Things That Help
Four Primary Things You Can Do Today:
1. Care: Focus on your physical health including, sleep, diet, exercise & "me time"
2. Kindness: Be kind to yourself and others
3. Awareness: Become aware of things that trigger your emotions
4. Gratitude: Pause to appreciate your gifts and blessings
For those that seek the path toward healing and vitality, begin to explore a variety of pursuits that can support these things. Pick a couple that speaks to you and see what type of difference you experience in a couple of weeks.
Read: there are numerous books for common issues that people seek help for. Browse the self-help section of your favorite bookstore and reach out for something that speaks to you. Ask a friend, associate, or the bookstore owner for a recommendation from the latest best-seller list. Read the myths and classics, which often reveal how others experienced and/or overcame adverse conditions.
Write: having a place to release your thoughts and feelings in writing can reveal tremendous reflections and insights, allowing you both deeper exploration and understanding of your inner self. Balance writing about your concerns with adequate time to express your blessings and gratitudes daily. Numerous evidence exists that it is impossible to be simultaneously depressed and grateful.
Be Creative: almost everyone has some sort of creative activity, hobby, or play that was a part of their early years. Reconnecting with this or beginning a new endeavor can be transformative in and of itself.
Exercise: sometimes called "nature's antidepressants" - exercise is known to provide energy, improved sleep, and a general state of well-being with only a minimum of regular effort. Start with only ten minutes daily and work your way up to more. Exercise can be anything you like to do that gets you physically active. Try different activities - even something small like taking a walk around your neighborhood.
Plug Into Life: it is a lot harder to struggle with something in isolation than with someone who cares about you. Pick a close friend, family member, or another person you trust and let them in on what is happening with you. Or, take the leap and join a club, association, or other activity that reconnects you with others and the plethora of possibilities life offers.
Do for Others: doing or caring for others without receiving anything in return can be a powerful gift to yourself and others. Consider volunteering or performing acts of anonymous kindness for others, spreading the gift of kindness and hope to friends, the community, and the world.
Meditate - Pray - Dream: taking time to connect to yourself or something greater than yourself can have a profound effect on your feelings of peace and wholeness. Set aside a quiet place, close your eyes, breathe naturally and deeply, and hold a present place to be with yourself...see what comes forth to you.
1. Care: Focus on your physical health including, sleep, diet, exercise & "me time"
2. Kindness: Be kind to yourself and others
3. Awareness: Become aware of things that trigger your emotions
4. Gratitude: Pause to appreciate your gifts and blessings
For those that seek the path toward healing and vitality, begin to explore a variety of pursuits that can support these things. Pick a couple that speaks to you and see what type of difference you experience in a couple of weeks.
Read: there are numerous books for common issues that people seek help for. Browse the self-help section of your favorite bookstore and reach out for something that speaks to you. Ask a friend, associate, or the bookstore owner for a recommendation from the latest best-seller list. Read the myths and classics, which often reveal how others experienced and/or overcame adverse conditions.
Write: having a place to release your thoughts and feelings in writing can reveal tremendous reflections and insights, allowing you both deeper exploration and understanding of your inner self. Balance writing about your concerns with adequate time to express your blessings and gratitudes daily. Numerous evidence exists that it is impossible to be simultaneously depressed and grateful.
Be Creative: almost everyone has some sort of creative activity, hobby, or play that was a part of their early years. Reconnecting with this or beginning a new endeavor can be transformative in and of itself.
Exercise: sometimes called "nature's antidepressants" - exercise is known to provide energy, improved sleep, and a general state of well-being with only a minimum of regular effort. Start with only ten minutes daily and work your way up to more. Exercise can be anything you like to do that gets you physically active. Try different activities - even something small like taking a walk around your neighborhood.
Plug Into Life: it is a lot harder to struggle with something in isolation than with someone who cares about you. Pick a close friend, family member, or another person you trust and let them in on what is happening with you. Or, take the leap and join a club, association, or other activity that reconnects you with others and the plethora of possibilities life offers.
Do for Others: doing or caring for others without receiving anything in return can be a powerful gift to yourself and others. Consider volunteering or performing acts of anonymous kindness for others, spreading the gift of kindness and hope to friends, the community, and the world.
Meditate - Pray - Dream: taking time to connect to yourself or something greater than yourself can have a profound effect on your feelings of peace and wholeness. Set aside a quiet place, close your eyes, breathe naturally and deeply, and hold a present place to be with yourself...see what comes forth to you.
Willamette Counseling Services, Barry W. McVay, M.A., LPC
Individual & Couples Therapist
"Help in finding your path to healing, vitality and wholeness..."
Anxiety - Depression - Shame - Relationships - Family Issues - Couples Therapy - Addictions - Co-Dependency - Sexual Addiction - Trust - Intimacy
Serving the Greater Portland area, South Waterfront, Sellwood, John's Landing, Terwilliger-Lair Hill, OHSU, PSU and Multnomah areas
