Depression is like living in an emotional hell every day. Anyone who suffers from it would gladly do anything they needed to do to get rid of it. I found this information very helpful for managing my own depression. It may come back after a few days, but just repeat this and it will keep getting better and better as you can focus more. Even if it just helps you to cope with depression, that is worth looking into for anyone who suffers from it.
What your mind focuses on expands.
What is the Law of Momentum?
Energy in motion, tends to stay in motion.
Energy stopped, tends to stay stopped.
If you take action in your life, and begin to create a healthy mindset, you will experience a more healthy mindset every day.
The Law of Momentum is everywhere in one's life, in physics, with your body, and most importantly, with your thoughts. Your thinking is very predictable. It all works on the law of focus and momentum. Your mind is like one giant ball of potential thinking energy, just waiting for you to give it a direction in which to think.
It awaits and responds to your every command. It's an exceptional tool. Except, most of us aren't very experienced at controlling this amazing tool. A lot of people aren't even aware that they can control it!
Imagine when your mind is producing thoughts being like a drop of water that soon becomes a trickle, then a full flowing stream, then a powerful river, and then a mighty ocean.
Your thoughts also work in the same way when you're depressed. Negativity creates more negativity. Once the negative thoughts start coming, they are set into motion. You get even more depressed with each set of negative thoughts that run through your brain. What you are thinking actually begins to manifest in your life. Your nightmare becomes an emotional hell that you are daily living in reality.
How does one stop themselves from doing this?
You can easily control your thinking process. Most people just aren't aware of the necessary tools. When you read how to do it, it will become very simple to do.
The first step to changing anything is becoming aware of what is happening, especially if it's happening inside your mind. Imagine that your thoughts are racing for whatever reason. Most people at this stage get extremely frustrated and try to force the mind into submission. It won't work!
Why? Because, what you focus on expands. The more frustrated you get, the more you're focusing on frustration, so you'll get even more frustration, and more negative thinking, and on and on, in a vicious cycle or pattern.
The first step, is to simply become "aware" of the fact that you're thinking. Nothing more. When you notice that you're thinking, smile to yourself, and say, "I just noticed myself thinking. Interesting!"
Notice what happens inside of you when you do this, something very profound, like an epiphany. If "I" just noticed "myself" thinking, perhaps there are really two completely separate identities running your life? There is the "I" and there is the "self."
[There is also a third identity, "me," being the Inner Child, but it's moot to discuss that right now, as it does not relate to this process.]
The "I", is the real you, the higher being, the "I" behind the mind, that runs the life, the heart, the soul, the true conscious being, the choice or decision maker.
The "self" is the mind. When left to take charge of the life, it will run in endless circles until you border the edge of insanity.
The moment you realize this, the moment you become, "Aware," you are no longer a slave to your mind. You have won the victory over depression. After you become aware, do nothing, except just be aware for a few seconds, and notice how it feels to be present in who you really are, not the mind, but you, the "I." There is a great feeling of peace behind that presence of power in the "I."
Why? Because when you are aware like this, you're aware of the power of your choice making. You now have the power of choice.
What you focus on expands. Now that you have become aware of your thinking, all you have to do is "direct" your mind to consciously make a choice to not be depressed. Say to your "self,"
"I" choose not to be depressed. "I" am master over my "self."
"I" choose to have a healthy peaceful mindset.
You will feel better almost immediately. You have consciously directed your mind to have peace and health.
I believe this is what the Bible means when it says, "For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and a sound mind." I Timothy 1:7
Keep repeating this to yourself aloud.
"I" am in charge of my "self" and I choose to not be depressed. Breathe deeply in between each statement. If your negative thoughts try to interrupt you, just consciously stop them by becoming aware of what is going on, then taking a deep breath and repeating, "I" am in control of my "self" and "I" choose to not be depressed. Repeat the above Bible verse aloud, or use any Bible verses or positive affirmations that give you strength.
Anytime any depressing thoughts try to creep back into your mind, just repeat the process again each time. You can manage your depression so much better, and in time it may leave you completely.
When you stop looking for the reasons why you are depressed and realise that there is a battle going on for control of your mind and commit to winning that battle, you are already 50% of the way out. Just force yourself to be happy everyday against all the odds, and if you can manage that for a few weeks you will manifest some small measure in reality. Continue and you will eventually see the light again.
I might add that this may work on any problem that you have in your life. It was originally meant to stop insomnia, then I rewrote it to help me manage my own depression. The simplest free things are sometimes the very answers we seek to our most complex problems.
The steps are always to focus on what it is you want to change, become aware of what is going on within your mind, breathe deeply, and let the "I" be in control of the "self." Realize the "I" is the one with the power, not the "self." Keep repeating the process until you feel great. You can thus master any problem you have.
Depression and anxiety are results of having false expectations of what you think life should be but probably never will be in actuality. Are you truly depressed? Then set a challenging goal for yourself, commit to reaching it, and work harder than you have ever worked before in your life to reach that goal.
If you believe you are a soccer ball waiting to be kicked, that is how you will behave in life, as a doormat, patsy, or scapegoat for others to use and toss aside. If you believe you are in control and can change your life, then that is what you can choose to do.
Thought patterns can be changed or interrupted in a heartbeat by using humor or confusion. Tell a funny joke. Begin to quack like a duck or bark like a dog. If we are doing something we don't like, just recognize it, and change it with humor or confusion.
Here is an example. A man was in a mental institution suffering from the delusion that he was Jesus Christ. The doctors had all taken turns treating the man, but he had only gotten worse. So the last doctor decided to try a different kind of treatment on the man. He went into the man's room and said, "So you think you are Jesus Christ?" The man replied, "Yes, my son. I am Jesus." The doctor said, "Ok, I will be right back." His remark confused the man. In a few minutes, the doctor came back with a tape measure and began to measure the man's arms and legs, writing down measurements. This only confused the man even moreso. The doctor told the man he would be back soon. In a short time, he was back with a hammer, large nails, and several long boards. He didn't say a word to the patient, but began to build a cross. The man's curiosity got the best of him, and he asked the doctor, "What are you doing?" The doctor looked at the man and said, "Oh, if you are Jesus Christ, then I think you already know what I am doing." This woke the man up to reality fast. He immediately changed his tune, and told the doctor, "No, I am not Jesus Christ. I am John Smith." He was cured in an instant.
This article has been rewritten to manage depression and was partially based on a wonderful article written by Kacper Postawski, on HOW TO PUT YOUR MIND TO SLEEP QUICKLY. Please read his original article to give you more knowledge on how to control insomnia. He also has a book on the subject, if you would like to purchase it.