Depression, also known as major depressive disorder and clinical depression, is one of the most prevalent disorders in the United States according to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). Symptoms of depression may include persistent sad or “empty” feelings, hopelessness, irritability, and fatigue. While most people can relate to these feelings occasionally, for those suffering with depression these emotions are ongoing. According to NIMH, several self-help strategies can alleviate symptoms of depression, these include:
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Engaging in physical exercise regularly.
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Setting doable life goals that excite you.
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Spending time with trusted loved ones.
Another self-help tool that may help heal the effects of depression is the recitation of affirmations.
The Meaning of “Affirmation”
The broad definition of the word affirmation is a statement or action that supports or declares something. In the realm of self-help and empowerment an affirmations is a positive statement that claims something into your life. A person may recite an affirmation or series of affirmations to claim things like wealth, love, and inner-peace in their life.
According to LiveStrong.com, positive affirmations have a powerful effect on those suffering from depression. An affirmation counters negative thoughts and beliefs and replaces them with new positive ones. This process has a healing effect on emotions.
Writing an Affirmation in 4 Steps.
1. Envision an area of your life you’d like to transform. For example, you may experience deeper feelings of depression around the holidays.
2. Replace the thought of this feeling with a positive thought. A sample replacement thought might be, “I am happy during the holidays.” Your thought should focus on what you want instead of what you do not want. For instance, statement 1) “I am happy during the holidays,” is much more powerful than statement 2) ”I am not sad during the holidays.” On the surface, the two statements appear to be similar. However, statement one focuses on happiness while statement two focuses on sadness. Have you identified the flaw in my title yet?
4. Recite your affirmation or series of affirmations regularly and with feeling. The impact of your affirmations increases when you say them with passion and emotion.
A Much Better Title
Reciting your own daily affirmations is a wonderful self help strategy for healing symptoms of depression. While saying affirmations for depression is a wonderful step, even more powerful is saying affirmations for intense joy, inner peace, emotional balance, and immeasurable happiness. A better title for this article would be Affirmations for Abundant Bliss!
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