here and have the courage to act on what our intuition tells us because of these methods, the better we become at decision making and the more confident we become in our ability to trust ourselves.

     

    Like making decisions? Hate it? Want to add a strategy you use to help the readers of this blog? Please comment below.